Brief History of Iranun

In the Philippines their are many Muslim tribe especially in Mindanao. One of this is Iranun or Illanun. If you heard of this Muslim tribe you will think that this is from Iran. The Iranun or Illanun are an ethnic group of Mindanao, Philippines and the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia, in 25 villages around the Kota Belud and Lahad Datu districts; also in Kudat and Likas, Kota Kinabalu. Their current population is estimated to be around 1,000,000-1,500,000 (2008 est).

For centuries, the Illanun were regarded as the fiercest pirates in the Malay world. It is thought that the Malay word for pirate, 'lanun', derives from the word Illanun. Originally from the area around Lake Lanao in southern Mindanao, Illanun colonies spread from Sumatra through the Sulu Archipelago, and the east coast of Borneo. Most Illanun are Muslim. Their language is part of the Austronesian family, and is most closely related to Maranao of the Philippines. Historically, the Iranun were given the exonym Illanun during the British colonial era.

In early times, the Iranuns living at the coast adopted a typical maritime lifestyle of seagoing invaders, which went on for at least 150 years prior to the inception of American colonial rule at the turn of the century. The Iranun raided throughout the islands of Southeast Asia, from the Celebes in the south to Luzon in the north and as far west as the Straits of Malacca. In search for slaves and plunder, they attacked merchant shipping and coastal settlements in the Philippines, the straits of Malacca and the islands beyond Sulawesi.

A typical Iranun house

Their primary targets were unprotected coastal settlements and sailing boats that traveled throughout Southeast Asia, bringing valuable commodities from China and the West back to the most remote parts of the archipelago. The entire coastline of Southeast Asia was affected by their maritime raids, crossing the South China Sea to attack undefended stretches of the coastlines of Thailand and Cochin China. The Iranuns made the most of the ill-defended seas and ravaged the coastal populations and commerce.

Many of these marauders were sponsored by rulers from the trading states of Cotabato, Sulu, Siak, and Sambas. They were soon described as 'Lanun' or 'Illanoon' (pirates) by those who suffered their attacks or either traveled with or hunted them and wrote about their widespread impact on the Southeast Asian world.

From the mid-1750's onward, the scale, ferocity and unexpected nature of the initial wave of Iranun attacks were deeply disturbing since thousands of Filipinos perished or were seized as captives. This terrifying period of Iranun slave-raiding activity, which lasted more than 70 years from roughly 1752 to 1832, severely hampered the overall social and material well-being and growth of the Philippine colonial state.

They continue their seafaring ways today, but now as fishermen and long-distance traders.