In Philippine folk tradition, Rajah Salalila was the Rajah or paramount ruler of the early Indianized Philippine settlement of Maynila, and the father of the individual named Ache, who would eventually be well known as Rajah Matanda. Based on perceived similarities between the names, he is sometimes also called Sulaiman I in the belief that he shared the name of his supposed grandson, Rajah Sulayman. Oral traditions cited by Odal-Devora identify him as a son of the legendary Dayang Kalangitan and Rajah Lontok. Genealogical traditions cited by Majul claim that he converted to Islam from indigenous Tagalog beliefs as a result of the missionary efforts of the Sultanate of Brunei. Salalila's rule ended when he died some time in the early 1500s, and he was succeeded by his wife, who was not named in historical accounts. By 1570, his son Ache had succeeded to the position himself, and had come to be known as "Rajah Matanda".
The records of Ache's 1521 account before the crew of Sebastian Elcano's expedition did not identify Salalila by name. However, he is referred to using the name "Salalila" in the "Lakandula documents" deposited at the Philippine National Archives, as well as by apocryphal sources, such as the alleged 1539 "Will of Pansomun".
Sulaiman theory
His supposed identification as "Sulaiman I" was presented as a theory in the 1950s, based on the similarities of "Salalila" and "Suleiman". However, this identification is the subject of debate among present-day historiographers.
Known relations
Historically documented relations
A number of Salalila's relations are documented in Ache 's 1521 account. This includes:
Ache, Salalila's son – Self-acknowledged to be Salalila's son
Salalila's widow, Ache's mother – Not specifically named in the 1521 accounts of Aganduru Moriz, Gines de Mafra or Antonio Pigaffetta, but sometimes named "Dayang Ysmeria" in 20th centuryfolk traditions.
Ache's "cousin", the ruler of Tondo – Presumably also related to Salalila, this cousin is believed to be roughly Ache's age, but had already become Lakan of Tondo by 1521, when he was allegedly encroaching on the territory of Maynila, then ruled by Ache's mother. It is not known if "cousin" is a precise term, or a general term meaning a "relative".
The Sultan of Brunei, Ache's "grandfather" – The 1521 accounts all specify that Ache had run away from Maynila as a young man to seek the political and military support of his grandfather, the Sultan of Brunei, against the Lakan of Tondo. Salalila's exact relationship with this Sultan of Brunei is not specified in the extant accounts, and it is not known if "grandfather" is a precise term, or a general term meaning an "ancestor".
Rajah Sulayman – According to the genealogical research done by Luis Camara Dery, investigating the National Archives' "Lakandula documents" in particular, Ache is believed to have had an unnamed younger brother, who became the father of the Rajah Sulayman, who met De Goiti and Legaspi in 1570–71. Some 20th century traditions name this younger brother Suleiman II, with the Sulayman of the 1570s supposedly being Suleiman III. However, the provenance of these traditions is unclear.
20th century folk traditions hold Salalila to be a son of Dayang Kalangitan and Rajah Lontok.
Death and succession
According to Ache's 1521 account, Salalila died while Ache was still very young, and was succeeded by his wife, who was not named in the accounts. By 1570, Salalila's wife had died and Ache had succeeded to Salalila's position himself, and introduced himself as "Rajah Matanda" to the forces of Martin de Goiti and Miguel López de Legazpi.
