Before colonization, the Philippines was composed of independent communities called barangays, each ruled by a datu. Society was divided into classes:
- Maharlika the nobility (warrior class)
- Timawa the freemen
- Alipin dependents or slaves (with different subtypes, not exactly like Western slavery)
Barangays were often located near rivers or coasts and engaged in trade with neighboring regions like China, India, and the Malay Archipelago. There was no centralized government; leadership depended on alliances, kinship, and power.
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