Cultural References
The transliteration of the inscription shows heavy Sanskrit, Old Javanese and Malay linguistic influences. Among the observations made by Antonio Pigafetta in the 16th century Boxer Codex was that Old Malay had currency amongst pre-colonial Filipinos as a lingua franca.
The use of Hindu references in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription could also suggest that the author or authors of the inscription were adherents of Hinduism. The Golden Tara statue, an ancient artefact discovered in Butuan, Agusan del Norte, dates from the same period and strongly suggests the presence of Hindu-Buddhist beliefs prior to the introduction (and subsequent dominance) of Roman Catholicism and Islam amongst Filipinos.
Read more about this topic: Laguna Copperplate Inscription
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