People and Culture
Although consisting of a mixed community of Muslims and Christians, the Tausug dominate the Sulu Archipelago. The Tausug were among the first inhabitants of the Philippines to embrace Islam as a religion and a way of life.
Their traditional religio-political structure is the sultanate. The sultan is the head of all ranks. Succession is by election by his staff, although patrilineal succession is the ideal.
The Tausug are referred to as ‘people of the current’, reflective of their close ties to the sea. The handicrafts of Sulu have both Islamic and Malay influences. Skilled artisans make boats, bladed weapons, bronze and brassware, pis cloth, embroidered textiles, shellcraft, traditional house carvings, and carved wooden grave markers.
Read more about this topic: Sulu
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