
SOCIETY 137 
native society, one should not expect much result in the 
way of political upbuilding. 
Mohammedan Influences. With the Moham- 
medan it was different. From the time of the founder of 
his faith he has been accustomed to the idea of absolute 
rule on earth. So deeply ingrained is this crude but 
effective concept that it has always remained character- 
istic of Islam, and still keeps a powerful hold on its 
devotees. If the Hindu had introduced the name of 
kingship into the Philippines, the Mohammedan 
imported the fact. The Sultans of Sulu and of Magin- 
danao definitely attempted to rule as autocrats over 
large districts; and in some measure they succeeded. 
Of course, their fortunes were variable, since in the very 
nature of autocracy the degree of absolutism exercised 
depends to a preponderating extent on the individuality 
of the ruler. Living at the peripheries of the Moham- 
medan world, and among people whom Islam had there- 
fore affected less deeply than the majority of its converts, 
the Filipino sultans held somewhat less complete sway 
than many of their colleagues in other parts of the world. 
At least in plan, however, they held power by the same 
right and by the same means; and under them the 
various datos or local chiefs were in turn minor auto- 
crats. There is no question that this scheme of political 
organization gave the Mohammedans a military effi- 
ciency on a much larger scale than the other Filipinos 
possessed and was the cause which enabled them to 
preserve their independence for three hundred years 
after these had succumbed. In fact, their power was 
not broken until steam gunboats drove their fleets of 
light sailing vessels from the sea: and even then the 
suzerainty of Spain remained rather shadowy to the end. 
In deeper perspective, however, the fairly successful 
states achieved by the Mohammedans are character- 
