The Legend of Princess Urduja: Warrior Queen or Myth?
Whether commended for their efforts or not, women leaders have long been at the forefront of their communities’ success. Take the legendary Princess Urduja, for example. For centuries, her bravery has lived in Philippine folklore and inspired generations of Filipinos.
Yet, historians continue to debate the legitimacy of her very existence. Some argue that the lack of evidence means that she belongs solely to the realm of Philippine legends.
Today, let’s examine the historical evidence and separate fact from fiction — beginning with the earliest and most prominent figure to write about her.
Table of Contents
- Origins of the Legend: Ibn Battuta’s Account
- Historical Evidence and Retellings (or Lack Thereof)
- Princess Urduja as a Filipino Cultural Icon
- Warrior, Queen, and Legend: The Legacy Endures
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Origins of the Legend: Ibn Battuta’s Account
The earliest known mention of Princess Urduja appears in the writings of Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveler in the 14th century.
Ibn Battuta is regarded as the greatest medieval traveler and the author of the renowned travelogue Rihlah (Travels). His journey started as he set out with the intention of completing the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca required by Islam’s fifth pillar.
What began as a religious journey, however, turned into nearly three decades of travel spanning about 75,000 miles[1] and the equivalent of 44 modern nations—far exceeding Marco Polo’s famed 24,000-mile journey during his service under Emperor Kublai Khan.[2]
In 1347, en route to China, he described his experience upon arrival in a country called Tawalisi, led by a king with the same name. There, he recounted meeting a warrior princess named Urduja, the king’s daughter, who governed the city of Kailukari, where his ship had docked.[3] (Modern-day location of Tawalisi and Kailukari is still debated by scholars.)
As was customary, Princess Urduja ordered a banquet to welcome their arrival. Battuta, however, refused, calling the tribe ‘infidels’ and deeming their food unlawful to eat. The princess did not back down and summoned him instead.
In the end, they spoke about his origins, and Battuta wrote that she ordered that he be given
“robes, two elephant loads of rice, two buffalo cows, ten sheep, four pounds of julep, and four martabans—large vessels filled with ginger, pepper, citrus fruit, and mangoes, all salted as provisions for sea voyages.”
Battuta described the princess as a fierce warrior who commanded an army of women who “fight like men.” She was equally notorious for vowing to remain single, declaring she would only marry a man who could defeat her in battle.
Battuta’s story captured imaginations because it seemed unusual for that time. A female ruler leading warriors challenged expectations. Readers of his work saw Urduja as more than a leader. Writers turned her into a symbol of strength in an era dominated by men’s histories.
But historians have long questioned Ibn Battuta’s reliability. His accounts often contain exaggerations, secondhand stories, or geographical inconsistencies, making it difficult to determine where fact ends and embellishment begins.
Historical Evidence and Retellings (or Lack Thereof)
When the Spanish colonized the Philippines in the 16th century in search of spices, their chroniclers recorded detailed accounts of the islands’ rulers. Yet Urduja was absent from these records. For a figure supposedly as powerful as a queen, her silence in Spanish documents raises doubts.
Scholars proposed locations in several places within Southeast Asia, but no consensus exists.[4] If true, then this implies that Urduja’s supposed kingdom may never have existed on Philippine soil at all.
Regardless, her story resurfaced once again when the Philippines’ national hero, Jose Rizal, along with his biographer Austin Craig, vouched for her legitimacy.
Anecdotal accounts suggest Rizal even calculated that Urduja’s kingdom might have been located in the northern Philippines, particularly in the province of Pangasinan.
His claim went largely unchallenged, and Urduja’s place in Philippine folklore grew stronger as she appeared in literary works such as Stories About Great Filipinos (1925) by Benitez and Benitez and later in Zoilo Galang’s Encyclopedia of the Philippines (1953).[5] (Side note: Unfortunately, I couldn’t find online access to these books. Believe me, I tried.)
For all these great retellings, still, no archaeological evidence links Urduja to Pangasinan.
Such didn’t deter the Filipinos from resonating with her narrative, though.
Princess Urduja as a Filipino Cultural Icon
Despite these doubts, Princess Urduja lives on in modern culture. Statues of her stand proudly in Pangasinan. Schools and roads bear her name. Parents even named babies after her. Textbooks often feature her, not as historical fact but as a cultural figure.
In Pangasinan, the governor’s official residence in Lingayen is called “Urduja House,” and a statue of the princess can be found at the Hundred Islands National Park.
In film and art, Princess Urduja has often been romanticized as both warrior and queen. In 2008, her legend inspired the release of the animated historical fantasy film Urduja. More recently, GMA Network, one of the Philippines’ leading broadcasters, aired Mga Lihim ni Urduja, a modern-day retelling of her story.
Her role as a cultural icon shows that myths can be powerful, even without physical proof. Sometimes, belief itself gives stories their lasting influence.
Warrior, Queen, and Legend: The Legacy Endures
For many Filipinos, she is proof of a rich pre-colonial identity, a reminder that strength existed before foreign powers arrived.
Her endurance also ties into gender politics. In a world still debating women’s capacity for leadership, Urduja stands as a model of empowerment. She reminds Filipinas that power and authority are not foreign to their history.
At the same time, tales like Urduja’s serve as cultural memory. They don’t have to be proven true to reflect deeper truths about identity and aspiration. Stories like hers endure because they answer the question: What kind of ancestors do we want to remember?
And so, even as scholars debate the evidence, we Filipinos keep Princess Urduja alive in memory, monuments, and imagination. Until the day substantial proof says otherwise, her legacy will continue to be celebrated.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is the warrior princess of Pangasinan?
Princess Urduja is a legendary warrior princess believed to have ruled a kingdom in Pangasinan. She is often described as both a fierce leader in battle and a wise ruler of her people.
What was the famous line of Princess Urduja?
Her most well-known vow was that she would only marry a man strong enough to defeat her in combat — a declaration that cemented her image as a fearless and independent leader.
Is Princess Urduja a real person?
Historians continue to debate her existence. Some argue she is purely a figure of folklore, while others, including national hero Jose Rizal, believed her kingdom might have been in Pangasinan. Whether real or legendary, her story remains a powerful part of Filipino cultural heritage.
How did Princess Urduja die?
There are no historical records that detail Princess Urduja’s death. Since her story exists mostly in legend and folklore, accounts of how she may have died remain unknown.
Did Princess Urduja have a husband?
According to Ibn Battuta’s writings, Urduja vowed never to marry unless a man could defeat her in battle. No records mention her having a husband, and folklore often highlights her independence as part of her legend.
References:
[1] The Travels of Ibn Battuta | ORIAS
[2] Asia for Educators | Columbia University
[4] PRINCESS URDUJA: Finding the legendary 14th-century Philippine heroine • THE ASWANG PROJECT
