Tondo, (also referred to as Tundo, Tundun, Tundok, Lusung)
was a fortified kingdom which was located in the Manila Bay area, specifically
north of the Pasig River, on Luzon island. It is one of the settlements
mentioned by the Philippines' earliest historical record, the LagunaCopperplate Inscription.
Originally an Indianized kingdom in the 10th century, Tondo
built upon and capitalized on being central to the long-existing ancient
regional trading routes throughout the archipelago to include among others,
initiating diplomatic and commercial ties with China during the Ming Dynasty.
Thus it became an established force in trade throughout Southeast Asia and East
Asia. (See Luções). Tondo's regional prominence further culminated during the
period of its associated trade and alliance with Brunei's Sultan Bolkiah, when
around 1500 its peak age as a thalassocratic force in the northern archipelago
was realized. When the Spanish first arrived in Tondo in 1570 and defeated the
local rulers in the Manila Bay area in 1591, Tondo came under the
administration of Manila (a Spanish fort built on the remains of Kota
Seludong), ending its existence as an independent state. This subjugated Tondo
continues to exist today as a district of the city of Manila.[source]
