 Moro Indian Swords
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteMoro Indians include any of several Muslim peoples of Mindanao, Palawan, the Sulu Archipelago, and other southern islands of the Philippines. Constituting about 5 percent of the Philippine population, they can be classified linguistically into 10 subgroups. Because of their Islamic faith (introduced from Borneo and Malaya in the 14th century), the Moro have remained outside the mainstream of Philippine life and have been the object of popular prejudice and national neglects. Moro conflict with ruling powers has a centuries-long history: from the 16th to the 19th century, they resisted Roman Catholic Spanish colonialists, who tried to extirpate their "heresy." In the first decade of the 20th century, they battled against U.S. occupation troops in a futile hope of establishing a separate sovereignty. Finally, they spawned insurgencies against the independent Philippine government, especially from the late 1960s onward. Captain William Preston Harden served in the Philippine Constabulary Army around 1915. He was one of four brothers born to William Preston Harden, Sr. and Ada Pruett of Banks County, Georgia. After returning from the Philippines, he became a prominent agronomist and peach orchardist with his brother, Willis. William Preston Harden married Mary Adair and lived on Shankle Heights in Commerce, Georgia until his death. Scope and ContentTwo Moro Indian swords captured by Captain William Preston Harden while serving in the Philippine Constabulary Army (circa 1915). The swords show "hash marks" (victims) and have other religious symbols and markings. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationMoro Indian Swords, ms3364, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject Terms | ||||||||||||||||||||