The Darangen is an old epic ballad that contains a lot of information about the Maranao people who dwell in Mindanao's Lake Lanao area. This is the historic home of the Maranao, one of the Philippines' three major Muslim communities. It tells the story of how Maharajah Datusayna (King David) and his son Rajah Sulaiman (Soliman) fought a series of wars with other kings to gain control of their kingdom. The song also describes the splendors of their courts and the wealth of their possessions. In the Maranao version of the epic, known as "Kapitan Dulawyna", King David wants to marry his daughter Princess Paitan to Prince Sultan of Brunei. The marriage would end the fighting between their kingdoms and help bring peace to the region. But the prince refuses to marry her because she is a slave. So King David sets out with his army to fight against Prince Sultan but they reach a peaceful agreement and the armies go home. In return for not marrying his daughter, the prince is given control of King David's palace servants and bodyguards. This ancient poem was probably composed sometime between 1550 and 1750 AD. It is written in Malay and uses classical Arabic vocabulary and syntax. However, it was most likely not written by a Muslim since Islam did not exist in the Philippines at that time.