position of datu. In some cases, such as the more developed sakop or kinadatuan in the Visayas (e.g., Panay, Bohol and Cebu), origin myths and other folk narratives firmly placed the datu and the aristocratic class at the top of a divinely sanctioned and stable social order. These folk narratives portrayed the ancestors of datus and other nobles as being created by an almighty deity, just like other human beings. But the behavior of these creations determined the social position of their descendants. This conception of social organization even continues to shape Philippine society today despite the introduction of western, externally democratic structures. This has led some sociologists and political scientists to describe the Philippines' political structure as a cacique democracy. Membership in the aristocratic class The "authority, power, and influence" of the datu (adjali) emanated primarily from his recognized status within the noble class. Noble birth was not the only factor that determined a datu's political legitimacy, however. Success as a datu was dependent on one's "personal charisma, prowess in war, and wealth." Hereditary succession The office of datu was normally passed on through heredity, and even in cases where it was not passed on through direct descent, only a fellow member of the aristocratic class could ascend to the position. In large settlements (called bayan among the Tagalogs) in which several datus and their barangays lived in close proximity, paramount datus were chosen by datus from amongst themselves in a more democratic way, but even this position as most senior among datus was often passed on through heredity. Antonio de Morga, in his work Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, expounded on this succession through heredity, noting: Material affluence Since the culture of the pre-colonial societies in the Visayas, northern Mindanao, and Luzon were largely influenced by Hindu and Buddhist cultures, the datus who ruled these principalities (such as Butuan Calinan, Ranau Gandamatu, Maguindanao Polangi, Cebu, Bohol, Panay, Mindoro and Manila) also share the many customs of royalties and nobles in Southeast Asian territories (with Hindu and Buddhist cultures), especially in the way they used to dress and adorn themselves with gold and silk. The Boxer Codex bears testimony to this fact. The measure of the prince's possession of gold and slaves was proportionate to his greatness and nobility. The first Westerners, who came to the archipelago, observed that there was hardly any "Indian" who did not possess chains