After Shariful Hashim, his two sons and Sultan Bolkiah as overlord (?), the throne of the Sulu sultanate passed on to Maharajah Upo, grandson of the first sultan.
Upon Maharajah Upo's ascension in 1527, he assumed the regnal name Sultan Mu-izz ul-Mutawadi-in and reigned up to 1548 or for twenty-one (21) years.
What is not sure about Maharajah Upo's lineage is whether he is the son of Kamaluddin or Alauddin. Accordingly, there are some genealogies suggesting he succeeded Kamaluddin, thus blurring the reign of two previous sultans, and may confirm that he is the son of Kamaluddin.
If he was the son of Kamaluddin, and factoring in the reigns of the two previous sultans, then he ascended the throne based on lateral succession of older to younger sibling. If the two previous reigns will not be factored in, his succession confirms patrilineal descent as a requisite for succession.
For all the sultans, more or less, we know their names, a little of their genealogy and their succession. We do have scant information about their accomplishment and the circumstances surrounding their reign. It is possible to reconstruct circumstantial events falling within each reign from other colonial and neighboring sources?
For example the year 1527, the beginning of Sultan Muizz-Mutawaddin's reign, is the date considered as the decline of the once mighty Madjapahit Empire, considered one of the greatest SE Asian empires.
In Nagarakretagama (Nagarakrtagama) the Javanese eulogy to Hayam Wuruk, the Majapahit ruler, mentioned were made about the extend of its influence. Specific geographic areas were mentioned as either direct territory or within its sphere of influence. Is Sulu sultanate the same as the country of "Solot" mentioned in Canto 14 as Madjapahit vassal states together with Sedu (Sarawak), Barune (Brunei), Saludung (Luzon), Pahang , Kelantan, and Trengganu, Johor, Tumasik (today's Singapore), Kelang (Klang valley) and Kedah?
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