Vellalar (Sri Lankan Tamil)
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Vellalar amongst Sri Lankan Tamils are a dominat group of formerly farming related caste group from Sri Lanka that is found amongst all walks of life and around the world as part of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.[1]
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[edit] Origins
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What is certain is that the Sri Lankan Tamil Vellalar identity rose amongst those who migrated from neibhouring Tamil Nadu state in India since the 13the century. According to Yalpana Vaipava Malai, a native chronicle that documents the history of the rise and fall of the Jaffna kingdom in Sri Lanka from the 12th century to the 16th, many Vellalar chiefs from Tamil Nadu were responsible for organizing settlement groups from India in to the Jaffna peninsula. Most of these pioneering families had titles associted with clan chiefs such as "Rayan", Thevan", "Mudali", "Mappanan" and "Malavan". [2](for Tamil language version see here)[3]
Yalpana Vaipava Malai explains in details the names and places of origin of some of these Vellala lineage founders. One was of ethnic Tuluva origin where as others were of mercantile Chetty caste. Some had idependent wealth from India yet others were known for the fighting abilities. In total it explains a settlement pattern of pioneering people from South India under influence of an independent Jaffna kingdom who although mostly of Vellala origin but also had other origins.[2]
[edit] Quotation from the Native Kailaya Malai
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The exact quotation from the Kailaya Malai a native chronicle lists the Vellalar Chiefs and their background.
The king after ascending the throne appointed as his Primo Minister, Buvaneka Vaku, a learned Brahman of a high family in Madura, and made him reside at Nallur. He made Pandi Malava of Ponpattiyur, formerly of Venkatagiri, a man of Gengakula a man who had a plough flag, a man of great generosity and liberality, who was fully disposed to feed the poor and rich alike, to reside as Tirunelveli with his brother and brother-in-law. Chempaka Malava. Next came in Narasinga Deva of the Tuluva clan of the Vellala division; a man of Gengakula and a nobleman of worldwide fame. who freely patronised the learn, and used to wear a garland of waterlilies, was a great lover of learning, whose native place was Kaviriyur. He was made to resider at Mayiliddi.
Then came another leading Vellala who had a plough flag whose native place was Valinagar. He had the appearance of cupid; he was well versed in all the three branches of Tamil and his name was Chenpala Mappana. He and a relation of his called Chandrasekar Mappana and another called Kanakaraya. a Vellan Chetty by caste who used to wear a garland of cummin, were made to reside at Tellippalai, a place of great. fertility and of never-failing water-supply and of unique distinction. The next was the Vellala of Kovalur who had a plough flag and a garland of water-lilies, He was a man of great influence, learning and charming appearance, and his name was Perayiraua He was made to reside at Inuvil, a village abounding with sugarcane, plantain and arecanut trees and with paddy fields.
The next was a Vellala of Kachehur, whose hands were liberal as the Kalpa tree. He had a garland of water-lilies, he was a man of great wealth and of handsome appearance. He was of incomparanle valour, and of great devotion to Siva, and his name was Nilakanda. He and his four brother were made to reside at Pachilatpalli. The next was the Vellala of Sikari, a man of great intelligence who had a garland of water-lilies. He was famous for truthfulness, learning, civility, industry and was full of resource. He had a commanding appearance, and his name was Kanaka Malava. He with his four brothers was made to reside at Puloli.
The next was the Vellala of Kupakam. He was as wealthy as Kubera, he had a garland of water-lilies, he was a patron of the learned, he had a plong fiag and his name was Kupakarendra. He and Narangufeva a relation of his, famous for charitable deds, were made to rsside at Tholpuram, a town without an equal. The next was the Vellala of Pullur, an Arjuna in archery a Bhima in warfare, a Karna in liberality, a Dharma in fame and forbearance, whose name, was Devarajendra. He had corwn of gold set with precious stones, He was asked to reside at Koyilakkandi.
The next was the Vellala of the family of him who shed over kamban a shower of gold for the work of Erezhupatu, whose country was Tondainade, who had a widespread name, who used to wear a lotus garland and whose name was Maanadukanda Mudali. He was made to reside at Irupalai. The next was the Vellala of Seyur, who was as wealthy as Indra, and who never deviated from the path of visture. whose garland was of water lilies. Whose fame was great and whose paternal and maternal lines were matchless and pure and whose name was Taninayaga. He was made a ehief of Neduntiva. The next was the Vellala of Vanchi, whose name was pallava. He with two other chiefs, was placed at Velinadu.
The kind having appinted these, thought of appinting headmen and other servants and accordingly appointed Valliamatakan, a man of great valour and power, to be the headman of the Western division; Imaiyana to be the headman of the Northern division; Chenpaka Matakan, a powerful man whose name was known even as far as the Himalayas, to be the headman of the Eastern division; Vetti Matakan, a man of great power, to be the headman of the Southern division; Virasingan who fought several battles and an experienced soldier, to be the commander-in-chief of his army.
This leaves no ambiguity on their status in India or their background.
[edit] Rise to dominance
During the Jaffna kingdom period and the following colonial period since the 16 the century, Vellala chiefs were in constant struggle for supremacy with another now extinct caste called Madapalli. The kings belonging to the Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty would appoint leaders from both the factions to maintain peace in the kingdom.[4]
According Bryan Pfaffenberger, an American anthroplogist who has studied the community in detail, the rise to complete dominance by the Vellala elites began with the capture of Portuguese holdings in Sri Lanka by the Dutch. The Dutch ineterpreted the local laws later codified as Thesavalamai as allowing Vellala chiefs to own slaves. Thus empowered many tobacco plantations were created by the Vellala chiefs with the help of imorted Indian workers from the Pallar caste who were held as slaves. This new found wealth enabled the Vellalas in general to morph into a dominant land owning elite with ritual and political control. Eventually their portion of the total Tamil population of the densely populated Jaffna peninsula rose from a mere 8% to over 50%. Upwardly mobile families of people belonging to other castes also eventually associated them with the Velllala identity according the priniples of Sanskritisation.[5][3] This period also saw the dispersal of Vellala lineages across the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
During the British colonial period in Sri Lanka which began with the capture of the entire island nation and its unification by Great Britain in 1815, Vellalas began to look for education as the new opportunity to upgrate their livelihoods. Various christan missionaries had made the Tamil dominated Jaffna peninsula as the best location in all of Asia for English education in the 19 th century. [3][5]Many Vellala families used this opportunity to educate their children and they provided the bulk of the British colonial civil servants in Sri Lanka and in British held Malaysia and Singapore. Slavery was also abolished in 1855 by the British colonial authorities, thus making agriculture less profitable.
The domination of Sri lankan Tamils in government services in post independent Sri Lanka eventually became one of the route causes of the Sri Lankan civil war.[3][5]
[edit] Post 1983 society
A wide range of communities claim Vellala ancestry today. Many of them unrelated to the earlier migrants. But they rely on the early history and migration to create an aura of aristocracy. But what is obviously still visible is the traditional and conservative nature of the religion Saivite Hinduism practiced among Jaffna Tamils. They follow a conservative brand of Saiva Siddhanta which follow Agamic and Sanksritic features. In this they are similar to Saiva Vellalars of India who also consider themselves the custodians of Saiva Adheenams and Saivite culture.[5]
Chrisitan Vellalas in Jaffna are very influential in all spheres and dominate the priesthood as well. Although caste System is not formally practiced at all in the Tamil society or Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, but Tamils in Sri Lanka still frequently quote from the Kailaya Malai or Yalapan Vaipava Malai to claim their links to the Royal houses of Tamil Nadu and their arsitocratic origins.[citation needed]
Vellala political and ritual dominance has been severely restricted due to the effects of the post 1983 Sri Lankan civil war and domination of the main rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by members of the Karaiyar caste. [6]LTTE's policies of anti-castism and empowerement of formerly low castes as part of the political struggle between the majority Sinhalese dominated Sri Lankan government and itself has enabled members belonging to all castes and walks of life to effectively challenge their dominance.[7]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Pfaffenberger, Bryan (1985). "Vellalar domination". Man 20 (1): 158.
- ^ a b Pulavar, Mylvakana (1999), Yalpana Vaipava Malai, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 8120613627
- ^ a b c d Pfaffenberger, Bryan (1991). "Sri Lankan Tamils"..
- ^ Mudaliar, Rasanayagam, History of ancient Jaffna
- ^ a b c d Bryan, Pfaffenberger (1987). Caste in Tamil Culture: The Religious Foundations of Sudra Domination in Tamil Sri Lanka.
- ^ Marschall, Wolfgang (2003). Social Change Among Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in Switzerland.
- ^ Sharma, S. L. (1999). Nations and National identity.
