Jaffna kingdom

Jaffna Kingdom was a historically important regional power in medieval Sri Lanka. The Jaffna peninsula is referred to as "Welligammo" (Sinhala, 'Weligama') province in Portuguese and Dutch East India Company archived VOC maps. The Jaffna kindom is believed have been created by the ambitions of two chieftains, one Kalinga Magha from Orissa, India and the other Chandrabhanu from Malacca Straits region of Malaysia. Malays in general were known as Javar (or Javanese) in the Tamil language. Many place names in the Jaffna Peninsula bear testimony to their pre-christian buddhist origins. The ancient place names have changed in the course of time, while guarding a close toponymic relationship to the old names. For a detailed discussion, click here. However, many accounts of the Jaffna kindom have become highly unbalanced due to recent political conflicts (see article by Ranwella and the 1965 atricle by Inthirapalan). Partisan attitudes of scholars on both sides have been fueled by the rise of the LTTE which is a terrorist movement making claims for a separate independent state known as Tamil Eealam. This movement arose from miltant Tamil nationalists ranks. Early leaders had attempted to govern Jaffna and Batticaloa while living in Colombo. Their political power was overthrown by the LTTE which eliminated those leaders by force, transferring power to local Tamil leaders who controlled the LTTE.

This part of Sri Lanka was controlled by the Sinhala Kings untill about the 13th century, with significant breaks from time to time. A detailed discussion has been given by Karthigesu Inthirapalan, 1965, before politcal tensions clouded the issue. The kingdom was Saivite Hindu in character while the rest of the island supported Theravada Buddhism. It made an important contribution to the survival of the Sri Lankan Tamil identity in the island.

Pandya revival and expansion

In this conflicting milieu, the expanding Pandyan Kingdom under Maravarman Kulasekharan (AD 1268 - AD 1308) installed one of its ministers named Arya Chakaravarthi as a local ruler. But all subsequent Kings of Jaffna Kingdom claimed descent from Kalinga Magha while maintaining their Pandyan progenitor’s family name. [1]This is not uncommon in the history of aristocratic family genealogies around the world. Prior to Arya Chakaravarthi one Pandya Malla is noted as a tributary ruler on behalf the Pandya kingdom. He is credited with dredging the Thondamanaru canal to export salt to India.

Impetus for independence and expansion

When the Pandyan Empire collapsed as a result of Muslim inroads into South India, Jaffna became an independent Kingdom under Arya Chakaravarthis.[2]

As soon as it became independent, the Kingdom began to consolidate the lucrative pearling business by expanding south along the northwestern coast. In the second half of the fourteenth century the fortunes of the many Sinhalese kingdoms were in decline. Jaffna under the Aryachakravartis was much the most powerful kingdom due to constant reinforcement from South India as well as the revenue from pearling and trading. As Sinhalese power declined due to internal struggles the kingdom moved to exact tribute from the southwest and central regions.

By the middle of the fourteenth century the Jaffna kingdom It had control over the Jaffna peninsula, the northern province including economically important Mannar Islands and its ports, Trincomalee and its harbour in the east and the Puttalam district in the west. According to Ibn Batuta, a traveling Arab historian of note, it had two capitals: one in Nallur and the other in Putalam during the pearling season.

File:Manthirimanai.jpg

Minister's ruined quarters

He noted that the king was conversant in Persian, an important language amongst traders in medieval South Asia, and had suzerainty over Adams Peak an important Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic pilgrimage center in the central province.

After an invasion in 1353, part of the western province of Harispattu came under its rule and thereafter, over the next two decades it probed into the central Matale district and naval forces were dispatched to the west coast as far south as Panadura. (see Kotte)

Historic Map

The kingdom also claimed suzerainty over Southern Indian islands in the Ramanathapuram District and the Indian Hindu Temple of Rameswaram, as proclaimed on some of the coins minted in Jaffna.

Relationship with feudatory Vanniamais

Vannimais were regions south of the Jaffna peninsula in the present-day North Central ande Eastern provinces and were sparsely settled by Tamil, Sinhalese and Vedda peoples. They were ruled by petty chiefs calling themselves Vanniar. Some of the prominent ones recorded in history are Pandara Vannian, Nuwara Vannian and Kakkai Vannian. Numerous northern Vannimai rulers paid tribute to Jaffna kingdom in money, produce and war Elephants but rebelled against control at times of troubles in Jaffna. Three prominent eastern Vannimai

• Kodiyaram
• Palugamam
• Pannamai

rulers usually paid tribute to the Sinhalese Kandyan Kingdom while maintaining considerable local autonomy.

Conflict with Vijayanagar empire

The Jaffna Kingdom was poised for the establishment of its supremacy over the whole of Sri Lanka, and was foiled in this primarily because it was soon embroiled with the powerful Vijayanagar empire in a struggle against the latter’s control over trade. Without the constant reinforcement from South India for mercenaries and weapons, it was unable to maintain its ascendancy in the South.

List of kings

In 1215 CE, the first king took the throne of Jaffna as Segarajasekeran Singhai Ariyar Chakravarti, who is considered to be none other than Kalinga Magha (Kulangkayar Segarajasekeran Seliyasekaran Vijeyar Singhai Ariyar Chakravarti - 1215-1240). By the end of his rule, he had subjugated most of Sri Lanka. The Batticaloa chronicle states that Segarajasekeran captured Polonnaruwa. The Chulavamsa and Mahavamsa say that Segarajasekeran stationed troops at Trincomalee, Koddiyara, Kantalai, Padavia, Kaddukkulam, Kayts, Pulachery and ruled Rajarata from his capital Polonnaruwa. Segarajasekeran died in 1240.

• Segarajasekeran was succeeded by his son Kulasegaran, who took the throne name of Pararajasekeran and ruled from Nallur Jaffna.

• Kulothungan succeeded his father and reigned until 1279 under the throne name Segarajasekeran II.

• Vikrama, son of Kulothungan, reigned from 1279 to 1302. He was known under the throne name of Pararajasekeran II.

• Varothayan succeeded his father and reigned from 1302 to 1325. He took the throne name of Segarajasekeran III.

• Varothayan's son Marthanda Perumal became the ruler as Pararajasekeran III. He reigned from 1325 to 1348.

• Gunapushanam succeeded his father and reigned as Segarajasekeran IV from 1348 to 1371.

• In 1371, Virothayan followed his father and reigned until 1380 as Pararajasekeran IV.

• From 1380 to 1410, Jeyaveeran, son of Virothayan, reigned as Segarajasekeran V.

• Virothayan's son Kunaveeran held the throne as Pararajasekeran V from 1410 to 1446.

Interregnum

Kanagasooriyan, Kunaveeran's son, had his reign interrupted. From 1446 to 1450, he reigned as Segarajasekeran VI, before being ousted by Chempaka Perumal, adopted Malayalee son of Parakrama Bahu VI of Kotte. [3]Till today he is remembered as the builder or major renovator of the historically important Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil.

Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, Jaffna

For 17 years, Chempaka Perumal ruled Jaffna as a feudatory of his father, the King of Kotte. Later, Chempaka Perumal became King of Kotte under the name of King Bhuvanekababu VI.

Return of Kanagasooriyan

Kanagasooriyan retreated to Ramanadu in South India, came back with an army and re-captured the Kingdom and again ruled from 1467 to 1478.

Kanagasooriyan's son is only known by his throne name as Pararajasekeran VI was ruler of Jaffna from 1478 to 1519.

Arrival of the Portuguese

At this point, the Jaffna kingdom's history is difficult to follow. The Portuguese arrived in Lanka in 1505, and very quickly started to involve themselves in the politics of the local kingdoms.

Most probably, Pararajasekeran VI had two principal wives and a number of concubines. His first wife, Rajalaksmi, was a Chola princess. The Cholas had, by this time, lost control of their kingdom in Tamil Nadu, with Rajendra Chola III being king in the Tanjore area around 1279. There are no records of subsequent Chola kings exerting power beyond this date, so Rajalaksmi was either a descendant of the surviving titular head of the Cholas or the daughter of a descendant based in Lanka. Rajalaksmi had two sons, Singhabahu and Pandaram. Pararajasekeran VI's second wife Valliammal was a Pandyan princess. She bore Pararajasekeran VI a son named Paranirupasingham.

One of Pararajasekeran VI's concubines, named Mangala, also bore him two children, a boy named Sangili and a girl named Paravai. The Yalpana Vaipava Malai a book written during the Dutch colonial period about the kingdom, is most probably incorrect in its account of this time. What is more likely, though not confirmed, is that Sangili intrigued with the Portuguese and eliminated his half-brothers Singhabahu and Pandaram, allegedly killing one by poison and one by the sword.

Yalpana Vaipava Malai is silent as to why Sangili did not feel the need to kill his other half-brother Paranirupasingham. A clue can be found in the Catholic Church's records of the time, as recounted in the Vinea Taprobana. It is possible that Portuguese missionary activity had become so successful that it reached the Royal household. If Paranirupasingham had become a convert, then he would have been disqualified from the throne because of his lack of popular support.

His rule is also remembered for its brutal massacre of 600 Paravar converts to Catholicism in the Mannar Island and expelling of all Buddhists from the Jaffna Peninsula who had rebelled against him under the tutelage of one Bandara.^[4]

End of the independence of the kingdom

Sangili took the throne of Jaffna in 1519 CE as Segarajasekeran VII. His own son converted to Christianity, and was executed by his father. Sangili's second son Puvirasa Pandaram, along with Sangili's sister Paravai and her son, fled to Goa and claimed protection from the Portuguese. In 1561 CE, when Sangili died, Puviraja Pandaram claimed the throne as Pararajasekaren VII. He was a Catholic and was not popular amongst his subjects. Within four years, Puviraja Pandaram was fleeing Jaffna, with his throne usurped by Kunchi Nainar, also recorded as Kurunchi Nainar and Kasi Nainar, who also ruled under the name Pararajasekeran VII from 1565 to 1570 CE. Kunchi Nainar was an unpopular king, and unable to maintain Portuguese support for his usurpation.

In 1570, Periya Pillai, who assumed the name Segarajasekeran VII, replaced him. We do not know who these two king's parents were. Clearly, they were of suitable caste to assume the throne, so we can assume they were related to the Ariya Chakravarti line, though they were not recorded as such by any surviving records. Periyapillai ruled until 1582, when he was overthrown by Puviraja Pandaram, who successfully regained his kingdom. Periyapillai was killed but his three sons, Arasakesari, and the twins Ethirmanasingham and Sangili Kumaran were spared.

Over the next nine years Puviraja Pandaram prosecuted a war against the Portuguese with the help of Nayaka help from Tanjore and Madurai, but eventually he failed. On 28 October 1591, he was captured with the help of locals who supported the Portuguese and was beheaded. The throne was now given to Ethirmanasingham, the elder of the two twins, with Portuguese support. History does not record the reason for Arasakesari's exclusion, but perhaps, like Paranirupasingham, he was a Christian, and therefore unacceptable to the populace.

Ethirmanasingham assumed the throne name of Pararajasekaran and reigned from 1591 to 1615. In his time, the Portuguese were able to exert substantial control over the Jaffna Kingdom. On Ethirmanasingham's death, the kingdom passed to his son, known as Leuke or Loku. This son was only seven years old at the time of his father's death, and Arasakesari was appointed regent. Sangili kumaran killed Arasakesari and took over the throne of Jaffna, ruling until 1619, when the Portuguese captured him. Sangili Kumaran was taken to Goa with his sons, and after trial, found to be guilty of treason and hanged along with his sons in 1621.

End of the dynasty

Ethirmanasingham, his mother, sisters and other members of the royal family were, perhaps forcibly, converted to Catholicism. Ethirmanasingham lived out the rest of his life as a Roman Catholic priest in Goa, known as Don Constantine de Christo. His sisters were nuns. On 11 February 1621, they were made to sign an act, transferring sovereignty from the Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty to the kings of Portugal. As members of the Roman Catholic priesthood, these members of the royal family were forbidden to marry, and died without descendants. See The Singhe Dynasty of Jaffnapatam for descendants of the Jaffna royal family.

The Vanniar rulers of Vannimai, who were paying tribute to the Jaffna kingdom did not lose their independence until the arrival of the British colonials much later (See Pandara Vannian). See The rise of the Govigama caste in the 19th century for replacement of Vanniars with ‘New Radalas’ by the British.

References

• ^ Matakal Mayilvakanap Pulavar, Yalpana Vaipava Malai[[5]]

• ^ Abeysinghe, T. 1986, Jaffna Under the Portuguese. Lake House Investments Ltd., Colombo, Sri Lanka

• ^ Father Fernao de Queryroz, The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon

• ^ Mudaliyar C. Rasanayagam, Ancient Jaffna

• ^ Portuguese Colonial Period (1505 CE 1645 CE) By Rohan Titus
• Place names in Sri lanka

External links

• History of Jaffna Kingdom from Jaffna Website
• History of Jaffna Kingdom by Dr. Mathi Chandrakumar
• Tamil Kingdom in Jaffna-Early Beginnings to the Court of the Ariya Chakravartis by Prof. H.W.Tambiah
• The Civil Wars of Sri Lanka during 13th to 15th Century
• Wars waged for the Possession of the Tooth Relic
• [6]-Official site for the last descendants of the Jaffna Kings