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Mudali (or Mudaliyar) was a colonial title and office in
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
(now Sri Lanka) which was part of the native headman system. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different
castes Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultural ...
from the coastal areas. The Dutch continued the practice of the Portuguese. This class used the ''Mudali'' as a hereditary title, however the British re-established a Mudaliyar class, with appointments that had the title of Mudali, this process was stopped in the 1930s when the Native Department of the British government of Ceylon was closed down. All official and titular appointments of Mudaliyars were made by the Governor of Ceylon. Appointments were non-transferable and usually hereditary, made to locals from wealthy influential families loyal to the British Crown. The members of this group formed a unique social group called the
Sri Lankan Mudaliyars Mudali (or Mudaliyar) was a colonial title and office in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) which was part of the native headman system. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes fro ...
and associated with older
Radala Radala refers to a small minority group in Sri Lanka in the former provinces of the Kingdom of Kandy, who are either descendants of chiefs and courtiers of the King of Kandy of Nayaks of Kandy or descendants of native headmen appointed by the ...
caste. At present, the post of Court Mudliar remain in function in Sri Lankan courts.


History

Mudaliyar is a Tamil title, derived from the word ''mudhal'', meaning "first", and the honorific suffix ''yar,'' meaning "The first" as in the person of the first rank. The position was created in the 17th century by the Portuguese to function as a link between the colonial administration and the local populace, as they had done in South India. Incumbents received payment in form of land grants and use of tenured service (Rajakariya) of the local population which they extracted for their own estates.


De Saram family

A De Saram family of Dutch and Malay ancestry had Sinhalised itself in the late 18th century by posing as the representatives of the masses and subsequently convincing the British rulers that they were from the numerous
Govigama Govigama (also known as Goyigama, Govikula, Govi Vansa or Goyi Vansa) is a Sinhalese caste found in Sri Lanka. They form approximately half of the Sinhalese population and are traditionally involved in agriculture. The term Govigama became popular ...
caste. This was a strategic move as it gave the British masters the impression that the De Saram family had the backing of a large body of natives. It was also the easiest route to
Sinhalisation Sinhalisation is a term, derived from Sinhala, that has number of meanings in Sri Lanka. it is mainly the assimilation into Sinhalese Culture in which the members of an ethno-cultural group are steadily integrated or "absorbed" into establis ...
as the peasant community was widely dispersed, still unstructured, and without inter-community networks or leaders. The first notable ancestor of the De Saram family was an interpreter who accompanied the Dutch Embassy to Kandy 1731–1732. Despite his advanced age of 71 years, this early De Saram had to make the entire journey by foot as his social status did not warrant travel in a
palanquin The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the e ...
. From there, the De Saram family progressively gained power and position by loyalty, switching religions from Dutch Protestantism to British Anglicanism and benefitting from the preference of British rulers to appoint individuals of unknown ancestry to high positions. By respectively collaborating with the Dutch and British rulers, the De Sarams succeeded in marginalizing the traditional ruling class.
Governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
Maitland (1805–1811), Gordon (1883–1890) and others effectively used
divide and rule Divide and rule policy ( la, divide et impera), or divide and conquer, in politics and sociology is gaining and maintaining power divisively. Historically, this strategy was used in many different ways by empires seeking to expand their ter ...
policies and created caste animosity among the native elite. The De Saram family eventually had a strong and exclusive network of relatives as Mudaliyars by the late 19th century. Later, through marriage alliances, the network extended to the Obeyesekere, Dias-Bandaranaike, Ilangakoon, de Alwis, de Livera, Pieris, Siriwardena, and Senanayake families.


Ponnambalam-Coomaraswamy family

As much as the De Saram family was responsible for the rise of the
Govigama Govigama (also known as Goyigama, Govikula, Govi Vansa or Goyi Vansa) is a Sinhalese caste found in Sri Lanka. They form approximately half of the Sinhalese population and are traditionally involved in agriculture. The term Govigama became popular ...
caste, the Ponnambalam-Coomaraswamy Family was responsible for the 20th century, rise of the Tamil
Vellalar Vellalar is a generic Tamil term used primarily to refer to various castes who traditionally pursued agriculture as a profession in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. The Vellalar are members of several ...
caste. The ascendance of the Ponnambalam-Coomaraswamy family commences with a Coomaraswamy (1783–1836) from
Point Pedro Point Pedro ( ta, பருத்தித்துறை, translit=Paruttittuṟai; si, පේදුරු තුඩුව, translit=Pēduru Tuḍuva) is a town, located in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka, at the northernmost point of the island. ...
joining the seminary that Governor North started for producing interpreters. Coomaraswamy passed out and served as an interpreter from 1805. He was appointed by the Governor to a Mudaliyar position at the age of 26 and became the Jaffna Tamil with the highest government appointment. He played a critical role as the Tamil-English interpreter when the Kandyan king Sri Vikrama Rajasinha of Kandy was captured in 1815. He was rewarded by Governor Brownrigg in 1819 for loyal service to the British crown. There were allegations that he was not from the Vellala caste. James Rutnam's research has shown that Coomaraswamy's Father was Arumugampillai, a South Indian, who had migrated to Gurudavil in Jaffna. (Tribune 1957). Ponnambalam was appointed cashier of the Colombo Kachcheri in 1845 and deputy Coroner for Colombo in 1847. Many leading Englishmen were his friends and it transpired in the 1849 Parliamentary Commission that he used to lend money to government officials. His three sons P. Coomaraswamy (1849–1905), P. Ramanathan (1851–1930) and P. Arunachalam (1853–1926) became national figures. This closely related and endogamous clan emerged as the pre-eminent Tamil family of the country and rose to national elite status. Despite their Anglicized background which propelled their rise, the family presented a staunch Hindu appearance and assumed the role of 'Patrons of the
Vellalas Vellalar is a generic Tamil term used primarily to refer to various castes who traditionally pursued agriculture as a profession in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. The Vellalar are members of several ...
in Colombo. However many of its members; Muttu Coomaraswamy, P. Coomaraswamy, P. Ramanathan married western women.
Ananda Coomaraswamy Ananda Kentish Muthu Coomaraswamy ( ta, ஆனந்த குமாரசுவாமி, ''Ānanda Kentiś Muthū Kumāraswāmī''; si, ආනන්ද කුමාරස්වාමි ''Ānanda Kumārasvāmī''; 22 August 1877 − 9 Septem ...
was married four times to western women. They helped many young Tamils to secure employment in English Banks and Mercantile establishments. On the death of Mudaliyar Coomaraswamy's wife in 1897, the leading daily, 'The Ceylon Independent' wrote ''" to her and her husband, almost every important Hindu family in the city owes its rise".


Titular Mudaliyars

In 1853, the British Governor George William Anderson appointed Jeronis de Soysa, a successful merchant who had undertaken a great deal of philanthropy as a Gate Mudaliyar as an
honour Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
in recognition of his philanthropic en-devours. From this point, the Governors made Mudaliyar appointments as
titular Titular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Title character in a narrative work, the character referred to in its title Religion * Titular (Catholicism), a cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome ** Titular bish ...
honours to individuals outside the government service. This practice continued past the discontinuation of the native headman system in 1937 and into the post-independence era until S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike suspended state honours in 1956.


Ranks of British Mudaliyars

Mudaliyars had several classes, of which the ''official'' and ''ex-offico'' were government servants, whilst the ''titular'' was awarded as an honour. ;The order of precedence *
Maha Mudaliyar The Maha Mudaliyar ( ''Head Mudaliyar'' or මහ මුදලි) was a colonial title and office in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Head Mudaliyar functioned as the head of the low country native headmen and native aide-de-camp to the Governor of Cey ...
*Gate Mudaliyar (Wasala Mudaliyar) *Atapattu Mudaliyar *Kachcheri Mudaliyar *Korale Mudaliyar *Court Mudaliyar ;Official *Maha Mudaliar (Head Mudaliyar) - head of the native headmen of the low country and native aide-de-camp of the governor. *Mudaliar of the Atapattu - in charge of jurisdiction of a District or Area *Mudaliar of the Korale – in charge of jurisdiction of a
korale A Korale or Corale was formerly a revenue district in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). During the British colonial administration, a low country korale was under the purview of a Mudaliyar while an upcountry korale came under the purview of a post that was i ...
;Awarded as an honour (Titular) *Mudaliar of the Governor's Gate (Gate Mudaliar) (Titular) – awarded as an honour *Mudaliar (Titular) – awarded as an honour ;Ex-officio *Mudaliar of the Kachcheri – head of the native staff of a
Kachcheri A kachcheri or district secretariat is the principal government department that administrates a district in Sri Lanka. Each of the 25 districts has a kachcheri. The main tasks of the District Secretariat involve coordinating communications and ac ...
*Court Mudaliar-Court Clerk/Court Interpreter *Heads of minor departments of public service held the rank of Mudaliar by virtue of their office.


List of prominent Mudaliyars


Maha Mudaliyar (Head Mudaliyar)

* Maha Mudaliyar Nicholas Dias Abeyesinghe Amarasekere (1719–1794)- Head Mudaliyar of Dutch Ceylon * Maha Mudaliyar Christoffel de Saram Wanigasekera Ekanaike (1765–1842) * Maha Mudaliyar Kaluhath Samson De Abrew Wijeyagooneratne Rajapakshe (1831-1888) * Maha Mudaliyar Edmund Rowland Gooneratne (1845–1914) – Acting Maha Mudaliyar and formerly Gate Mudaliyar and Atapattu Mudaliyar of
Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern ...
* Maha Mudaliyar Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike (1862–1946) – Head Mudaliyar * Maha Mudaliyar Sir James Peter Obeyesekere II (1879–1968) – last Maha Mudliyar


Gate Mudaliyar

* Gate Mudaliyar Arumugampillai Coomaraswamy (1784–1836) of Point Pedro * Gate Mudaliyar Jeronis de Soysa Dissanayake (1797–1862) – First Gate Mudaliyar outside of government service * Gate Mudaliyar Arunachalam Ponnambalam (1814–1887) of Manipay * Gate Mudaliyar James Edward Corea (1865– 1955) of Chilaw * Gate Mudaliyar Alexander Edmund De Silva Wijegooneratne Samaraweera Rajapakse,
OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(1866–1937) of Negombo * Gate Mudaliyar Abraham Mendis Gunasekera (1869–1931) * Gate Mudaliyar Edmund Peiris,
JP, UM In Sri Lanka, a Justice of the Peace and Unofficial magistrate (also known as Acting magistrate) is a judicial appointment made by the Minister of Justice (Sri Lanka), Minister of Justice to a particular jurisdiction under the ''Judicature Act No 02 ...
of Kalutara * Gate Mudaliyar A. C. G. S. Amarasekara,
OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(1883 – 1983) * Gate Mudaliyar Baba Hakim Muthaliph (1779–1839) of Magampattuwa * Gate Mudaliyar Baba Thajul Arifin Doole (1834–1909) of Hambantota * Gate Mudaliyar Muhammad Samsudeen Kariapper (1899–1989) of Akkaraipattu * Gate Mudaliyar Manueltamby St. John Puvirajasinghe of Karaiyur,
Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th mos ...
. * Gate Mudaliyar Don Gabriell Kumarasinghe Jayakody (1871-1951) of Jayakody Walawwa - Ganemulla * Gate Mudaliyar Tuder Dedrick Nathaniel De Abrew Wijeyagooneratne Samaraweera Rajapakse (1867-1959) of Maha Kappina Walawwa - Balapitiya


Mudaliyar

* Mudaliyar Deraniyagala Louis Pieris Samarasinghe Siriwardena (1680–1746) * Mudaliyar Deogo Kurukulasuriya Arasunilayitta of Karaiyur,
Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th mos ...
(1790s) . * Mudaliyar Yakunduwe Dharmasena Hitiralalage Don Richard Perera Wimalasekara (Honorable)(1750s) Waskadu Badda Pothupitiya Pattikarawasala Walauwa *Mudliyar Dharmasena Hitiralalage Don Devid Perera wimalasekara (1805-1860s)(Honorable) Waskadubadda Pothupitiya Pattikarawasala Walauwa * Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake (1848–1907) of Botale * Mudaliyar John De Silva Wijegooneratne Rajapakshe, J.P. (1841-1909) of Negombo * Mudaliyar Ahamath Ibrahim Jainu-Deen (1864–1924) of Badulla * Mudaliyar Sinathamby Somasundara Aiyer (1881–1953) of Punnalaikkadduvan * Mudliyar Nanayakkara Rajawasala Appuhamilage Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena (1889–1947) of Richmond Castle, Kalutara * Mudaliyar Aboobucker of Galle * Mudaliyar Ahamed Lebbe Sinne Lebbe (b 1902) of Batticaloa * Mudaliyar Don Peiris Weerasinghe – of Nugegoda * Mudaliyar Shanmugam Tambyah Mudaliyar of Manipay * Mudaliyar Richard Jayawickrama Wijetunga of Elgiriya * Mudaliyar Jayasena Madanayake of Peliyagoda * Mudaliyar Baba Junoor Haji Bahar * Mudaliyar Komanda Mudali of Kandy * Mudaliyar Thenahandi David Mendis of Negombo (1904–1977) * Mudaliyar Kanaharaaya of Karaveddy, Jaffna. * Mudaliyar William Mohotti Munasinghe, Aide-de-camp to the British Governor and Mudaliyar of Negombo (1902-1962) * Chief Mudaliyar Sheikh Abdul Cader Marikar Muhammad Cassim Lebbe Marikar (1805–1877) – Chief Mudaliyar Eastern Province


See also

*
Kastane Kasthane is a short traditional ceremonial/decorative single-edged Sri Lankan sword. The sword is featured in the Flag of Sri Lanka Design Kastanes often have elaborate hilts, especially shaped and described as a rich mythical style inherited fr ...
* Muhandiram *
Native headmen of Ceylon Native headmen system was an integral part of the administration of the island of Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) under the successive European colonial powers, namely the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch East India Company and the British Empire. Na ...
*
Radala Radala refers to a small minority group in Sri Lanka in the former provinces of the Kingdom of Kandy, who are either descendants of chiefs and courtiers of the King of Kandy of Nayaks of Kandy or descendants of native headmen appointed by the ...
* Raja of Chettinad *
Rao Bahadur __NOTOC__ Rao may refer to: Geography * Rao, West Sumatra, one of the districts of West Sumatra, Indonesia * Råö, a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden Transport * Dr. Leite Lopes–Ribeirão Preto State Airport , IAT ...
* Walauwa


Further reading

* *


References

*{{cite web, title= Village notables in colonial Ceylon - The Village Headman was the uncrowned king of the village. He was appointed by the Government Agent from a traditional leading family in the area, in order to ensure that he received customary respect from villagers , url= http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=177002 M Titles in Sri Lanka Defunct government positions in Sri Lanka