This was researched by Banu Mallesh Chintakindi from Raipole. "Rajas" means dirt in Sinhala and Pali or Sanskrit, and "Rajaka" means the removers of dirt. They collected cloths by traveling home to home of higher castes but now that was obsolete in India states like

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 3 ...

and

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

, but they still perform several rituals in weddings and several festivals done in villages or their surrounding areas. In this community they are called chakali or Rajaka, meant to show pride for their caste. Many are agriculture cultivators and farmers.There are many freedom fighters from this community and the brave women chakali Ilamma who fought for the people.

Rituals performed

In the weddings of Govigama or Radala households, they provide the carpets ("Paawada" in Sinhala) and spread "Paadawa" for the groom. They provide "Piruwata" and "Udu wiyan" for the "Poruwa". And the cracking the skull when the couple getting down from Poruwa was performed by them.(cracking skull is performed for prosperity in weddings and puberty rituals in Sri Lanka) In puberty rituals of Govi people the girl is bathed by a female of this caste and for their performance they were compensated through money, food, and also with the dress and jewelry given to her at that time.

British period

The creation of the above Mudaliyar class by the British in the 19th century, its restriction only to 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 popula ...

caste, production of spurious caste hierarchy lists by this class and changes to the

land tenure In common law systems, land tenure, from the French verb "tenir" means "to hold", is the legal regime in which land owned by an individual is possessed by someone else who is said to "hold" the land, based on an agreement between both individual ...

system, resulted in this caste too being classified as a low caste during this period. Although contrary to history, some modern

historians even go to the extent to now suggest that this caste was traditionally bound to serve the Govi caste. The influential Mudaliyar class attempted to keep this caste and all other Sri Lankan castes out of colonial appointments. The oppression by the Mudaliars and connected headmen extended to demanding subservience, service and even restrictions on the type of personal names that could be used by this community. Despite the above difficulties, several members of this caste became pioneer

Ship chandler A ship chandler is a retail dealer who specializes in providing supplies or equipment for ships. Synopsis For traditional sailing ships, items that could be found in a chandlery include sail-cloth, rosin, turpentine, tar, pitch, linseed oil, ...

s, commercial Laundry operators and successful Merchants during the British period and were recognised as members of the local elite.

Modern period

Members of this community are in all the leading professions in Sri Lanka and in commerce and make positive contributions to society. They are gaining an increased say in modern Sri Lankan politics, mainly through the alternative political party

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP; ) is a Marxist–Leninist communist party and a former militant organization in Sri Lanka. The movement was involved in two armed uprisings against the government of Sri Lanka: once in 1971 (SLFP), and anothe ...

as the leadership selection processes within the two main political parties are not democratic. Caste discrimination by the Buddhist monastic establishment is also an impediment to the progress of this community.

In literature

*Senkottan-Novel written by Mahinda Kumara Masimbula *"Lenchina mage nangiye" song

Notable people

* Ranasinghe Premadasa – Sri Lankan 3rd President (1989–1993) and prime minister (1978–1989) *

A. Ekanayake Gunasinha Alexander Ekanayake Gunasinha (1 May 1891 – 1 August 1967) trade unionist and politician. A pioneering trade union leader, known as the "Father of the Labour Movement", he was the founder of the Ceylon Labour Party, Sri Lanka's first labour or ...

– Sri Lankan Politician * George E. de Silva - Former Minister of Industries, Industrial Research and Fisheries of Sri Lanka *

Wimal Weerawansa Weerasangilige Wimal Weerawansa (born 7 March 1970) is a Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament and current leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF). Weerawansa has served many cabinet positions, including Minister of Industries from 2020 ...

– Present Minister of Small & Medium Business and Enterprise Development, Industries and Supply chain Management of Sri Lanka * Chakali ailamma – Chakali Ailamma (1919–1985) was an Indian revolutionary leader during the

Telangana Rebellion The Telangana Rebellion popularly known as Telangana Sayuda Poratam (Telugu : తెలంగాణ సాయుధ పోరాటం) of 1946–51 was a communist-led insurrection of peasants against the princely state of Hyderabad in the r ...

. Her act of defiance against Zamindar Ramachandra Reddy, known as Visnoor Deshmukh, to cultivate her land became an inspiration for many during the rebellion against the feudal lords of the

region. * Madivala Machideva – Madivala Machideva, also known as Veera Ganachari Madivala Machideva, was an Indian warrior of the 12th-century.

References

* Ryan Bryce 1953 Caste in Modern Ceylon, Rutgers University Press * Ceylon Gazetteer 1855

External links

Andhra Pradesh Rajaka / Chakali Community website

RAJAKA EMPLOYEES AND EDUCATED WELFARE ASSOCIATION website

Rajaka Vikasa Kendra website

Andhra Pradesh Rajaka Community website

Madivala Karnataka Community website

Rajaka Sankshema Trust website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hēna Sinhalese castes Caste system in Sri Lanka Telugu society