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The Maha Mudaliyar ( ''Head Mudaliyar'' or මහ මුදලි) 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). Head Mudaliyar functioned as the head of the low country
native headmen and native
aide-de-camp to the
Governor of Ceylon {{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019
The Governor of Ceylon can refer to historical vice-regal representatives of three colonialism, colonial powers:
Portuguese Ceylon
* List of Captains of Portuguese Ceylon (1518–1551)
* List of Captain-majors of ...
.
, the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
and the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
; the colonial governors appointed a Head Mudaliyar from among the many mudaliyars. As with the role of headmen changed over the years functioning in
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
,
policing,
administrative
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, administ ...
and
ceremonial
A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion.
The word may be of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin, via the Latin ''Glossary of ancient Rom ...
capacities, the role of the Head Mudaliyar too evolved into a permanent position in the staff of the Governor. He would serve as personal translator and adviser to the Governor on native matters. Head Mudaliyar would stand behind the Governor on all state occasions, all ways standing in the presence of the Governor. He would wear a unique uniform which followed the lines of a Mudaliyar uniform and
cocked hat
The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, whic ...
. The last holder of the post was
Sir James Peter Obeyesekere II, who held office from 1928 until his death in 1968 with no new head mudaliyars appointed thereafter.
List of Head Mudaliyars
*Don Samarakone Fernando (
Chevalier
Chevalier may refer to:
Honours Belgium
* a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown
* a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold
* a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II
* a title in the Belgian nobility
France
* a rank in the French Legion d'h ...
) - Head Mudaliyar of
Portuguese Ceylon
Portuguese Ceylon ( pt, Ceilão Português, Sinhala: පෘතුගීසි ලංකාව ''Puruthugisi Lankawa'', Tamil: போர்த்துக்கேய இலங்கை ''Porthukeya Ilankai'') is the name given to the territory ...
*
Nicholas Dias Abeyesinghe Amarasekere
Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe Amarasekere Maha Mudaliyar, ( Sinhala: නිකලස් ඩයස් අබේසිංහ අමරසේකර) (8 May 1719 - 10 May 1794) was a Ceylonese Dutch colonial administrator. He was appointed as the Maha Mud ...
(1719-1794)- Head Mudaliyar of
Dutch Ceylon
*Johannes de Saram Wijayasekara Abayarathne
*Adrian de Abrew Rajapakse
*Joan Ilangakoon
*Christoffel de Saram Wanigasekera Ekanaike
*Don David Jayathilake Abeysiriwardhana Ilangakoon
*Lambertus Obeyesekere
*Julius Valentine de Saram
*Don Abraham Wijesinghe Jayewardene (1801-1866)
*Conrad Pieter Dias Wijewardena Bandaranaike (18??–1895)
*
Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike
Sir Solomon Dias Abeywickrema Jayatilleke Senewiratna Rajakumaruna Kadukeralu Bandaranaike, ( Sinhala: සොලමන් ඩයස් අබේවික්රම ජයතිලක සෙනෙවිරත්න රාජකුමාරු ...
(1895–1928)
*
Sir James Peter Obeyesekere II (1928–1968)
See also
*
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. N ...
*
Ceylonese 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 ...
*
Walauwa
Walauwa or walawwa is the name given to a feudal/Colony, colonial manor house in Sri Lanka of a Native headmen of Ceylon, native headmen. It also refers to the feudal social systems that existed during the colonial era.
The term walauwa is derive ...
*
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 ...
*
Adigar
The Mahâ Adigâr ( si, මහා අධිකාරම්) (also known as Adikārama, Adikār) was a Great Officer in the Amātya Mandalaya, or Sinhalese Council of State, in the Sinhalese Kingdoms of monarchical Sri Lanka. The office was sec ...
References
*
* {{cite book , title=Social change in nineteenth century Ceylon , first=Patrick , last=Peebles , publisher=Navrang in collaboration with Lake House Bookshop , location=Colombo , year=1995 , isbn=9788170131410
*
Titles in British Ceylon
Defunct government positions in Sri Lanka