Randoli were

consorts __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

of royal blood in the

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

of the Kings of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. Kandyan Kings maintained a harem, in addition to a chief queen and one or two secondary queens. The concubines in the harem, consisted of three categories,
1. Level I - Rondoli
2. Level II - Rididoli
3. Level III - Yakadadoli
the Randoli who were consorts (level I) of royal blood, Rididoli who were consorts (level II) from either noble families of royal lineage or sisters of Randoli(Queen Consort) and

Yakadadoli Yakadadoli were aristocratic concubines in the harem of the Kings of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. Kandyan Kings maintained harems, in addition to a chief queen and one or two secondary queens. The concubines in the harem, consisted of two ...

(level III) who were commoners from

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 ...

and other noble castes. Queen Consort was ranked in the Randoli category. Her children ware only qualified to succeed the throne. Children of both Rididoli and Yakadadoli were disqualified from kingship. This was the case with Vira Narendra Sinha who had Sri Vijaya Rajasinha the brother of his queen succeed him as opposed to his sons from his Yakadadolis. Hindu princesses were brought over from

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

as Randolis after the royal families of the maritime region adopted Christianity. The Randoli Perahera of the Kandy Esala Perahera derives from the Randoli of the Royal household.

References

*Pon Kulendiren. ''Sufferings of Innocent Souls: Short Stories on Human Rights Violations.'' Xlibris Corporation, Sep 1, 2012 pg. 62 {{authority control Kingdom of Kandy Sinhalese royalty Concubines