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Vanniar or Vanniyar (, ) was a title borne by chiefs in
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Sri Lanka 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 ...
who ruled in the Chiefdom of Vavuni regions as tribute payers to the Jaffna vassal state. There are a number of origin theories for the feudal chiefs, coming from an indigenous formation. The most famous of the Vavni chieftains was Pandara Vannian, known for his resistance against the British colonial power.


Etymology

The word ''Vanni'' may have been a derivation of the
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
word ''vanam'', meaning "forest", with Vanniar meaning "person from the forest".


History

Medieval Tamil chronicles such as the 18th-century ''
Yalpana Vaipava Malai Yalpana Vaipava Malai ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாண வைபவமாலை) is a book written by a Tamil poet named Mayil Vaakaanar ( ta, மயில் வாகனார்) in 1736. This book contains historical facts of the early Tam ...
'' and stone inscriptions like Konesar Kalvettu recount that the Chola royal Kankan, a descendant of the legendary King
Manu Needhi Cholan Ellalan ( ta, எல்லாளன், translit=Ellāḷaṉ; si, එළාර, translit=Eḷāra) was a member of the Tamil Chola dynasty, also known as "Manu Needhi Cholan", who upon capturing the throne became king of the Anuradhapura Kingd ...
of
Thiruvarur Thiruvarur () also spelt as Tiruvarur is a town and municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Thiruvarur district and Thiruvarur taluk. The temple chariot of the Thyagaraja temple, weighing and mea ...
,
Chola Nadu Chola Nadu is a cultural region of the Tamil Nadu state in southern India. It encompasses the lower reaches of the Kaveri River and its delta, and formed the cultural homeland and political base of the Chola Dynasty which ruled large parts of S ...
, restored the Koneswaram temple at Trincomalee and the Kantalai tank after finding them in ruins. He visited the Munneswaram temple on the west coast, before settling ancient Vanniars in the east of the island. According to the chronicles, he extensively renovated and expanded the shrine, lavishing much wealth on it; he was crowned with the epithet ''Kulakottan'' meaning ''Builder of tank and temple.'' Further to the reconstruction, Kulakottan paid attention to agricultural cultivation and economic development in the area, inviting the Vanniar chief Tanniuna Popalen and families to a new founded town in the area
Thampalakamam Thampalakamam ( ta, தம்பலகாமம், translit=Tampalakāmam; si, තඹලගමුව, translit=Tam̆balagamuva) is a town in the Trincomalee District of Sri Lanka and it is located about 20 km South-West of Trincomalee T ...
to maintain the
Kantalai tank The Kantale Dam ( si, කන්තලේ වැව, translit=Kantaḷe Wewa, ta, கந்தளாய் அணை, translit=Kantaḷāy Aṇai) is a large embankment dam built in Kantale, Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka, used for irrigation. It ...
and the temple itself. The effects of this saw the
Vanni region The Vanni, also spelled Wanni, is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District, and has an area of approximately ...
flourish. The Vanniars were brought here by this chief to make them cultivate in this region. Following the re-rise of the Tamil kingdom in the medieval period and demise of the Rajarata kingdom period after the twelfth century AD, many petty chiefs took power in the buffer lands between the northern-based Jaffna Vassal State and other kingdoms based on the southwest of the island – namely
Kotte Kingdom The Kingdom of Kotte ( si, කෝට්ටේ රාජධානිය, Kottay Rajadhaniya), named after its capital, Kotte, was a Sinhalese kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Kotte, under the rule of Ming-backed ...
and the
Kandyan Kingdom The Kingdom of Kandy was a monarchy on the island of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in the late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century. Initially a client kingdom of the Kin ...
. These petty chiefs paid tribute to the Jaffna Vassal State. Sometimes they were independent of any central control or subdued by the southern kingdoms during the European colonial era for strategical purposes. The ruling class was composed of multi-caste origins. The Vannimai ruling class arose from a multi-ethnic and multi-caste backgroundMcGilvray, ''Mukkuvar Vannimai: Tamil Caste and Matriclan Ideology in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka'', p.34-97Karthigesu, ''Sri Lankan Tamil Society and Politics'', p.7-9 Some scholars conclude the Vanniyar title as a rank of a local chieftain which was introduced by the Velaikkarar mercenaries of the
Chola dynasty The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
. There were also number of Vannia chiefs of
Sinhalese Sinhala may refer to: * Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka * Sinhalese people * Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka * Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language ** Sinha ...
ancestry. Many kings and chiefs with titles such as Vannia had ruled in northern areas of modern Sri Lanka termed as Vanni Nadu or Vannimai during the Jaffna Vassal State era.Peebles, ''History of Sri Lanka'', p.31-32 As a
title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
, it is no longer registered amongst northern
Sri Lankan Tamils Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pro ...
but in the 1900s it was present singly in the North and North Central provinces.Karthigesu, ''Sri Lankan Tamil Society and Politics'', pp. 7–9


Notes


References

* * *{{cite book , last = Peebles , first = Patrick , title = The History of Sri Lanka, publisher = Greenwood Press , year= 2006 , location = United States , pages = 248 , isbn = 0-313-33205-3 Jaffna kingdom Sri Lankan Tamil society