Vidane Arachchi was an influential post (ranked above an Vidane but below a

Muhandiram Muhandiram ( si, මුහන්දිරම්, ta, முகாந்திரம்) was a post in the native headmen system in the lower-country (coastal districts) of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) during the colonial era. It was awarded as a title o ...

) in the native headmen system 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 ...

(Sri Lanka) during the colonial era. Appointed by the Government Agent, Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon
/ref> the holder had much control over the people of the area and wielded

quasi-judicial A quasi-judicial body is non-judicial body which can interpret law. It is an entity such as an Arbitration, arbitration panel or tribunal, tribunal board, that can be a public administrative agency but also a contract- or private law en ...

powers since he was responsible to keep the peace, carry out revenue collection, and assist in judicial functions. Appointments were non-transferable and usually hereditary, made to locals, usually from wealthy influential families loyal to the British Crown.

References

British Ceylon period Titles in British Ceylon Defunct government positions in Sri Lanka {{SriLanka-hist-stub