Migapulle Arachchi ( or ) also known as ''Chinna Migapillai'', was a feudal lord from the

Jaffna Kingdom The Jaffna Kingdom ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு, si, යාපනය රාජධානිය; 1215–1624 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came i ...

who became a rebel leader just after its

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

by the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the ...

in 1619.Sabaratnam, ''Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle,'' Chapter 5
/ref> His title ''Arachchi'', is a title given to the commanders of Lascarins or native military forces.

History

After the death of

Ethirimana Cinkam Ethirimanna Cinkam ( ta, எதிர்மன்னசிங்கம்) (died 1617) was the penultimate ruler of the Aryacakravarti line of Kings of the Jaffna Kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. He came to power due to the second Portuguese expedi ...

, the king of

, there were three claimants to the throne. Cankili II usurped the throne by killing the other claimants, ''Arasakasari'' the latter king's brother and ''Periya Pillai Arachchi'' a powerful

Karaiyar Karaiyar is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste found mainly on the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and globally among the Tamil diaspora. They are traditionally a seafaring community that is engaged in fishing, shipment and seaborne t ...

chieftain and father of Migapulle. Migapulle fled to Mannar with the two princesses of Jaffna kingdom to the Portuguese and embraced

Catholic Christianity The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, and was baptised as ''Dom Luis''. Migapulle joined other Christian

mudaliyars Thuluva Vellalar (Thondamandala Tuluva Vellalar), also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka, India. They were originally significant lando ...

such as ''Dom Pedro'' and with other local support who were dissatisfied with the cruel rule of Cankili and rose to revolt. Cankili put down the uprising by inviting Raghunatha Nayak, who sent his captain Varunakulattan (also known as ''Khem Nayak'') and a force of 5000 men. Cankili II was under the Portuguese made the governor of Jaffna in 1617 and paid tribute to them on the promise that he had no contact with the

captains. The Portuguese conquered the Jaffna kingdom in 1619 and sent Cankili II to Goa where he was

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...

. Six revolts were led by Karaiyar captains between 1620 and 1621. Migapulle went to India and invited Raghunatha Nayak on March 1620, the king of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. They were eventually defeated by the Portuguese and a second rebellion was led by Varunakulattan, under the support of the Thanjavur Nayak''.'' They were finally defeated in February 1621 by Phillippe de Oliveira. The rebellion was put down with excessive brutality against the civilian population including mass murder and mutilations.

Notes

References

* Accessed 25-02-2016 * * * *{{cite book , last = Pieris , first = Paulus Edward , title = Ceylon and the Portuguese, 1505-1658 , publisher = Asian Educational Services , year= 2000 , location =

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...

, pages = 290 , isbn = 81-206-1372-4 Sri Lankan Tamil rebels Jaffna kingdom Sri Lankan rebels 17th-century Sri Lankan people Sri Lankan Tamil royalty

History

See also

Notes

References