Caste system in Sri Lanka

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The caste system in Sri Lanka is a system of social stratification that existed from ancient Ceylon through colonial times and later. The traces of the caste system can still be seen in present-day Sri Lanka . Compared to India , it is less significant in some ways.

There are three parallel caste systems: Sinhalese , Sri Lankan Tamils & Indian Tamils .

history

In prehistoric times there were four tribes in Sri Lanka: Deva, Naga, Yaksha and Raksha. The Deva lived in mountainous areas in eastern Sri Lanka. The Naga people lived by the sea on the west coast and the Yaksha people lived in the northwestern area of ​​Sri Lanka. After the arrival of King Vijaya in Sri Lanka, the caste system in Sri Lanka was born according to the Indian ideology.

Tamil castes

The northern province is mostly dominated by the Vellalar caste, with the exception of the sea regions, in which the Karaiyar caste are in the majority and have ritual superiority over the other castes. In the east coast the fishermen casts are dominant, which have ritual superiority over other castes with the exception of the vellalars. Mukkuvars (deeper fishing caste), which are at the bottom of the caste order in the north, are almost at the top in the east.

Due to modernization and assimilation, most of the Tamil castes can no longer be found.

Northern castes

  • Agamudaiar or landowner, merged with Vellalar
  • Chettiar, or trader, merged with Vellalar
  • Idayar, or shepherds, merged with koviar
  • Kadeyar or lime burner, no longer found
  • Karaiyar or Seafarers and Coastal Landowners
  • Keerai Thuraimar or Overlord: High caste in Sri Lanka, direct servants of the Aryachakravarthi family, very few families left
  • Koviar or landowners, traditional farmers and temple workers, high caste in Jaffna
  • Madapalli, or temple cook , merged with Vellalar
  • Mukkuvar or landowners, fishermen and farm workers
  • Maravar or warriors and landowners, very few families left, merged with Vellalar, some with Karaiyar
  • Mukguhar or landowners, boat owners, agricultural workers
  • Nalavar or palm wine collector
  • Pallar / Mallar or agricultural workers
  • Palliwilli or fisherman
  • Pandaram / Poosari or Assistant to the Temple Priest and Temple Cook , Priest of Small Temple
  • Paraiyar or funeral drummers
  • Paravar or fishermen and pearl divers
  • Piramanar , Iyer or Brahmin, high caste in Sri Lanka
  • Nadar , very few families
  • Sempadavar or fisherman
  • Siviar, or palanquin bearers, live in Jaffna Aquirala
  • Thanakarar or royal workers, no longer found
  • Thimilar or Farmer and Fisherman
  • Thurumbar washer for Nalavar and other base castes.
  • Vadugar or warrior, no longer found, most merged with Karaiyar
  • Vellalar or Agricultural Landowners, high caste in Sri Lanka
  • Saiva Kurukkal or non-Brahmin priest, high caste in Jaffna

There is a special category called Kudimakkal:

  • Navidar or Ampattar or hairdressers
  • Koller or blacksmith
  • Tattar or goldsmith
  • Kannar or brass maker, no longer found
  • Thatcher or carpenter
  • Sitper or bricklayer, no longer found
  • Paner 'or Schneider, no longer found
  • Vaanikar or oil workers, no longer found
  • Kussavar or potter
  • Wannar or washer

Eastern castes

A special category called Siraikudi, or enslaved groups similar to the Northern Kudimakkal:

  • Matular '
  • Koil Pandaram 'or Native Priest
  • Pandarappillai, or local priest
  • Kussavar or potter
  • Koller or blacksmith
  • Mutalikal
  • Valipan
  • Nampical
  • Wannar or washer
  • Navidar / Ampattar or hairdresser
  • Pallar or Shepherd, Farm Worker & Traditional Farm Worker
  • Paraiyar or drummers
  • Koviar 'or temple workers
  • Tavacikal
  • Kataiyar

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kalinga Tudor Silva, PP Sivapragasam, Paramsothy Thanges: Caste Discrimination and Social Justice in Sri Lanka: An Overview . In: Indian Institute of Dalit Studies . III, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ Tamil caste system (PDF file)
  3. ↑ "Westward ho!" The Sunday Times (April 19, 2009)
  4. ^ A b Portuguese Encounters with Sri Lanka and the Maldives by Chandra Richard De Silva, p.137
  5. ↑ a b The temporal and spiritual conquest of Ceylon, Fernão de Queyroz, p. 468 ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sinhalaheritage.org
  6. ↑ Kenneth David: Spatial Organization and Normative Schemes in Jaffna, Northern Sri Lanka. In: Modern Ceylon Studies, Volume 4, Nos. 1-2, January and July 1973, pp. 21-52