Karava () is a

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 ...

speaking ethnic group of Sri Lanka, whose ancestors from ancient times migrated from the

Coromandel coast The Coromandel Coast is the southeastern coastal region of the Indian subcontinent, bounded by the Utkal Plains to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Kaveri delta to the south, and the Eastern Ghats to the west, extending over an ...

, claiming lineage to the

Kaurava ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his wi ...

royalty of the old Kingdom of Kuru in Northern India. 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 ...

equivalent is

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 ...

. Both groups are also known as the Kurukula (Kuru clan). The last mass migration to Sri Lanka happened in the 15th century from

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

to fight against the

Mukkuvar Mukkuvar is a maritime ethnic group found in the Indian states of Kerala , Tamil Nadu and the Eastern and North Western coastal regions of Sri Lanka. They are mostly found on the Malabar Coast, South Travancore Coast and Kanyakumari district, Tam ...

confederation as mentioned in the

Mukkara Hatana The Mukkara Hatana ("''The'' ''Mukkuvar War"'') is a 17th-century palm-leaf manuscript from Sri Lanka. Written in Sinhalese, the work celebrates the victory of the Karaiyars, also known as Karavas, over the Mukkuvars, who battled for the dominanc ...

. They have also given great importance to

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...

and

commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...

. The elite families are involved in

entrepreneurial Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...

activities including the development of plantation agriculture such as coconut, tea and rubber.

Etymology

The origins of the term ''Karava'' are still debated. The name might be a modified version of the Tamil ''Karaiyar'', where "Karava" has the same root word ''kara'' or ''karai'' meaning "coast" or "shore" in

.''Vaduga:'' Sri Lanka and the Maldive Islands, By Chandra Richard De Silva, p.111 & 137
/ref> The name "Karava" has also been proposed to be a corruption of the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

name ''

'', following their origin story. The first recorded instance is the Abhayagiri vihara terrace inscription dating from the 1st century BC denoting a ''Dameda karava navika'' which means Tamil Karava sailor. Other historical counts refer to them and also the Karaiyars as ''Careas'' and ''Kaurawar''.

History

Many Kurukula communities throughout Sri Lanka and south India claim an origin from the

Kuru kingdom Kuru (Sanskrit: ) was a Vedic Indo-Aryan tribal union in northern Iron Age India, encompassing parts of the modern-day states of Haryana, Delhi, and some parts of western Uttar Pradesh, which appeared in the Middle Vedic period (c. 1200 – c. ...

and the

Kauravas ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...

of the Hindu epic ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

''. For instance, Kurukulattaraiyan was the name ascribed to 'the prince who wore a golden anklet' that commanded the army of

Vijayabahu I Vijayabahu I (born ''Prince Keerthi'') (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu the Great, was a medieval king of Sri Lanka. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola occupation. He assumed rulership of the Ruhuna principalit ...

(11th century AD) to end Chola rule in Sri Lanka. Historical manuscripts such as the ''

'' indicate that there were migrations from the Kurumandalam coast of Tamil Nadu,

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 ...

, and that they were originally

speakers. The Karavas north of

Negombo Negombo (, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, from Colombo via Colombo - Katunayake Expressway. Negombo is one of the major commercial hubs in the country an ...

are predomanantly Catholic and bilingual in

and

, whereas the Karavas south of

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

are

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

. It is evident that they had also patronised Mahayana Buddhism before its extinction in the Island. The Mukkara Hatana describes that they won a three month siege against the

s, under the sponsorship of Kotte king

Parakramabahu VI Parâkramabâhu VI (1410/1412/1415–1467) was a king in the Sri Lankan kingdom of Kotte. He is the last great king in Sri Lanka who managed to unite the island under one flag. His rule is famous for the political stability which he maintained i ...

in the 14th century AD. The Kotte King Bhuvanaikabahu VI was the son of a Karava chief who was adopted by

after the death of his father in the war mentioned in Mukkara Hatana. The

Rajavaliya Rajavaliya (line of kings) is an ancient chronicle of Sri Lanka. It contains the history of King Vijaya to King Vimaladharmasuriya ΙΙ. It is the only chronicle which contains continuous history of Sri Lanka written in Sinhalese language. Altho ...

mentions that in the 16th century, the heirs to the throne - Bhuvanaikabahu and Pararajasinghe were under the care of the minister Karunadhipati, the Patabenda of Yapa-Patuna. The Karava chieftains resisted the colonial

Portuguese rule 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 Colonialism, colonies, Factory ...

in 16th century. The Karava Prince of Uva, '' Kuruvita Rala'' (also known as Antonio Barreto), who had his strongholds in Batticaloa,

Wellawaya Wellawaya ( si, වැල්ලවාය, translit=Vællavāya; ta, வெல்லவாய, translit=Vellavāyā) is a town located in Monaragala District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. History On 25 August 1630 a major battle took place near We ...

and parts of

Sabaragamuwa The Sabaragamuwa Province ( si, සබරගමුව පළාත ''Sabaragamuwa Paḷāta'', ta, சபரகமுவ மாகாணம் ''Sabaragamuwa Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrati ...

and Matara region, led his and the troops of Sitawaka Kingdom and revolted against the Portuguese. Kuruvita Rala also raided the

Kandy 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 ...

and drove king

Senarat of Kandy Senarath Adahasin was king of the Kingdom of Kandy from 1604 to 1635. He is said to be the successor to king Vimaladharmasuriya I, Wimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy. However first hand accounts are not available concerning what happened after the dea ...

out of his capital. They were under Portuguese rule, along with the

and

Nair The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histo ...

recruited as

Lascarins Lascarins ( si, ලස්කිරිඤ්ඤ, translit=laskiriñña'','' or Lascareen, Lascoreen and Lascarine) is a term used in Sri Lanka to identify indigenous soldiers who fought for the Portuguese during the Portuguese era (1505–1658) ...

and were converted to

Catholicism 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 ...

. Large Catholic Karava communities exists ever since, who were mostly

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

s prior to conversion. The Catholic Karava chieftains sided with the Kingdom of Kandy and the kingdom's Dutch allies against 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 ...

, and the King bestowed honors and titles to the Karava chieftains. The Karavas amassed wealth through

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

ventures such as in coastal navigation, fishing, carpentry, transportation,

arrack Arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin ...

, coconut, rubber, graphite and other industries. The Karavas formed the elites between 16th century and early 20th century. Numerous organization were formed by them such as ''Ceylon National Association'', one of the predecessors of the

Ceylon National Congress The Ceylon National Congress ( Sinhala: ලංකා ජාතික කොන්ග්‍රසය ''Lanka Jathika Kongrasaya'') (CNC) was a Nationalist political party which was formed in Ceylon on 11 December 1919. It was founded after national ...

James Peiris Sir James Peiris (20 December 1856 – 5 May 1930) was a prominent leader in the Sri Lankan independence movement, the first elected Vice-President of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and the first native Governor of Ceylon (Acting).

, a Karava lawyer and national leader, was an essential character in the Sri Lankan independence movement.

Rohana Wijeweera Patabendi Don Jinadasa Nandasiri Wijeweera ( si, පටබැඳි දොන් ජිනදාස නන්දසිරි විජෙවීර; 14 July 1943 – 13 November 1989, better known by his '' nom de guerre'' Rohana Wijeweera, was ...

and other Karava leaders formed in the 1960s the

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP; ) is a Marxist–Leninist communist party and a former militant organization in Sri Lanka. The movement was involved in two armed uprisings against the government of Sri Lanka: once in 1971 (SLFP), and anothe ...

, a communist party and political movement, who were involved in two armed uprisings against the ruling governments in 1971 and 1987.

Traditional status

The Karavas were coastal people, who served in naval warfare and contributed as coastal chieftains and regional kings. Their chiefs were referred in

as ''Patabendi'' or ''Patangatim'',''Patangatin/Headmen of Chilaw baptised in 1606 at Malwana;'' Ceylon and the Portuguese 1505–1658, by Paulus Edward Pieris
/ref> which is derived from the

term ''Pattamkattiyar'' (meaning "crowned one"), which was also used by their equivalent Tamil

s.The Karavas were one of the few Sri Lankan communities traditionally entitled to use flags.''In 1574 the Mahapatabenda of Colombo is beheaded and quartered by the Portuguese for treasonable communication with Mayadunne, the sannas grants of king Mayadenne to Sitavaka Tantula and Rajapakse Tantula of Ambalangoda for serving the interests of Sitawaka kings, Thamankaduwa, Diddeniya, Galagamuwa and Matale Karavas and their insignia''
The Karāva of Ceylon: Society and Culture, M. D. Raghavan pp.33–6,43,66,71–5 (K.V.G. De Sīlva ) ASIN: B0006CKOV2 A large number of these '' Karava flags'' have survived the ravages of time and many are illustrated in E. W. Perera's book ''Sinhalese Banners and Standards''. The sacred usage of conch shell and tying of ''Nalapata'' (royal forehead plate) was a common practice among Karavas, also mentioned in the

Rajaveliya Rajavaliya (line of kings) is an ancient chronicle of Sri Lanka. It contains the history of King Vijaya to King Vimaladharmasuriya ΙΙ. It is the only chronicle which contains continuous history of Sri Lanka written in Sinhalese language. Altho ...

. The sun and the moon, pearl umbrella are traditional royal symbols used by the Karavas. The

Makara ''Makara'' ( sa, मकर, translit=Makara) is a legendary sea-creature in Hindu mythology. In Hindu astrology, Makara is equivalent to the Zodiac sign Capricorn. Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada, a ...

, being an emblem of their clan, is the mount of their clan deity, the sea god

Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, such ...

. The clan name Warnakulasuriya, denotes their deity Varuna. Insignia such as the pearl umbrella, flags, swords, trident, yak tail whisks, lighted flame torches and drums were previously widely used by the Karavas at their weddings and funerals. By the 1960s, such usage has been greatly reduced, whereas some places is it still practiced.

Ancestral names

The Karava's use the naming system. Vasagama, literally meaning "estate (gama) in which one resides", is a title or surname that is given to the

patrilineal Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritan ...

descendants. The most common clans among the Karavas are ''Kurukulasuriya'', ''Warunakulasuriya'' and ''Mihindikulasuriya'' (formerly known as ''Arasakulasuriya''). Other clans are Koon Karavas and Konda Karavas. Name based on leadership or armoured military office (Sannaddha/Sannadi) include Hennadige, show a traditional military heritage and confirms the military origins of the group as claimed by Karava origin stories and family histories. Some of the popular surnames, ''Wachchi Hennadige, Weera Hennadige, Andra Hennadige and Warusa Hennadige'' , Arasa Marakkalage ("house of the Royal Mariners"), Patabendige ("house of the local headmen"), and

Thantri Thantri or Tantri is the Vedic head who stand's in a top room in religion of Hindu. Thantri is person who set rule in temples, they are the authority in the temples of Kerala and temples in coastal Karnataka in southern India. It is a positio ...

ge (also Tantulage or Thanthulage, "house of experts").Royal grant to a port Patangatin, Kingdom of Jaffanapatam, P.E. Pieris, p. 25-28
/ref>''The sword of Mahanaga Rajasinghe Kuruvira Adithya Arsanilaishta (1416 AD) – the oldest representation of the Makara knuckle-guard'': Ancient Swords, Daggers and Knives in Sri Lankan Museums, P.H.D.H. De Silva and S. Wickramasinghe, pp.82,90,101–5 (National Museums of Sri Lanka) Names based on profession include Marakkalage (house of the ship/boat owners or sailors ) and Vaduge (also Baduge; house of carpenters, ship, Silmaguruge & boat builders, also descendant of Vadugar).

References

*RAGHAVAN, M. D., The Karava of Ceylon: Society and Culture, K. V. G. de Silva, 1961. *Caste Conflict and Elite Formation, The Rise of the Karava Elite in Sri Lanka 1500–1931. Michael Roberts 1982, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. *Social Change in Nineteenth Century Ceylon. Patrick Peebles. 1995, Navrang .

External links