Sri Lankan Mukkuvar () is a

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

speaking ethnic group found in the Western and Eastern coastal regions of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. They are primarily concentrated in the districts of

Puttalam Puttalam (; ) is the largest town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Puttalam is the administrative capital of the Puttalam District and governed by a municipal council. Climate Under the ...

Batticaloa Batticaloa (, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu'', ; , ''Maḍakalapuwa'', ) is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the Batticaloa District. The city is the seat of the Eastern Univers ...

, and Amparai. Mukkuvars traditionally involved in

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

conch shell Conch ( , , ) is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point on both ends). Conchs ...

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...

diving, but are also involved in

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. They also include the major

landlord A landlord is the owner of property such as a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate that is rented or leased to an individual or business, known as a tenant (also called a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). The term landlord appli ...

s in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka who historically also served as

mercenaries A mercenary is a private individual who joins an War, armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rath ...

in medieval era.

Etymology

The name of the caste has several etymology theories. According to one is Mukkuvar derived from

word ''mukku'' (means tip or corner) and the suffix ''ar'' (people), thus the term denotes "those from tip of the landmass". Another theory states that the word ''Mukkuvan'' (singular form), means "diver" derived from the Dravidian word ''muluku'' (to immerse or to dive). Other titles used by the community are ''Kukankulam, Murkukan'' and ''Mukkiyar''. Their titles Kukankulam (Kukan clan) and Murkukan (foremost Kukan) are literary references to ''Kukan,'' the mariner who ferried Hindu god

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

across

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

from

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

whose descendant they claim.

History

The earliest mention of the Mukkuvar is in the Sinhalese

panegyric A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of - ' ...

called ''Dambadeni asna'' (13th century AD'')'', mentioning them as soldiers under the army of Parakramabahu II. Their folk origin varies from region to region. According to the legend of the Mukkuvar from Kerala, they emigrated to and from Sri Lanka. The '' Mattakallappu Manmiyam'' text and other local

palm-leaf manuscript Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing materials in the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia dating back to the 5th century BCE. Their use began in South Asia and spread to ot ...

s attribute the emigration of the Sri Lankan Mukkuvar from

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

under the rule of

Kalinga Magha Kalinga Magha or Gangaraja Kalinga Vijayabahu (, , ) was an invader from the Kingdom of Kalinga (historical region), Kalinga who usurped the throne from Parakrama Pandyan II of Polonnaruwa in 1215. A massive migration followed of Sinhalese peop ...

in 12th century AD, who delegates the power to local petty kings whose successors are identified as belonging to ''Kukankulam''. The conch shell trade flourished in the ancient and medieval era. The Mukkuvars of Jaffna region were traditionally involved in conch shell diving, however took to fishing with the decline of the conch shell trade. Recent studies show their habits and clan structure, as well as dialects, show affinity towards the Northern

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

regions. Mukkuvar tribes migrated from Malabar Coast in Kerala to cities in

and

Jaffna Jaffna (, ; , ) is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a Jaffna Peninsula, peninsula of the same name. With a population o ...

in the 12th century. They established a local polity in Puttalam, Mannar, and Jaffna. However, they and the Sonakar were defeated in a three-month siege by the

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 seaborn ...

chieftains, sponsored by the

Kingdom of Kotte The Kingdom of Kotte (, ), named after its capital, Kotte, was a Sinhalese kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Founded by Parakramabahu VI with the help of the Ming, the Kingdom managed to conquer the Jaffna ki ...

in the 15th century. This event is celebrated in a Sinhalese palm leaf manuscript called the Mukkara Hatana (''The Mukkuvar War''). The

chronicle, '' Yalpana Vaipava Malai'', mentions the exile of Mukkuvars from Jaffna Kingdom to

during the 15th Century after the invasion of Jaffna by Sampumal Kumarayya. Ancient temple or Vedi Arasan fort

According to a popular folklore, is the Delft Island linked to the Mukkuvar king ''Vedi Arasan''. Vedi Arasan had forts at Kayts,

Kankesanthurai Kankesanthurai (, , lit. ''Port Kankesan''), colloquially known as KKS, is a port suburb, fishing division and resort hub of the Jaffna District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Formerly an electoral district, Kankesanthurai is home to the Kankesant ...

and Keerimalai, and was in possession of a ''Naga''

gemstone A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...

. The Karaiyar king ''Meekaman'' with his

Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

army defeated Vedi Arasan and the Moor chief ''Meera'' and earned his Naga gemstone for the Chola princess ''Kannika.'' Ruins in Delft island such as ''Meekaman kottai'' and ''Vedi Arasan'' ''kottai'' are local names identified with this event. The ''Mattakallappu Manmiyam'' refers to the defeat of the Thimilar by the Mukkuvar and the Sonakar in eastern parts of the island. Several places in Eastern Province bear names related to this event. The theme of the Mukkuvar seeking the aid of Muslim Sonakars was always present and at that time alliances and intermarriage between the communities took place. The Batticaloa region was under the leadership of Mukkuvar ''Vannimai'' chiefs.

Religion

One of the earliest tribes to get converted to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

by the Portuguese were the Mukkuvars from

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

in Kerala. The Mukkuvar in India practising

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

are known '' Pusalan'', ''Pulasar'', ''Puislam'' or "''New muslims''", derived from the

word ''putiya'' (new) and ''Islam''. The Mukkuvars of Sri Lanka from North Western Province are mostly Roman Catholic with a strong minority of Muslim Mukkuvars who are known as Sonakars, however they are mostly

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

s in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Customs

The Mukkuvars of eastern parts of Sri Lanka follow the Mukkuva laws, also known as ''Mukkuva Ēṟppāṭu'', which applies to marriage and property. The Mukkuvars in Eastern Sri Lanka are, like other castes, also divided into ''kudi's'' (

matrilineal Matrilineality, at times called matriliny, is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which people identify with their matriline, their mother's lineage, and which can involve the inheritan ...

clans). According the study conducted by McGilvray, Kudi system of Mukkuvars and Eastern Muslims has greater resemblances to Northern Kerala Nayars, Tiyyars, and Mappillas.

References

17. Could Marthanda Varma have won the Colachel War without the fishermen english.manoramaonline.com

External links

Mukkuvas in IndiaThe effect of 2004 Tsunami
{{Sri Lankan Tamil people Social groups of Kerala Indian castes Fishing communities in India Social groups of Tamil Nadu Sri Lankan Tamil castes South Indian communities