Pandara Vanniyan (, ) was 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 ...
Chieftain who ruled in
Vanni Nadu
The Vanni chieftaincies or Vanni tribes was a region between Anuradhapura and Jaffna, but also extending to along the eastern coast to Panama and Yala, during the Transitional and Kandyan periods of Sri Lanka. The heavily forested land was a co ...
in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last
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 ...
king in
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, ...
, who also rose to revolt against the
British Ceylon empire and
Dutch Ceylon empire, who died battling the British colonial rule on the island. He was officially declared a
National Hero of Sri Lanka in 1982.
Biography
Kulasegaram Vairamuthu Pandara Vanniyan was a native of Vanni. The 'Vanniyan' here is different from the caste of the same name. Much remains unclear about his family, but reports state that he had one sister, Nallanachal Vanniyan, and two younger brothers called Kayilaya Vanniyan (Minister) and Periya Meynaar (Commander of the State).
Pandara Vanniyan
Pandara Vanniyan (, ) was a Sri Lankan Tamil, Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil king in Sri Lanka, who also rose to revolt against the British Ceylon, Briti ...
married Kumarasinghe Maha Vanniya's family of present day
Nuwara Wewa, who held the office of residential Governor and Custodian of the formerly Tamil area. Marriages between
Vanniar Chieftain families in the northern and southern regions helped to unite and strengthen rule. Thus, when
Pandara Vanniyan
Pandara Vanniyan (, ) was a Sri Lankan Tamil, Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil king in Sri Lanka, who also rose to revolt against the British Ceylon, Briti ...
married into the
Nuwara Wewa family, he gained political power in the south
Vanni as well as in the north. It is said that he lived in Kumulamunai, which today is in
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu District (, ; , ) is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary (previously known as a Governmen ...
. His statue of honour is located in
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 ...
.
History
Vanniar chieftain,
Pandara Vanniyan
Pandara Vanniyan (, ) was a Sri Lankan Tamil, Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil king in Sri Lanka, who also rose to revolt against the British Ceylon, Briti ...
, appeared to have paid some tribute to the more powerful rulers in the region at that time, who had an independent spirit and a distinct culture and dialect of their own.
Vanni functioned as a buffer zone between the north and the south 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, ...
. Historically, the
Vanni encompassed
Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places:
India
* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala
Sri Lanka
* Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka
** Mannar Island, an island within the district
** Mannar Bridge, a bridge conne ...
,
Vavuniya
Vavuniya (, ) is a city in Vavuniya District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. The municipality is administered by an Municipal Council. The town has been known since ancient times, but being a heavily forested area, less than 100,000 people ...
,
Trincomalee
Trincomalee (; , ; , ), historically known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast o ...
,
Polonnaruwa
Poḷonnaruwa, (; ) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in History of Sri Lanka, ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, ...
,
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 ...
,
Ampara
Ampara (, ) is the main town of Ampara District, governed by an Urban Council.
It is located in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, about east of Colombo and approximately south of Batticaloa.
History
This was a hunters' resting place during Br ...
and
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 ...
hinterlands.
The beginnings of the people of the
Vanni (Vanniar), who were ruled over by
Vanniar Chieftains, has not been clearly established, but there is evidence of settlements in the region dating back 2000 years. Furthermore, there is information on the Konesar Kalvettu and in the old 'Vya' song of sixty Vanniar coming from
Madurai
Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
in
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 ...
, accompanying the royal bride for the king at
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura (, ; , ) is a major city located in the north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka, North Central Province and the capital of Anuradhapura District. The city lies north of the cur ...
in the first century BC.
Conflict with colonial rule
When the
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom (, ; 1215–1619 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula and was traditionally t ...
was captured by the
Portuguese in 1621, the
Vanni was under their nominal control and it is thought that 'Parangichetticulam' of the
Vanni is the former fort of the
Portuguese.
Around 1782, the continued conflicts came to an end when the
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
, who had by then arrived in
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, ...
, once and for all defeated the Vanniars. It has been noted that "The
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
met nowhere a more determined resistance than from one of the native princesses, the Vannichi (widow) Maria Sembatte, whom they
arriedaway as prisoner, and
etainedin captivity in the
Fort of Colombo."

Pandara Vanniyan fought against the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
colonial powers. The Vanniars commenced to live a wild and marauding life and carried on a predatory warfare against the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
in
Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places:
India
* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala
Sri Lanka
* Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka
** Mannar Island, an island within the district
** Mannar Bridge, a bridge conne ...
and
Trincomalee
Trincomalee (; , ; , ), historically known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast o ...
, and even penetrated to the
Jaffna peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula (, or ) is a region in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna, and comprises much of the former land mass of the medieval Jaffna Kingdom.
The peninsula was historically ...
. The
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
had to build forts along the river to keep them at bay. In alliance with the
Kandy
Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
Kingdom,
Vanniyan started a revolt to expel the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
from his district. On 25 August 1803,
Vanniyan attacked the Government House in
Mullaitheevu and drove out the garrison from
Mullaitheevu, which was under the command of Captain Edward Mudge of the 19th Regiment, before finally seizing the fort.
Pandara Vannian captured the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
cannons and overran the whole of the northern districts (
Vanni), highlighting his boldness and ability to penetrate as far as
Elephant Pass
Elephant Pass (; ) is a region located at the gateway of the Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It lies about 340 km north of the capital. It has an important military base and used to be the island's largest salt field. ...
and into the
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula (, or ) is a region in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna, and comprises much of the former land mass of the medieval Jaffna Kingdom.
The peninsula was historically ...
. From conventional warfare, Pandara Vannian resorted to guerrilla tactics, but was finally defeated by
Lt. von Driberg when the (recently arrived)
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
organized a three-pronged attack from
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 ...
,
Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places:
India
* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala
Sri Lanka
* Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka
** Mannar Island, an island within the district
** Mannar Bridge, a bridge conne ...
and
Trincomalee
Trincomalee (; , ; , ), historically known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast o ...
in 1803. In that battle, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
also captured the cannon given to Pandara Vanniyan by
Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe. The British presented the village of Pandara Kulam to
Lt. von Driberg as a prize for defeating Pandara Vanniyan.
This was followed by the "burning of all his houses,
hereby Pandara Vanniyan'speople ... dispersed into the jungle, and eventually out of the
Vanni to the districts of Hanwella. The power of the
Vanniar (Chieftains) was thus finally and effectually extinguished." Alternative histories have it that
Lt. von Driberg of the
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
forces felt humiliated by
Pandara Vanniyan
Pandara Vanniyan (, ) was a Sri Lankan Tamil, Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil king in Sri Lanka, who also rose to revolt against the British Ceylon, Briti ...
for having been defeated by him several times, including in a personal combat situation; despite being permitted by senior officials to withdraw, he stayed on even after the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
ousted the
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
.
Death
Pandara Vanniyan was defeated in battle at the hands of
Lt. von Driberg, in October 1803 at Oddusuddan, Katsilaimadu. Now no longer a feudal ruler, he withdrew to areas near the Kandy Kingdom. He remained there until September 1810 where he was attacked in an ambush by British forces, and later succumbed to his injuries. A granite stone monument commemorating Vanniyan's defeat was erected in the village Katsilaimadu in
Vanni; it was placed in tribute by
Lt. von Driberg, who had fought him in battle. The monument bears the inscription: "Here abouts Captain von Driberg Defeated Pandara Vawniyan Oct 31 st 1803." In 2010 it was found broken; some
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 ...
media outlets reported that it had been damaged by
Sinhalese soldiers in light of recent ethnic tensions and criticized it as an act of destruction of Tamil heritage and culture.
Legacy

Pandara Vanniyan was declared a national hero by the
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
,
Ranasinghe Premadasa
Sri Lankabhimanya Ranasinghe Premadasa ( ''Raṇasiṃha Premadāsa''; ''Raṇaciṅka Pirēmatācā''; 23 June 1924 – 1 May 1993) was a Sri Lankan politician and statesman who served as the third President of Sri Lanka from 2 January 1989 unt ...
in 1982 and a statue of him was opened with much fanfare in
Vavuniya
Vavuniya (, ) is a city in Vavuniya District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. The municipality is administered by an Municipal Council. The town has been known since ancient times, but being a heavily forested area, less than 100,000 people ...
at the main junction on the
A-9 Highway, where the
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 ...
and
Kandy
Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
(and
Colombo
Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...
) road meets the road to
Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places:
India
* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala
Sri Lanka
* Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka
** Mannar Island, an island within the district
** Mannar Bridge, a bridge conne ...
.
The
Pandara Vanniyan
Pandara Vanniyan (, ) was a Sri Lankan Tamil, Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil king in Sri Lanka, who also rose to revolt against the British Ceylon, Briti ...
Memorial Day falls on 25 August each year.
Present-day
Tamils
The Tamils ( ), also known by their endonym Tamilar, are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Tamil language is o ...
and
Sinhalese of
North Central and
North Western provinces in
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, ...
, which were once part of
Vanni, revere Pandara Vanniyan highly. The
Sinhalese are known to summon the protection of Vanni Bandara Deio when they pass through jungles.
Tamil nationalists valourise Vanniyan as an epic hero, and his character has recently been appropriated and measured against
Vellupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran (; ; ; 26 November 1954 – 18 May 2009) was a Sri Lankan guerrilla and a major figure of Tamil nationalism, being the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE was a militant organiza ...
, the leader of the now dismantled
LTTE
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; , ; also known as the Tamil Tigers) was a Tamil militant organization, that was based in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam ...
.
Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi, an Indian politician and writer, in his novel 'Payum Puli Pandara Vanniyan' ('The Leaping Tiger Pandara Vanniyan' in English), uses Vanniyan to typify
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 ...
patriotism
Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...
and
transnationalism
Transnationalism is a research field and social phenomenon grown out of the heightened interconnectivity between people and the receding economic and social significance of boundaries among nation states.
Overview
The term "trans-national" was ...
. According to Vijaya Ramaswamy in ''Historical Dictionary of the Tamils'', "the course of the novel is ... connected to ... developments in Sri Lanka related to moves by the
LTTE
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; , ; also known as the Tamil Tigers) was a Tamil militant organization, that was based in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam ...
. The novel describes the mission of a friend of
Veerapandiya Kattabomman
Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an 18th-century Palayakarrar and king of Panchalankurichi in present-day Tamil Nadu, India. He fought the British East India Company and was captured by the British with the help of the ruler of the kingdom of Pu ...
(the last Poligar who resisted British rule in Tamil Nadu) to the
Wanni
The Vanni, also spelled Wanni, is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately . ...
jungles in Sri Lanka. His mission was to meet Pandara Vanniyan who was also resisting the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
. This part of the novel echoes the meeting of
V. Gopalsamy MP (popularly known as
Vaiko
Vaiko, birth name Vaiyapuri Gopalsamy (born 22 May 1944), is an Indian politician. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India from Tamil Nadu. He is the founder and General Secretary of the Marumalarchi Drav ...
) and
Vellupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran (; ; ; 26 November 1954 – 18 May 2009) was a Sri Lankan guerrilla and a major figure of Tamil nationalism, being the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE was a militant organiza ...
(leader of the defunct
LTTE
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; , ; also known as the Tamil Tigers) was a Tamil militant organization, that was based in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam ...
) in the dense jungles of
Wanni
The Vanni, also spelled Wanni, is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately . ...
."
Pandara Vanniyan
Pandara Vanniyan (, ) was a Sri Lankan Tamil, Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil king in Sri Lanka, who also rose to revolt against the British Ceylon, Briti ...
is also the subject of the eponymous play by Mullaimaṇi Ve Cuppiramaṇiyam, 'Pantara Vanniyan.' The play was awarded a prize by the Ceylon Art Council in 1964, and was published thereafter in 1970.
On 10 August 2014, three statues of former Tamil kings including Pandara Vanniyan,
Ellalan
Ellalan (; ), also referred to as Elara the Pious, and by the honorific epithet ''Manu Needhi Cholan'', was a member of the Tamil Chola dynasty in Southern India, who upon capturing the throne became king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, in presen ...
, and Pararaja Sekaran were installed by
Jaffna Clock Tower
Jaffna Clock Tower ( ''Yāḻppāṇam Maṇikkūṭṭuk Kōpuram'') is a clock tower in the city of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. It is one of the landmarks of the city. It was built to commemorate the visit of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales to C ...
.
References
External links
Closer look at Southern part of VanniDetails of Friedrich Wilhelm von DribergFamily tree of Friedrich Wilhelm von Driberg*
ttp://www.island.lk/2001/04/08/featur14.html Lord of the Vanni ForestsVanni and the Vanniyas by C. S.NavaratnamVanni narratives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandara Vanniyan
Sri Lankan Tamil history
Tamil monarchs
Sri Lankan Hindus
Sri Lankan Tamil rebels
British Empire
1803 deaths
1777 births