Karava of Sri Lanka

The Sun and Moon symbols
 

The Sun and the Moon symbols were the recurrent royal symbols  used continuously by Sri Lankan monarchs. They represented the claim by Sri Lankan monarchs that they descended from the Indian Solar and Lunar dynasties.

As dynasties and ruling families changed, the Elephant, Ship and Fish symbols too were  used by Sri Lankan royal families intermittently, along with the Sun and Moon symbols of royalty.

However contrary to popular modern belief, the Lion was not the perpetual royal symbol of Sri Lanka. The lion symbol was mainly  promoted by the Indian born medieval Kalinga kings of Polonnaruwa and the Karava Singhe Dynasty of Jaffna. The modern Lion symbol myths were created by political upstarts to introduce divisive politics to Sri Lanka as their vehicle to political power.

Contrary to the modern belief, the Kings and Queens of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa did not claim to be Sinhalese, but have consistently claimed in their inscriptions to be from the Kshatriya race and Indian Sun Dynasty (Surya wamsa) and Lunar Dynasty (Chandra Kula). The ancient Mahavamsa chronicle of Sri Lanka too refers to them in the same way.

Accordingly the royal symbols of such monarchs were the Sun and the Moon. The Lion was not a royal symbol for these monarchs and they used the lion image on foot-stones at entrances to buildings and on urinal-stones. The lion appears to have been an important symbol only for the Indian born Kalinga kings of Sri Lanka, mainly Nissankamalla (1187-1196 ), who claimed to hail from Sinhapura (lion city).

The Lion image as used on ancient foot-stones in Anuradhapura. The Lion was not a 'royal symbol' or a 'dynastic emblem'  for ancient Sri Lankan kings or queens. They were all Kshatriyas who claimed descent from Indian Solar and Lunar Dynasties and their royal symbols were the Sun and the Moon. These monarchs used the lion image on foot-stones at entrances to buildings and on urinal-stones
 

The Sun and Moon figure throughout Sri Lankan history and are found on medieval gold coins and inscriptions. Some modern historians have attempted to re-interpret these symbols and say that they indicate perpetuity rather than the solar and lunar descent of the monarchs.

The Sun symbol is displayed prominently on the tomb of Prince Don Joan of Kandy and on the throne and also the palace walls of the last king of Kandy Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe.

The Sun and Moon symbols are recurrent symbols on Karava Heraldry.

The Sun and Moon flag is one of the main flags of the Karavas. The Mukkara Hatana (palm leaf manuscript now in the British museum) and royal sannas (grants) describe that King Parakramabahu VI allowed the Karavas to continue using this flag in Sri Lanka.

The Fish & Ship  symbols
The Fish and Ship symbols appear to have been the dynastic symbols of several ancient Sri lankan ruling clans.

Many Pre-christian Brahmi rock inscriptions scattered across Sri Lanka right into the deep south, particularly the inscriptions caused to be engraved by Baratas, bear the symbol of a ship.

In addition, the pre-christian rock inscriptions of the Kataragama Kshatriyas always carry the Fish symbol. According to Paranavitana: " ...the fish symbol is found in all the inscriptions at Kotedemuhela as well as Bowategala, where members of the Kshatriya family of Kataragama find mention. The Fish appears therefore to have been the dynastic symbol of these princes" (Paranavitana 1970 pg LIX)

These Kataragama Kshatriya kings  describe themselves in their pre-christian inscriptions as " Gamini puta dasa kathikana Kedhate ..." (Bovattegala inscription, Early Inscriptions of Ceylon part I p 41 # 549)  Kedhate was the early form of Kevatta meaning 'mastery over water'. Over a thousand years later, when Kevatta also meant a fisherman, chroniclers have used prefixes to distinguish Dunu-kevatta vamsa warrior royalty (Ariyapala p 113) from Vedi-kevatta tribal fishermen.

The word Dheega meaning water is frequently used by these kings in their personal names such as Dheegha-Gamini, Dheega-Jantu etc. and in place names such as Dhiga-Vapi, Dhiga-Mandala etc. The word Kataragama too in its original form was Kachara (Ka +Chara) where Ka meant water and Chara meant 'travelling on', meaning sailing and naval power. (Yatala Vehera p 19)

Recent excavations in the south have also unearthed many types of pre-christian period coins with the Fish symbol. Of particular interest are the coins with 2 fish and the legend 'Barata Tisa' in ancient Brahmi characters and another with an elephant and the legend 'Majjima'  (Illustrations A12 and A5 Bopearachchi pgs 52 & 53). Barata is the original royal house of The Kauavas and the Pandavas and the inscription on the Council terrace at Anuradhapura shows the link in Sri Lanka.

The continuity of this Barata link upto the Kotte period is shown by the Padakada copper plate inscription of King Parakramabahu VI in which the king refers to himself as hailing from the Barata kula (JRASCB XXXVI). Majjima was a name used by Sri Lankan kings (Paranavithana 1970 pg LXXVIII inscription 406) and is preserved in Karava ancestral names such as Madduma Patabendige.

The fish symbol is also found on mediaeval coins of Sri Lanka and one such coin is illustrated on the right column.

Kings Parakramabahu the Great and Nissankamalla are two Sri Lankan kings to have extensively used the Fish symbol on their inscriptions.

The Fish symbol and the Ship symbol are also recurrent symbols on Karava Heraldry

The tombstone of Patangatim Francisco Piris’ wife from St. Thomas Church, Jinthupitiya illustrated here, shows that the Karava heraldic symbols: Pearl umbrella, Palm tree, caparisoned Elephant and Fish symbol were used even on tombstones (JRASCB XXII 387). Click for larger image

The Makara
The Makara, the mythical composite creature and  prominent symbol of the Karavas, was also a royal symbol of Sri Lanka's past. The Makara is displayed prominently in ancient royal architecture, on the entrance baluatrades of  ancient capitals of Sri Lanka. The Makara was also used in ancient Sri Lankan honour arches and door handles in royal palaces and temples and also on sword handles . See 'the Makara' for examples.

The Tree
Tree symbolism too appears to have been important in ancient times. The coin from the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom displays such tree symbolism. Such coins have been found in large numbers in the ancient kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Ruhuna

Many kings and Karava clans of Sri Lanka have claimed descent from the princes who came with the sacred Bodhi Tree (See Migration with Bodhi tree) . The symbolism could be connected.

The Elephant symbol
See the Elephant symbol for examples

The Lion

The Lion was not an important symbol for most Sri Lankan monarchs. They used the lion image on foot-stones at entrances to buildings and on urinal-stones. The lion was an important symbol only for the Indian born Kalinga kings of Sri Lanka, particularly king  Nissankamalla (1187-1196 ) who claimed to hail from Sinhapura (lion city). Nissankamalla and other Kalinga monarchs used the lion symbol extensively and popularised it's use during their reigns.

The Karava Singhe dynasty of Jaffna (which succeeded the Kalinga dynasty rulers of Jaffna) has also used the lion symbol as evidenced by the name of the dynasty and  the crest of their Karava descendants.  Intermarriage with the Kalinga royal families could explain the transfer of their symbolism to the Karavas and explain the existence of ancient Karava Lion flags in Sri Lanka. (see illustrations of ancient Karava Lion flags)

The lion was also the symbol of the south Indian Pallava kings. Pallava coins with the Pallava lion emblem are found in Sri Lanka too and these coins are knowingly or unknowingly mistaken by some as Sinhalese lion coins.

See Lion Myth for more

References

• Ariyapala M. B.  1968 Society in Mediaeval Ceylon Department of Cultural Affairs Sri Lanka
• Bopearachchi Osmund 1999 Ruhuna, An ancient civilisation re-visited 
• JRASCB - The Journal of The Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch)
• Paranavithana S. 1970 Inscriptions of Ceylon Vol I Early Brahmi Inscriptions
• Yatala Vehera 1987 Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka

The royal flag of Sri lanka, the Sun and Moon flag.
This is one of the main flags of the Karavas and is used todate at family ceremonies

The Sun, Moon and boat symbols as displayed by medieval Sri lankan kings on their Kahavanu gold coins

The Sun & Moon symbols as used by ancient Sri Lankan kings on stone inscriptions.

The Sun symbol displayed as the central symbol on the tomb of Don Joan, Prince of Kandy who  was  buried in 1642 at the oratory founded by him in Telheeras, Lisbon

The The Sun symbol displayed as the central symbol on the  royal throne of Sri Lanka.

An example of a pre-christian Barata inscription from Sri Lanka with the Ship symbol
 

A section of a pre-christian Brahmi inscription from Kottademuhela, Sri Lanka showing an example of the fish symbol used by the Kataragama Kshatriyas as their dynastic symbol.

A part of a 12th century rock inscription showing an example of the use of the fish symbol as a royal symbol in the Polonnaruwa kingdom of Sri Lanka

A  pre-christian coin from southern Sri lanka showing an example of the use of the fish symbol as a dynastic symbol.

A medieval gold coin of Gangai Konda Chola displaying his royal insignia: A royal parasol, Tiger and two fish.

An Elephant and Fish coin from the Anuradhapura period. Compare with Karava tomb stone on left.

Another coin from the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom displaying the Elephant symbol of ancient Sri lankan kings.

The ancestral flag of the Karava Arasakularatne clan from Maggona. Note the central Tree and Ship symbolism. Click for larger image.

 An ancient flag of the Karava showing the Mutukuda (royal pearl umbrellas) along with the other royal symbols of the Karavas: Sun & Moon  symbols, Sword, White shield, Lamps (torches -pandam), ceremonial shades (alavattam), Yak tail whisks (valviduna) etc. together with Indra, the god of the Kshatriyas.

An old etching of King Rajasinghe and his court.
Note the similarity of the royal symbols carried by the courtiers with those on the flag above. Of particular interest are the two pearl umbrellas, the sun and moon symbols, Aalavattam ceremonial sun shades and the white (conch) shield.

Below: an old painting from Sri Lanka showing similar symbols of royalty carried in honour of the king.