Karava of Sri Lanka

The Ancient Period

Ancient Period- Kuru Kingdom in India with its capital at Hastinapur, inhabited by the Kauravas and the Pandavas from the royal line of King Bharata. The Mahabharata war between the Kauravas and their cousins the Pandavas at Kurukshetra and the dispersal of Kauravas in the Asian region. Early Buddhist and Jaina texts mention sixteen states known as Mahajanpadas. Although the lists vary, some names such as Vajji, Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala, Gandhara and Avanti occur frequently. Clearly these were amongst the most important Mahajanpadas. The Mahajanpadas were ruled by kings. Each Mahajanpada had a capital city. The Kuru kingdom covered the modern Haryana and Delhi to the west of river Yamuna with its capital at Indraprastha. It was the most important kingdom of the later Vedic period.

- Several communities claiming descent from these Kauravas were discovered by 19th century European scholars and others. The Kur in Bengal and Korawa in central India.(Dalton). Kaorwa in the Punjab and Kaurs in Jasapur, Udaepur, Sirgeya, Korea, Chand, Bhakar and Korba of Chittisgarin (Tod II 256), Gaurava a Rajput caste practicing widow remarriage (Karewa) in the Delhi district (Elliot quoted by Habib 150), Karaiar and Karawa in Ceylon ( Neville II 9) Curus in Coromandel and Taprobane (RAS 157& 8) and Gavara in Andhra Pradesh

550 BC– Buddha visits the Kuru Kingdom, which is by then nothing like the powerful and extensive Kuru kingdom of the Mahabharata. By then it is just another Mahajanapada of India but famed as a kingdom inhabited by an extremely intelligent and clever race. The Buddha preaches the profound Satipattana Sutta, Maha Nidana Sutta, Aneñjasappaya Sutta, Magandiya Sutta, Rattapala Sutta, Sammasa Sutta and  Ariyavasa Sutta. to the Kauravas as they were intelligent and clever enough to understand these higher doctrines.

The Buddha has referred to himself as ‘the kinsman of the Sun’  (ie. that he is a descendant of the Solar Dynasty Kshatriya Caste) in the Atanatiya Sutta, Upakkilesa Sutta, Phena Sutta and several other Suttas, emphasizing his Kshatriya caste. The Five precepts practised in the Theravada world is founded on the 'Kuru Dharma' of the Kauravas. See Kuru Dharma Jataka. 

In the the Agganna Sutta, Ambattha Sutta, Madura Sutta and several other Suttas the Buddha says : “the Kshatriya caste is the highest caste”

500 BC– Migration of a community of Kauravas to Sri Lanka with prince Karavanti, a minister of prince Vijaya (Janavamsa ola manuscript) . The putative port of landing of the prince is in north-west Sri Lanka contiguous with the region later known as Kuru Rata with a city named Hastinapura (Kurunegala) named after Hasinapur, ( The ruins of Hastinapur have been unearthed within the ramparts of Purana Quila near Delhi) the Mahabharata capital of the Kauravas. This tradition of early migration of Kaurava royalty explains the prevalence of the 'Pandu' prefix in the names of early Sri Lankan kings such as Panduvasadeva and Pandukabhaya.

413 BC - The small Indian republics were gradually losing their importance and were being over-shadowed by kingdoms like Vatsa, Avanti, Kosala, Magadha etc. In the 6^th century BC only 4 states -Avanti, Vatsa, Kosala and Magadha survived. In 413 BC. the kingdom of Magadha emerged to be the most powerful and succeeded in founding an empire.

The Chedi kingdom was one of many kingdoms ruled by Paurava kings during the early period. The Chedi kingdom was ruled by an ally of  king Duryodhana of Kuru. Prominent Chedis during Kurukshetra War included Damaghosha,  Bhima's wife & Nakula's wife Karenumati. Uparichara Vasu was a king of Chedi belonging to the Puru Dynasty. He had five royal sons and a son and a daughter from a fisherwoman. The male child, in due course established the Matsya Kingdom and founded the Matsya Dynasty. The female child lived in the fisher community on the banks of Yamuna, in the kingdom of Kuru. The famous Kuru king Santanu's wife Satyavati was from this community. The author of Mahābhārata, Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa and the Kuru kings Chitrangada and Vichitravirya were the sons of Satyavati. Pandavas and Kauravas where the grandsons of Vichitravirya.(Mahabharata 1,63)

300 BC- Emperor Ashoka .( 304 BC – 232 BC) was the son of  Mauryan emperor Bindusara and while in exile Ashoka married a fisher woman named Kaurwaki (Maharani Devi) who converted to Buddhism. Their children Mahindra and Sanghamitra establishes Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Migration of more Kauravas to Sri Lanka with Theri Sanghamitta, who brought the sacred Bo sapling to Sri Lanka. The Bodhiyabaduge and several other Karava clans ascribe their migration to this event. See arrival of the Bodhi tree.

200 BC- AlthoughAshoka devastated Chedi in his Kalnga war. But within a century Khāravela of the  Mahameghavahana Chedi dynasty of Kalinga restored the lost power of the Kalinga kingdom with maritime links to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Bali, Sumatra and Jabadwipa (Java). The migrations of  Karavas to Sri Lanka over the next millennium are traced to this region.

100 BC – Bharata warriors (the Kauravas were from the royal line of King Bharata) appear as wealthy and prominent patrons of the Sangha in Brahmi rock inscriptions scattered across Sri Lanka right into the deep south. Unlike other Brahmi inscriptions, many of these inscriptions bear the symbol of a ship.

- The pre-christian rock inscriptions of the Kataragama Kshatriyas always bear the Fish symbol. These Kataragama Kshatriya kings  describe themselves in their pre Christian inscriptions as " Gamini puta dasa kathikana Kedhate ..." (Bovattegala inscription Inscr 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 18)

- Recent excavations in the south have uncovered many types of coins from the same period with the Fish symbol. The Fish symbol and the Ship symbol are recurrent symbols on Karava Heraldry

Early Christian era

- Karavas are by this time established in Sri Lanka and influential enough to have their own permanent council terrace in the heart of the royal city of Anuradhapura. The inscription of Ila Barata , Kuruvira, Karava Navika and others is inscribed on a vertical rock face of a terrace to the north west of the ancient Abhayagiri Dagaba in Anuradhapura (Paranavitana xo 94 )

4th century– A rock inscription by Karava Tissa a mariner in Veragala (Codrington appendix 193)

– Sri Lanka continues to be ruled by Kshatriya kings who claim descent from Indian Solar and Lunar Dynasties. Their royal symbols are the Sun and the Moon symbols (see royal symbols of ancient Sri Lanka). 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 symbol was popularised by the Indian born Kalinga monarchs of Sri Lanka who claimed to hail from Sinhapura (lion city).

In addition to the Sun and Moon royal symbols, Kings such as Parakramabahu the Great, Nissankamalla and other kings have also used the Fish symbol on their inscriptions. The Fish symbol too is a recurrent symbol on Karava Heraldry

- A  Sri Lankan royal inscription from this period refers to the overlord’s share of tax as  Kara Kadaya(EZ II 59)

7th – 8th centuries- Arikesari Maravarman attacks the Paravas who did not submit to him and destroys the people of Kuru Nadu in the Pandyan Kingdom. (Sastri 52)

 The Mediaeval Period

Mediaeval period

- King Mahinda IV (956-972) marries Indian princess Sundari of the Kalinga dynasty which causes the Kalinga and Pandya (Lunar dynasty Kshatriyas) dynastic skirmishes for the Sri Lankan throne over the next several centuries.

- 993 Rajendra Chola invades Sri Lanka . Chola armies led by Generals such as Aditya Karikalan. (Karikal was an ancient port on the Kuru Mandala  Coast. Many Karavas migrated from here )  King Mahinda V describes his Kshatriya ancestry as Sehekula kew lu sudana (EZ IV p62)

- More Karavas settle in Sri Lanka as independent migrants and settlers from invading armies of Pandya, Chola and, Kalinga from the Kuru-Mandala coast (ie. The region of the Kurus - Coromandel) stretching across Andra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

According to Indian sources the Kalinga Dynasty had fought in the Mahabharat war for the Kauravas and Kharavela was a famous king of Kalingas. . The Kalinga rulers of Sri lanka intermarried with local Kshatriya familes and styled themselves as Vichaya kulingai (from the line of Vijaya) Ariyan ( Ariyan = Oriya from Orissa region) from Sinhapur (lion city in the Malay peninsula).

According to Indian historian Benarji, 20,000 families had been sent over to Java by the King of Kalinga in India. Chandrabanu who invaded Sri Lanka in the 13^th century with 'Javaka' armies is believed to be from this settlement with Singapur as its capital.

The capital of the Pandyan Kingdom was Korkai before it was shifted to Madurai. Madura in the south was sometimes called Dakshina Madura (Southern Madura) to differentiate it from the northern Uttara Madra. Sangam literature refers to the Pandyans as Kauriyar.

11th century– Many Kurukularajas all over the Tamil country (BITC 1)

– A commander in the Sri Lankan king Vijayabahu I’s army is referred to as Kurukulattarayan who wore the golden anklet (EI No. 38 XXI 5)

– Several references to Kurukulattarayans and Kurukularayans in Chalukya Chola inscriptions (Sastri The Cholas 592, Travancore archaeological series I, 247 and South Indian Inscriptions No. 53 VII 126)

12th century–

According to the old Sinhala texts Rajavaliya, Janavamsa and Kadaim-Poth, King Gajabahu brought a large community of Kauravas among 24,000 second generation Sri Lankan captives and Indian prisoners from Chola, and settled them in Kuru Rata, the present Negombo Chilaw region and calls it Aluth Kuru Rata (the new Kuru country) and renamed the previous synonymous region as Parana Kuru Rata (The old Kuru country). Historians with other motives have attempted to misidentify this king as Gajabahu I and place the event in the 2nd century. The king in reality is Gajabahu II who ruled Sri Lanka in the 12th century. The Gajabahu story which has been displaced and thereby discredited by these historians makes much sense when it is placed in it's rightful context in the 12th century. The Sun and Moon Flag of the Kaurava is now mistaken as the district flag of this region

An inscription of Kullotunga says that he invaded Madura on behalf of his nephew Karadeva (Madras epigraphy collection of 1928, No. 336)

The capital of the Pandyan Kingdom was Korkai before it was shifted to Madurai. Madura in the south was sometimes called Dakshina Madura (Southern Madura) to differentiate it from the northern Uttara Madra.
Sangam literature refers to the Pandyans as Kauriyar.

The Kalinga Dynasty had fought in the Mahabharat war for the Kauravas and Kharavela was a famous king of Kalingas.

Chola armies led by Generals such as Aditya Karikalan.

Throughout the medieval period there is evidence that powerful Kshatriya generals decided as to which king or queen ascended the throne. General Thakura who defeated Mitta and established Bhuvanekabahu I (1272 -1285) on the throne is one documented examples ( Mahavamsa 88.16) Other powerful  king makers from the period are: Vijayá Yán tannávan  and Vijaya Singu Távurunávan (EZ II. Page 112) whose names equate with the Karava clan name Vijaya Kula Suriya. Thakura too is a traditional Karava clan name.

13th century- Several inscriptions refer to Gurukulattarayan (Kurukulattarayan) in the Pandya Kingdom (Madras Government Epigraphy Inscriptions 548, 549, 550. 553 572, 575)

- A Gurukulattarayan in the Chola Kingdom eulogized as lord of Tadangauni. (Madras Government Epigraphy Inscription 554)

– A division of Trichinopoly district was known as Kurunagai Nadu (Rangacharya 1512).

1220- Commencement of the Karava 'Siri Sangabo' dynasty by Vijayabahu III (1220 - 1234 ), who claimed descent from a family that arrived with the sacred Bodhi tree.

 - Kaurava Adittya ( meaning Kurukulasuriya) Arasa Nila Yitta (bearing kingly position) Elenaga, Mahanaga and other Patabenda Karava  kings rule regional kingdoms of Sri Lanka.(Valignano 1577, Perniola 82, Valentyn 1726)
Also see Karava swords in the Colombo Museum and Varnakula Aditya Arasa-nilayitta Clan.

14th century– According to an inscription dated 1353, the city of Vijayanagar was called Kurukshetra- Vidyanagari. Other inscriptions from the periods of Harihara I and Bukka I say that it was also called Hastinavati reminiscent of Hastinapur  of the ancient Kauravas (Ramanayar 52).

1340s - The appearance of Nissanka Alakeshvara and the Alagakkonara (as in Koon Karava clan) rulers of Kotte. They too are from Kanchipuram as the Karava Generals of the Mukkara Hatana. The 'Vaniya Kula' (Varna Kula, as in the Karava Warnakulasuriya clan and the Vanni Kula Kshatriyas of that part of India) ancestry of the Alagakkonaras is misinterpreted by modern historians as a 'trade' ancestry.

Modern historians lament about the lack of information on this period. However Mudaliyar Wijesinghe who translated the Mahavamsa during the British period has noted that original pages were missing from the ola leaf book and fictitious pages were found in their place.

1391- Virabahu II (=Weera Suriya) 1391 – 1397 ascends the throne and rules from Raigama (east of Panadura)

15th century

1411 – A Chinese expedition of the Ming Emperor attacks Kotte and takes king Alakeshvara and his family to China.

1412 – A Karava Kurukule prince deposes the puppet king placed on the throne by the Chinese and ascends the throne as king Parakramabahu VI. Valentyn states that Parakrama Bahu VI is from Kurukule (ie. Kuru caste). And Parakrama Bahu VI himself says that he is " descended from King Bharatha" in his Padákada Sannasa. (JRASCB XXXVI). One of the Karava Generals who arrived for the Mukkara Hatana is also from the Bharatha Kula and King Bharatha is the legendary ancestor of the Kauravas and Pandavas

- Literary compositions from the Kotte period say that the  Makara flags (Muvara dada in the Kav Silumina and min dada in the Thisara Sandesha) of victory flew over the city of Kotte.  The Thisara Sandesha also says that the Garuda flag was a royal flag of the Kotte kingdom. It is important to note that both the Makara flag and the Garuda flag are traditional flags of the Karava community.  

- Migration of several Suriya clans of the Karavas in the reign of King Parakrama Bahu VI (1412-1467) as documented in the Mukkara Hatana palm leaf manuscript now in the British Museum. The region they settled is known todate as Aluth Kuru Rata, meaning the 'new Kuru country'.

- The story in the Mukkara Hatana is also found in Vanni Upatha ( British Museum catalogue Or. 6606 (139) ). The subsequent Vanni kula (Varna Kula) rulers who lend their name to the Vanni region are their descendants. 

- More Karava migrants settle in Sri Lanka as independent migrants and settlers from invading armies of Pandya, Chola and, Kalinga from the Kuru-Mandala coast (ie. The region of the Kurus - Coromandel) stretching across Andra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

- King Parakramabahu adopts both sons of Karava General Manikka Thalevan (Menik Otunu Kumara in Sinhala) who was slain in the Mukkara Hatana.  The elder prince (known as Xemba Perumal and also Tammita Suriya Bandara and later known as Prince Sapumal)  first rules Jaffna and later ascends the throne of Sri Lanka

1467 – Prince Jayabahu (Jayasuriya), son of Ulakudai Devi (daughter of Parakramabahu VI) and prince Nallurutun (from Karava Singhe dynasty of Nallur or Nalluruva in Panadura near Raigama kingdom) ascends the throne as Vira Parakramabahu VII (1467-1470)

1470 –Prince Sapumal (Son of Karava General Makikka Thalevan) ascends the throne of Sri Lanka as Bhuvanekabahu VI (1470 1480).

1484 - Prince Ambulugala, the other son of Karava General Manikka Thalevan slays Bhuvanekabahu IV’ s son Panditha Parakramabahu and ascended the throne as Vira Parakramabahu VII  ( Sirisangabo Vira Parakramabahu)

- The Kshatriya family of Keerawella (denoting their origin from Keelakkare / Karikal. Some of the Karavas of Mukkara Hatana too came from the same region) resident in the Hatara Korale (in the Parana Kuru Rata - Old Kuru Country in Sri Lanka) is the source of royal maidens for the rulers of this period. Similarly, the daughter of Bhuvaneka Bahu VII is named Samudra Devi (meaning Sea queen denoting the Kshatriya sea faring lineage)

 16^th century

The Portuguese Period

- Arrival of Portuguese followed by the subsequent division of the Karava community into two rival groups - one fighting with  the Portugese and the other fighting with the local rulers against the Portugese occupation.

-The Portuguese described the Patabändas / PatangatimsKinglets (subkings) of the Karávas who controlled not only one village but sometimes the whole coast as a master or ruler” (Valignano 1577. Perniola 82). 

-Other Portuguese writers, Joaõ de Barrows (1520) and Castan Heda (1528), refer to five Kings stationed at important coastal towns, their ears laden with jewels and claiming relationship with the King of Kotte. (Ferguson 1506, JRASCB XIX.283 -400)

- The Portuguese historian Fr. Queyroz describes an early Portuguese battle in Sri Lanka as follows: “At that time the Kinglet of the Careas appeared with the whole might of that kingdom which exceeded 20,000......” (Queyroz 631).

-Valentyn too notes that the chiefs of Sri Lanka were from among the Karávas (Valentyn 1726). During this period, Chem Nayque and other Karavas were the Naval commanders of the Nayaks of Tanjore (Queyroz, 638).

- Collapse of the Vijayanagar empire with adverse consequences to its army and navy which had many Karavas.

- The Vijayanagar Rulers had the practice of appointing provincial governors or viceroys such as the Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Tanjore to administer provinces. They regained independent authority in the areas governed as the power of the Vijayanagar empire waned. (See Vaduge ). The 17th century Portuguese historian Queyroz’s observation that Chem Nayque, the naval commander of the Nayque of Tanjore, was a Karáva (Queyroz, 638).

1509 – Son of  Jayabahu (Jayasuriya) comes from the Karava port city of  Dondra in the south and ascends the Kotte throne as Vijayabahu VII (Vijayasuriya – Bahu is another word for Sooriya, the Sun.   Sri Lankan monarchs had used it  to denote their solar ancestry. It did not mean a one arm as some suggest. )

1511 - Kirawelle Ralahami a Karava commander in chief of the Kotte kingdom invades Jayaweera Bandara's Kandyan territories to restore tributory status. According to the Rajavaliya he received 2 lacs of Fanams, 2 elephants and king Jayaweera's daughter in marriage.

– The Karava Singhe Dynasty rules Jaffna 

1521 -The three princes Máyadunne, Bhuvanekabahu and Raigam Bandára, sons of King Vijayabáhu VII (AD 1509 -1521) of Kotte seek refuge in the home of a Kauravadhipathi -a Patabenda  in Jaffna. (Rajavaliya 225). This ruler described as a Patabenda in the Rajavaliya could very well be king Sankili Segarajasekaran VI 1519-1560 (Chankili I) of the Karava Singhe Dynasty of Jaffna. And hence the name Yapa Pattana as it's ruler was referred to as a Pattangatti (Patabenda).

1521 - Prince Mayadunne seeks assistance from King Jayaweera Bandara of Kandy who is married to Mayadunne's cousin, a Karava Keerawelle princess.

1551 – Prince Dharmapala (baptised as Dom Joao), son of Vidiya Bandara (Vedaya - expert in the Vedas as in Karava family names) and Samudra Devi (meaning Sea Queen), ascends the Kotte throne. 

1591 - The Kingdom of Jaffna passes from Karava Singhe Dynasty to the Portuguese by the 'Nallur convention'  signed by Karava nobles.

1591 - Karava princess Maha Patabendige Dona Catherina (Kusumasana Devi) is the sole heiress of  Sri Lanka. She is the daughter of Karav-liyadde Bandara,  the ruler of  Kandy  (1579-1581). She had been brought up by Catholic nuns in a convent in Mannar

- Karava prince Konappu Bandara (Koon+Appu from the  Koon Karava clan, previously baptised as Dom Joao of Austria) marries Dona Catherina and ascends the Kandyan throne as Wimaladharmasuriya I (1591-1604). Possibly due to the extensive use of flags by Karava princes and generals, the Portuguese refer to them as Banderas. (Bandeira is the Portuguese word for flags -  Bandera in Spanish)

1597 - The Kingdom of Kotte passes from Karava kings to the Portuguese by the 'Malwana convention'  signed by Karava nobles.One of the three local nobles was Karava Patangatim Thome Rodrigo. Francisco Bethencourt refers to the leading men of Kotte who signed the Malvana convention as Korales – a mispronunciation of Karava.

It is interesting to note that the Dutch Thombo of 1765 lists the hereditory owners of the Kotte palace and treasury land as hailing from Magalle, A Karava village south of Galle. During the early 20th century a Govigama Mudaliyar had transported cartloads of carved stones from the Kotte ruins to building sites in Colombo. The post-independence Govigama dominated governments have shown no interest in conserving the remains of the Kotte kingdom. During the J. R. jayawardene's government, he built 'Sirikotha', the headquarters of his political party, on the Kotte rampart and filled part of the moat for parking vehicles. The few remaining archaeological ruins are  fast dissapearing.

17th century

1604- Wimaladharmasuriya's death. His cousin Senerath (1604 -1635) marries  queen Dona Catherina and ascends the throne.

1606- Portuguese missionaries first concentrate on converting the Karava Patabändas as they were the leaders and rulers of the people. They are used as examples for other gentiles to follow (Jesuit annual letter of 29/12/1606 from Cochin, Perniola II.254). They belived that " ....by the conversion of the great, that of the lesser would be more easily obtained" (Queroz 209)

1612- Murder of king Wimaladharmasuriya's son, the crown prince Mahasthana (The Rajavaliya gives his real name as Rajasuriya)

1613- Near death, the grieving Dona Catherina appoints her relative, the Karava prince Kuruvita Rala, (the Prince of Uva) and the Prince of Negombo as Guardians of her remaining sons. King Senarath reconfirms the appointment later. One of them, Devarajasinghe, succeeded Senerath and rules as  Rajasinghe II from 1635 to 1685. Marriages for the other two princes arranged with two princesses from the  Karava Singhe dynasty of Jaffna.

1623- Baptism of Jaffna's King Pararajasekaran’s  two queens as Dona Clara da Silva and Dona Antonia da Silva, several nephews of the king, nine Patangatims and all other chief persons of the Karava caste.(Perniola Portuguese period III)

- The locals adopt Portuguese modes of dress, But in keeping with the local custom of only the upper classes were permitted to cover the upper body. (For example the Govigama Siyam Nikaya monks still customarily keep one shoulder exposed). Until recent times the 'Kabakuruttu', a tight fitting white blouse with long sleeves, lace trimmings and a V neck-line, was worn only by Karava women. Women of other castes wore 'Hette' (blouses).

1630s- The Portuguese violate traditional caste rules. They appoint hundreds of loyal locals of any caste as petty revenue collection officer. These officers extort the population and demand traditional honors previously due only  to the royal caste. Karava, Salagama and other Lascorins complain to the Portuguese Captain about  these violations. (A copy of this Memorandum can be found in Queyroz )

1638 -1658 – Arrival of Dutch fleets, Portuguese rule replaced by Dutch in the coastal provinces

– Dodda Deva Raja (1659-1672) of Mysore claims to have subjugated the Kurus (Rice 128)

- Many Karavas refuse to give up Catholicism. Persecution of Karava Catholics by the Dutch, loss of life, livelihood displacement and large numbers from the Karava community taking to non traditional occupations. Loss of warriors and leaders on both sides in the many Dutch wars.

1660s - Lands of many Karava chiefs are  acquired by the Dutch. The few Chiefs who co-operate with the Dutch have their lands restored (see document). Others lose theirs.

- The Dutch seek the assistance of several Karava Adigars and Mudaliyars and their armies to attack and capture Cochin (see extracts of Dutch minutes 12 to 16 Jan., 1660). As can be seen from that extract, The Dutch also seek the assistance of Karava Adigars to control the rebel subjects of  King Rajasinghe II (Secret minutes of the Dutch Council 15-11-1668)

18th century– The Kshatriys Vaduga Dynasty rules the Kandyan kingdom. (See Vaduge) Pybus notes that the Cloth worn by the chiefs is called Karaveniya.

Most of the Karava  Generals had fought with the Portuguesse against the Dutch or were with the local kings.

 The few Karava Generals who fight with the Dutch are the only Karava chiefs to get into the Dutch administrative structure. As such the Dutch appoint their Interpreters and guides from other castes as Mudaliyars and chiefs.

When Valentyn wrote in the early 1700s on the social structure of the coastal region (which was after over 2 centuries of European rule and the above changes) he notes that the Raja, Bamunu, Velenda and Govi four fold classification was still very much alive. He ranks the Karava as the highest caste and the caste from which chiefs and other important officials were appointed.The Durava caste is ranked second highest whist the Govi is last as it is in the lowest and last quartile. (Valentyn 76 to 80).

-By the middle of the 18^th century this new class of Mudaliyars had become Lords in the provinces and were secretive and corrupt (Burnand 156)

Late 18th century- A De Saram family of mixed origin Sinhalises itself by posing as the representatives of the masses and subsequently convinces the British rulers that they are from the numerous Govigama caste. (However Sri Lankan peasantry was only a generic group at this time and it had yet not consolidated into a group with its own leaders or a common group culture. That transformation takes place only in the 20th century  to serve the political needs of the leaders of that time.)

The De Saram family gains power and position by loyalty, religious conversion and collaboration with the Dutch and British rulers and succeeds in marginalizing the traditional ruling class. The British notion of an inverted caste hierarchy in Sri Lanka is easily traceable to the spurious documents on 'local customs' produced by this family.

The British naturally favor the subservient De Saram family against the belligerent Kshatriya nobiliy . The De Saram family is given increasing patronage and high chiefly appointments. The family grows in power and influence. See Sri Lankan Mudaliyars

According to Karava lore some of these families have Karava connections but were disowned by the clan for marrying beneath their status. For example Leander de Saram, son of Anthonan the original de Saram who accompanied the Dutch Embassy of 1731 – 1732 to Kandy, was made a Mudaliar by the Dutch and he married Muhandiram Louis Perera’s daughter.in 1754. The progenitor of the Bandaranaike family had married the daughter of Bandaranaike Suriya Patangatim of Dondra and taken the name and the Corea family of Chilaw is said to descend from Domingus Corea Patangatim of Negombo. The first Obeysekera is said to be a Karava from Gandara

Continued on Timeline of the Karava II .

References: See end of  Timeline of the Karava II .

  
 The  'Kuru kingdom' - the original kingdom of the Kauravas. It was one of the 16 Mahajanapada (States)  of ancient India. . Click for larger image  
A silver half Karshapana c400-350 BC from the Kuru Janapada. (See CoinIndia for more coins )Coins with simillar symbols have recently been unearthed in Godavaya, southern Sri Lanka 

 

An example of  a pre christian coin from southern Sri Lanka.

Above: King Dhananjaya Koravya of the Kuru kingdom from an old Sri Lankan painting. from the philatelic bureau

A view of the River Daya, from the battlefield of Kalinga on Dhauli hills. The Daya river had turned red with the blood of 100,000 Kalingas and more than 10,000 of Ashoka's own warriors killed in the Kalinga war.

An artist’s impression of Theri Sanghamitta arriving in Sri Lanka with the Bodhi Tree

  

Kharavela Kingdom 2nd cent BC
  Pre Christian inscriptions with the ship symbol (above) and fish symbol (below)
  The inscription on the council terrace- See  Karava terrace 
The Sun & Moon flag of Sri Lankan royalty   
The lion image was not a royal symbol of ancient Sri Lanka. The above illustrates how the lion image was commonly used on ancient foot stones and trodden on by those entering shrines and royal buildings.  And below: How ancient Sri lankan Kings of Anuradhapura used the Lion as adecorative motif on their toilet stones  
 

The  region bordered by Kurunegala , Colombo and Puttalam still has a high  concentration of Karavas. It was the region  usually administered by the Prince regent and was the base region of the Navies  that protected Sri Lanka's coasts

 

Click for larger image of South India and Kuru-Mandala (Coromandal). Note that the Coromandel coast is up the western coast of  India and that the fishery coast is the part further down and closer to Sri Lanka.

   The extent of the Pandya kingdom in 1250   

An 11th century  mural at Brihadeesvara temple believed to be that of  king Rajaraja Chola (in the background) and his guru Karuvurar.

 
Two inscribed swords of Karava kings from the Colombo Museum. The owners of these swords gifted them to the Colombo museum in the mid 20^th century.  The descriptive plaque with the translation of the inscriptions installed at the time of gifting disappeared soon after. The swords are still on display but without a translation plaque and as such viewers are kept unaware of their Karava connection.  

Vijayanagar Empire    

Karava Queen Maha Patabendige  Dona Catherina,  the sole heiress of Sri Lanka (Illustration from Baldaeus 1672)

 

Above: the Hanguranketha palace of king Senerath and queen Dona Catherina. This palace has since been destroyed without a trace. The four wooden pillars of the British period built Godamune Ambalama (illustrated below) are said to be from this palace. 

 Above: an ancient Marakkar (war-paroe) from the region illustrated on an Indian stamp. See Marakkalage for more information on the Naval heritage of the Karavas.

 Above: An ordinary Karava woman from the distant past in the traditional Kabakuruttu. . Until recent times the 'Kabakuruttu' a tight fitting white blouse with long sleeves, lace trimmings and a V neck-line, was worn only by Karava women. Women of other castes wore 'Hette' (blouses).

The more affluent form of the dress

Above and below: Gold 'Siri-Bo Mala' wedding necklaces worn only by Karava brides. See Karava customs