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The remains of the facade of a Dutch building.

Jaffna Kingdom was a historically important regional power in medieval Sri Lanka. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The Advent of Chandrabhanu from Kedah

During the thirteenth century, the declining Sinhalese kingdom faced threats of invasion from India and the expanding Tamil kingdom of northern Sri Lanka. Chandrabhanu was recorded by the Mahavamsa, the historic chronicle of Sri Lanka to have been a Malay chief who invaded Sri Lanka twice once with poison dart blowing Malay soldiers and then he invaded Sri Lanka yet again with the help of Tamil mercenaries from South India. According to Mahawamsa Tambralinga was his country. Taking advantage of Sinhalese weakness, the Tamils secured control of the valuable pearl fisheries around Jaffna Peninsula. During this time, the vast stretches of jungle that cover north-central Sri Lanka separated the Tamils and the Sinhalese. This geographical separation had important psychological and cultural implications. The Tamils in the north developed a more distinct and confident culture, backed by a resurgent Hinduism that looked to the traditions of southern India for its inspiration. Conversely, the Sinhalese were increasingly restricted to the southern and central area of the island and were fearful of the more numerous Tamils on the Indian mainland. The fact that the Hindu kingdom at Jaffna was expending most of its military resources resisting the advances of the expansionist Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1565) in India enhanced the Sinhalese ability to resist further Tamil encroachments. Some historians maintain that it was the arrival of the Portuguese in the sixteenth century that prevented the island from being overrun by south Indians.

Foreign rulers took advantage of the disturbed political state of the Sinhalese kingdom, and in the thirteenth century Chandrabhanu, a Buddhist king from Malaya, invaded the island twice. He attempted to seize the two most sacred relics of the Buddha in Sinhalese custody, the Tooth Relic and the Alms Bowl. Chandrabhanu invaded Pollonaruwa twice. His first invasion took place from Trincomalee. king Vijayabahu escaped by running and hiding in Kandy. Chandrabhanu withdrew and settled in Jaffna. He brought mercinaries from Tamil Nadu and attacked Pollonaruwa for a second time. Vijayabahu escaped a second time and established a new capital in Kotte. Chandrabhanu ruled Jaffna for 30 years till his death and eventually his son took over. His son was not popular with Tamils. Arya Chakravarthi, a Pandyan King from Rameshwaram, wanted to replace him. They invaded Jaffna and killed him in a war. Lankan King gave a tacit approval for the new rulers.

This kingdom was Saivite Hindu in character while the rest of the island supported Theravada Buddhism. Saivite: of Saivism; belonging to Saivism, the Hindu denomination that worships God Siva as the Supreme God. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Theravada (Pāli: theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda; literally, the Way of the Elders) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). ... A silhouette of a Buddha statue at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ...

Pandya revival and expansion

In this conflicting milieu, the expanding Pandyan Kingdom under Maravarman Kulasekharan (AD 1268 - AD 1308) installed one of its ministers named Arya Chakaravarthi as a local ruler. But all subsequent Kings of Jaffna Kingdom claimed descent from Kalinga Magha while maintaining their Pandyan progenitor’s family name. [1] The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... Arya Chakaravarthi is a name of a dynasty of Hindu Kings of the Jaffna Kingdom in Sri Lanka. ... Chieftain from Kalinga who was recorded by the Mahavamsa chronicle to have been the destroyer of the Sinhalese civilization of the North of Sri Lanka. ...

This is not uncommon in the history of aristocratic family genealogies around the world. Prior to Arya Chakaravarthi one Pandya Malla is noted as a tributary ruler on behalf the Pandya kingdom. He is credited with dredging the Thondamanaru canal to export salt to India. Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ... The Pandyan kingdom பாண்டியர் was an ancient Tamil state in South India of unknown antiquity. ... For other uses, see Salt (disambiguation). ...

Mallas are not a royal caste. Traditional Malla caste people are boat men and ferry men. When the boat owners came to Jaffna they became self-styled kings and claimed royal blood. Since they had the power of money and people they declared their own republics.

Impetus for independence and expansion

When the Pandyan Empire collapsed as a result of Muslim inroads into South India, Jaffna became an independent Kingdom under Arya Chakaravarthis.[2] There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the two Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ...

According to Ibn Batuta, a traveling Arab historian of note, it had two capitals: one in Nallur and the other in Putalam^{[citation needed]} during the pearling season. Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta (February 24, 1304 - 1377) was a Moroccan Berber traveller and explorer. ... Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Sunni Islam, Shia Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism An Arab (Arabic: ) is a member of a complexly defined ethnic group who identifies as such on the basis of one or more of either genealogical, political, or linguistic grounds. ... Nallur is a small town in the North Sri Lankan city of Jaffna. ... Puttalam is a district situated near to the west coast of Sri Lanka. ...

Dutch construction

He noted that the king was conversant in Persian, an important language amongst traders in medieval South Asia, and had suzerainty over Adams Peak an important Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic pilgrimage center in the central province. Image File history File links Manthirimanai. ... Image File history File links Manthirimanai. ... “Farsi” redirects here. ... Adams Peak (Sinhala Sri Pada, Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai, Sri Lanka, revered as a holy site by Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. ...

The kingdom also claimed suzerainty over Southern Indian islands in the Ramanathapuram District and the Indian Hindu Temple of Rameswaram, as proclaimed on some of the coins minted in Jaffna^{[citation needed]}. Ramanathapuram  , also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ... This article is about temple town. ...

Relationship with feudatory Vanniamais

Vannimais were regions south of the Jaffna peninsula in the present-day North Central ande Eastern provinces and were sparsely settled by Tamil, Sinhalese and Vedda peoples. They were ruled by petty chiefs calling themselves Vanniar. Some of the prominent ones recorded in history are Pandara Vannian, Nuwara Vannian and Kakkai Vannian. Numerous northern Vannimai rulers paid tribute to Jaffna kingdom in money, produce and war Elephants but rebelled against control at times of troubles in Jaffna. Three prominent eastern Vannimai Languages Sinhala Religions Theravada Buddhism, Christianity, small groups of atheists, agnostics, Muslims, others Related ethnic groups Indo-Aryans, Dravidians, Veddahs, Bengalis The Sinhalese are the main ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ... The Wanniyala-Aetto, or forest beings (This is the name they call themselves; the commonly known name is Veddahs in Sinhalese) are an indigenous people of Sri Lanka, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. ... Vanniar (derived from the word vanni,a Sanskrit word, which means fire) Veera Vanniyan born from the fire, so his sons are called as Vanniar. ... Pandara Vanniyan or Pandara Vannian was a rebel Tamil chief from the Vanni region who was known as one of last native chiefs to challenge British rule in the Island nation of Sri Lanka // Kulasegaram vairamuthu pandravanniyan was the last king of vanni. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea...

• Kodiyaram
• Palugamam
• Pannamai

rulers usually paid tribute to the Sinhalese Kandyan Kingdom while maintaining considerable local autonomy. Kandyan Kingdom, was the last native kingdom to be conquered by any western colonial power in Sri Lanka. ...

Conflict with Vijayanagar empire

The Jaffna Kingdom was poised for the establishment of its supremacy over the whole of Sri Lanka, and was foiled in this primarily because it was soon embroiled with the powerful Vijayanagar empire in a struggle against the latter’s control over trade. Without the constant reinforcement from South India for mercenaries and weapons, it was unable to maintain its ascendancy in the South. Vijayanagara (often written Vijayanagar), in northern Karnataka, is the name of the now ruined capital city of the historic Vijayanagar empire in the Southern part of India. ... The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ...

List of kings

In 1215 CE, the first king took the throne of Jaffna as Segarajasekeran Singhai Ariyar Chakravarti, who is considered to be none other than Kalinga Magha (Kulangkayar Segarajasekeran Seliyasekaran Vijeyar Singhai Ariyar Chakravarti - 1215-1240). By the end of his rule, he had subjugated most of Sri Lanka. The Batticaloa chronicle states that Segarajasekeran captured Polonnaruwa. The Chulavamsa and Mahavamsa say that Segarajasekeran stationed troops at Trincomalee, Koddiyara, Kantalai, Padavia, Kaddukkulam, Kayts, Pulachery and ruled Rajarata from his capital Polonnaruwa. Segarajasekeran died in 1240. Batticaloa District. ... The Culavamsa, also Chulavamsa, (Pāli: lesser chronicle) is a historical record, written in the Pāli language, of the kings of Sri Lanka. ... The Mahavansha, also Mahawansha, (Pāli: great chronicle) is a historical record, often thought to be the oldest written record oh history, written in the Pāli language, of the Buddhist kings as well as Dravidian kings of Sri Lanka. ... Trincomalee District Map Trincomalee (Tamil: (Thirukonamalai, hist: Sirigonakanda); Sinhala: (Thirikunamalaya)) is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, about 110 miles northeast of Kandy. ... The second most ancient of Sri Lankas kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader. ...

• Segarajasekeran was succeeded by his son Kulasegaran, who took the throne name of Pararajasekeran and ruled from Nallur Jaffna.

• Kulothungan succeeded his father and reigned until 1279 under the throne name Segarajasekeran II.

• Vikrama, son of Kulothungan, reigned from 1279 to 1302. He was known under the throne name of Pararajasekeran II.

• Varothayan succeeded his father and reigned from 1302 to 1325. He took the throne name of Segarajasekeran III.

• Varothayan's son Marthanda Perumal became the ruler as Pararajasekeran III. He reigned from 1325 to 1348.

• Gunapushanam succeeded his father and reigned as Segarajasekeran IV from 1348 to 1371.

• In 1371, Virothayan followed his father and reigned until 1380 as Pararajasekeran IV.

• From 1380 to 1410, Jeyaveeran, son of Virothayan, reigned as Segarajasekeran V.

• Virothayan's son Kunaveeran held the throne as Pararajasekeran V from 1410 to 1446.

Nallur is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...

Interregnum

Kanagasooriyan, Kunaveeran's son, had his reign interrupted. From 1446 to 1450, he reigned as Segarajasekeran VI, before being ousted by Chempaka Perumal, adopted Malayalee son of Parakrama Bahu VI of Kotte. [3]Till today he is remembered as the builder or major renovator of the historically important Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil. Languages Malayalam (മലയാളം) Religions Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Malayalee or Malayali (Malayalam: മലയാളി) is the name given to the inhabitants of the state of Kerala. ... Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, Jaffna Nallur Kandaswamy kovil is one of the most significant hindu temples in the jaffna district. ...

Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, Jaffna

For 17 years, Chempaka Perumal ruled Jaffna as a feudatory of his father, the King of Kotte. Later, Chempaka Perumal became King of Kotte under the name of King Bhuvanekababu VI. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (989x648, 144 KB) Summary Its a famous Hindu temple in Jaffna city. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (989x648, 144 KB) Summary Its a famous Hindu temple in Jaffna city. ... Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, Jaffna Nallur Kandaswamy kovil is one of the most significant hindu temples in the jaffna district. ...

Return of Kanagasooriyan

Kanagasooriyan retreated to Ramanadu in South India, came back with an army and re-captured the Kingdom and again ruled from 1467 to 1478. Ramanathapuram  , also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...

Kanagasooriyan's son is only known by his throne name as Pararajasekeran VI was ruler of Jaffna from 1478 to 1519.

Arrival of the Portuguese

Main article: Portuguese Ceylon

At this point, the Jaffna kingdom's history is difficult to follow. The Portuguese arrived in Lanka in 1505, and very quickly started to involve themselves in the politics of the local kingdoms. The first Portuguese visiting Ceylon was Dom Lourenço de Almeida in 1505 or 1506. ...

Statue of King Sangili, Nallur.

Most probably, Pararajasekeran VI had two principal wives and a number of concubines. His first wife, Rajalaksmi, was a Chola princess. The Cholas had, by this time, lost control of their kingdom in Tamil Nadu, with Rajendra Chola III being king in the Tanjore area around 1279. There are no records of subsequent Chola kings exerting power beyond this date, so Rajalaksmi was either a descendant of the surviving titular head of the Cholas or the daughter of a descendant based in Lanka. Rajalaksmi had two sons, Singhabahu and Pandaram. Pararajasekeran VI's second wife Valliammal was a Pandyan princess. She bore Pararajasekeran VI a son named Paranirupasingham. Image File history File links Sangili2. ... Image File history File links Sangili2. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Rajendra Chola III was the son of Rajaraja Chola III who came to the Chola throne in 1246 CE. Although his father Rajaraja III was still alive, Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration. ... Thanjavur, also known as Tanjore, is a city in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ...

One of Pararajasekeran VI's concubines, named Mangala, also bore him two children, a boy named Sangili and a girl named Paravai. The Yalpana Vaipava Malai a book written during the Dutch colonial period about the kingdom, is most probably incorrect in its account of this time. What is more likely, though not confirmed, is that Sangili intrigued with the Portuguese and eliminated his half-brothers Singhabahu and Pandaram, allegedly killing one by poison and one by the sword. Sankili Segarajasekaran is the most remembered Jaffna kingdom king in the Sri Lankan Tamil history. ... Yalpana Vaipava Malai is a book written by a Tamil poet called Mayilvagana Pulavar 1736 A.D. This book contains historical facts of the early Sri Lankan city of Jaffna. ...

Yalpana Vaipava Malai is silent as to why Sangili did not feel the need to kill his other half-brother Paranirupasingham. A clue can be found in the Catholic Church's records of the time, as recounted in the Vinea Taprobana. It is possible that Portuguese missionary activity had become so successful that it reached the Royal household. If Paranirupasingham had become a convert, then he would have been disqualified from the throne because of his lack of popular support.

His rule is also remembered for its brutal massacre of 600 Paravar converts to Catholicism in the Mannar Island and expelling of all Buddhists from the Jaffna Peninsula who had rebelled against him under the tutelage of one Bandara.^[4] This article needs to be wikified. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      As a Christian ecclesiastical... Mannar is a district of Sri Lanka. ...

End of the independence of the kingdom

Sangili took the throne of Jaffna in 1519 CE as Segarajasekeran VII. His own son converted to Christianity, and was executed by his father. Sangili's second son Puvirasa Pandaram, along with Sangili's sister Paravai and her son, fled to Goa and claimed protection from the Portuguese. In 1561 CE, when Sangili died, Puviraja Pandaram claimed the throne as Pararajasekaren VII. He was a Catholic and was not popular amongst his subjects. Within four years, Puviraja Pandaram was fleeing Jaffna, with his throne usurped by Kunchi Nainar, also recorded as Kurunchi Nainar and Kasi Nainar, who also ruled under the name Pararajasekeran VII from 1565 to 1570 CE. Kunchi Nainar was an unpopular king, and unable to maintain Portuguese support for his usurpation. For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation). ... Jaffna District. ... Nainar is a Title given to Tamil Jains living Tamil Nadu. ...

In 1570, Periya Pillai, who assumed the name Segarajasekeran VII, replaced him. We do not know who these two king's parents were. Clearly, they were of suitable caste to assume the throne, so we can assume they were related to the Ariya Chakravarti line, though they were not recorded as such by any surviving records. Periyapillai ruled until 1582, when he was overthrown by Puviraja Pandaram, who successfully regained his kingdom. Periyapillai was killed but his three sons, Arasakesari, and the twins Ethirmanasingham and Sangili Kumaran were spared. Pillai, Pillay, Pulle or Pilli is a popular title of Tamil- and Malayalam-speaking people of India and others living in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa and Fiji, mostly from Vellalar and Nair communities. ...

Over the next nine years Puviraja Pandaram prosecuted a war against the Portuguese with the help of Nayaka help from Tanjore and Madurai, but eventually he failed. On 28 October 1591, he was captured with the help of locals who supported the Portuguese and was beheaded. The throne was now given to Ethirmanasingham, the elder of the two twins, with Portuguese support. History does not record the reason for Arasakesari's exclusion, but perhaps, like Paranirupasingham, he was a Christian, and therefore unacceptable to the populace. For other uses of Nayak, see Nayak (disambiguation) A Nayak (also Nayaka, Nayaker or Naicker) is the title of a government official, equivalent to a provincial governor or viceroy, in the Telugu kingdoms of southern India, including the Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal (11th-14th centuries) and the Vijayanagara kingdom (14th... Thanjavur, also known as Tanjore, is a city in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... {{Infobox Indian Jurisdiction | native_name = Madurai | type = city | latd = 9. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1591 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Ethirmanasingham assumed the throne name of Pararajasekaran and reigned from 1591 to 1615. In his time, the Portuguese were able to exert substantial control over the Jaffna Kingdom. On Ethirmanasingham's death, the kingdom passed to his son, known as Leuke or Loku. This son was only seven years old at the time of his father's death, and Arasakesari was appointed regent. Sangili killed Arasakesari and took over the throne of Jaffna, ruling until 1619, when the Portuguese captured him. Sangili Kumaran was taken to Goa with his sons, and after trial, found to be guilty of treason and hanged along with his sons in 1621. Sankili Segarajasekaran is the most remembered Jaffna kingdom king in the Sri Lankan Tamil history. ...

End of the dynasty

Ethirmanasingham, his mother, sisters and other members of the royal family were, perhaps forcibly, converted to Catholicism. Ethirmanasingham lived out the rest of his life as a Roman Catholic priest in Goa, known as Don Constantine de Christo. His sisters were nuns. On 11 February 1621, they were made to sign an act, transferring sovereignty from the Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty to the kings of Portugal. As members of the Roman Catholic priesthood, these members of the royal family were forbidden to marry, and died without descendants although some Sri Lankans claim origin from this family (See The Singhe Dynasty of Jaffnapatam for descendants of the Jaffna royal family). is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1621 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Arya Chakaravarthi is a name of a dynasty of Hindu Kings of the Jaffna Kingdom in Sri Lanka. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... An old flag from Kandy, Sri Lanka that closely matches the symbols on the coat-of-arms of the Puvirajasinghe family. ...

References

• ^ Matakal Mayilvakanap Pulavar, Yalpana Vaipava Malai[5]

• ^ Abeysinghe, T. 1986, Jaffna Under the Portuguese. Lake House Investments Ltd., Colombo, Sri Lanka

• ^ Father Fernao de Queryroz, The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon

• ^ Mudaliyar C. Rasanayagam, Ancient Jaffna

• ^ Portuguese Colonial Period (1505 CE 1645 CE) By Rohan Titus

External links

• History of Jaffna Kingdom from Jaffna Website
• The Civil Wars of Sri Lanka during 13th to 15th Century
• Wars waged for the Possession of the Tooth Relic
• [6]-Official site for the last descendants of the Jaffna Kings