Arya Chakaravarthi

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Arya Chakaravarthi is a name of a dynasty of Hindu Kings of the Jaffna Kingdom in Sri Lanka. This name is attested in India independently as that of a minister in the services of the Pandya kingdom. Thus the family must have originated in South India and came over to rule Jaffna and eventually established an independent kingdom.

1 Brahmin Origins
2 Vellala origins
3 Kalinga origin
4 See also

[edit] Brahmin Origins

Arya Chakravartis are believed to have originated from city of Rameswaram of Ramanadapuram district of present Tamil Nadu state of India. Some historians quote that they were of Brahmin caste and were ministers in the Pandyan service. Arya Chakravarti is referred to in the Pandyan history by Sathasivam Pandarathar as one of the two princes in charge of Korkai and Rameshwaram. These were and are port cities and the income from the ports sustained the Pandyan government. These ports had a big Tamil Muslim population which helped to augment the international trade and communication.

[edit] Vellala origins

Interestingly, till sometime back, the head of Rameswaram Temple, called Pandaram, was from Saiva Vellala community, probably Gurukkal group, and he was the administrative and ritualistic head of Rameswaram Temple and the villages under it. They had long standing disputes with the Setuptis, ruler of Ramandapuram, about the jurisdiction of each other's powers.

They ultimately won the litigation during the British raj with freedom to nominate a heir who would manage the temple and villages under it. One should also keep in mind that the last name of a number of Arya Chakravartis was Pandaram and this clearly points to the origin.

Though this does not clearly specify why they called themselves as Arya Chakravartis, it at least points to a Tamil origin unlike Kalinga origin that some would like to believe. The kings also self styled themselves as Sethu Kavalar or protectors of the Rameswaram temple in coins minted in Jaffna.

[edit] Kalinga origin

The dynasty claimed origin from Kalinga Magha an invader from Kalinga kingdom in India. The change of power from the Javanese prince Chandrabhanu, to Kalinga Magha to Aryachakravarti created Jaffna as the capital of Jaffna Kingdom.