Burgher people

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Burghers
Total population 100,000
Regions with significant populations Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Australia
Language English, Sinhalese, Portuguese Creole, Dutch
Religion {{{rels}}}
Related ethnic groups Portuguese Burghers, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Sinhalese, Colombo Chetty

The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries (mostly Portuguese, Dutch and British) with local Sinhalese ancestry.

Today the mother tongue of the Burghers is English, but historically other languages were spoken by the community, in particular the Sri Lanka Indo-Portuguese, a creole language based on Portuguese and Sinhala.


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[edit] Demographics

In the census of 1981, the Burgher population of Sri Lanka was enumerated at 39,374 persons. The current percentage of Burghers in the Sri Lankan population is less than 1%. The highest concentration of Burghers is in Colombo (0.72%) and Gampaha (0.5%). There are also similar, significant communities in Trincomalee and Batticaloa, but due to conflict in those areas during the 2001 census, figures are not available. The world population (mostly in Sri Lanka, Australia, the USA and the UK) is probably no more than 100,000.

[edit] Legal definition

The Eurasian Burghers were legally defined by law in 1883, by the then Chief Justice of Ceylon, Sir Richard Ottley, given before the Commission which was appointed in connection with the establishment of a legislative Council in Ceylon. It was decided that in order to be defined as a Burgher, one's father had to have been born in Sri Lanka, with at least one European ancestor on one's direct paternal side, regardless of the ethnic origin of one's mother, or what other ethnic groups may be found on the father's side. Because of this definition, Burghers always have European surnames (mostly of Portuguese, Dutch and British origin, although it is not uncommon to also find German, French, Russian or even Flemish surnames).

[edit] History

The Portuguese arrived in what was then known by outsiders as Ceylon, in 1505. Since there were no women in the Portuguese navy, the Portuguese sailors married local Sinhalese women. This practice of intermarriage with local people was encouraged by the Portuguese, not only in Ceylon, but also in other Portuguese colonies, such as Macau in China and Malacca in Malaysia.

When the Dutch took over in 1653, they expelled all the Portuguese. However, they permitted stateless persons of Portuguese-Jewish (Marrano) descent, and of mixed Portuguese-Sinhalese ancestry to stay. As a result, Burghers with Portuguese names are likely to be of either Jewish or mixed Portuguese-Sinhalese ancestry.

During the Dutch period, all Dutch colonial operations were overseen by the VOC, ('Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie' or Dutch East India Company). Virtually all Burghers from this period were employees of the VOC. The VOC employed not only Dutch nationals, but also enlisted men from the Southern Netherlands, the German states, Sweden, Denmark and Austria. It is therefore not unusual to find ancestors from these countries in many Burgher family trees.

It was during the Dutch period that the term "Burgher" was first coined to denote people of mixed European, and Asian descent. It comes from the Dutch word Burger, meaning "citizen" or "resident". People of mixed ancestry were not allowed citizenship of the country of their European fathers, nor of their Asian mothers, so a compromise was found whereby they would be citizens ("Burghers") of the towns of their birth.

When the British took over in 1796, many Dutch people chose to leave. However, a significant number chose to stay, mostly those of mixed descent. One condition of their being allowed to stay, was that they had to sign a Treaty of Capitulation to the British. Many Burghers can find their ancestors' names in this treaty. At the time of the British conquest, there were about 900 Burgher families residing in Ceylon, concentrated in Colombo, Galle, Matara and Jaffna.

Until the early 1900s, as well as English, many Burghers also spoke a form of Portuguese Creole, even those of Dutch descent. It is now only spoken in parts of the coastal towns of Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Most of its vocabulary is from Portuguese, but its grammar is based on that of Tamil and Sinhalese.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, many Burghers left the island and emigrated to Australia (where there is an area of Melbourne known as "Little Ceylon"), the USA and Great Britain.

[edit] Culture

Burgher culture is a rich mixture of east and west, reflecting their ancestry. They are the most westernised of the ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. Most of them wear western clothing, although it is not uncommon for a man to be seen wearing a sarong, or for a woman to wear a sari.

A number of elements in Burgher culture have actually extended to become part of the cultures of other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. For example, baila music, which has its origin in the music of 16th century Portugal, has found its way into mainstream popular Sinhalese music. Lacemaking, which began as a domestic pastime of Burgher women, is now a part of Sinhalese culture too. Even certain foods, such as love cake, bol fiado (layered cake), ijzer koekjes, and frikkadels (savoury meatballs), have become an integral part of Sri Lankan national cuisine.

Burghers are not physically homogeneous. It is possible to have a blond, fair-skinned Burgher, as well as a Burgher with a very dark complexion and black hair. Fair-skinned and dark-skinned children can even appear as brother and sister in the same family of the same parents. Burghers share a common culture rather than a common ethnicity. While the older generations of Burghers tried to dismiss the obvious Asian side of their ancestry, many younger Burghers today highly value this variety in their heritage.

Burghers have a very strong interest in their family histories. Many old Burgher families kept stamboeks (from the Dutch for "Clan Books"). These recorded not only dates of births, marriages and deaths, but also significant events in the history of a family, such as details of moving house, illnesses, school records, even major family disputes. An extensive, multi-volume stamboek of many family lineages is kept by the Dutch Burgher Union.

Individual families have traditions which reflect their specific family origins. Burghers of Dutch origin sometimes celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas in December, and those of Portuguese-Jewish origin observe customs such as the separation time of a woman after childbirth (see Leviticus 12:2-5), the redemption of the Firstborn (Pidyon ha-Ben), and the purification bath (taharah) after a daughter’s first period (see niddah). Most of the latter Burgher families, being unaware of the Jewish origins of these customs, have given them a Catholic slant.

However, some of these so-called Jewish left over traditions can also be explained as borrowings or retention from neighboring Tamil and Sinhalese communities with whom many Burgher families also share genetic admixture. For example the purification bath after a girl’s first period is a common cultural feature of the Tamil and Sinhalese communities of Sri Lanka and neighboring India. Hence its prevalence amongst some Burghers families of Sri Lanka is not necessarily of Jewish origins.

Some would even say that a certain attitude has become part of Burgher culture, that of tolerance. While inter-communal strife has sadly become a feature of modern Sri Lankan life, Burghers have on the whole worked to maintain good relations with other ethnic groups. It is safe to say that racial and religious tolerance is an integral part of Burgher culture too.

[edit] Famous Burghers

[edit] See also

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