Radala

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An extremely small minority caste in the Kandyan Kingdom of Sri Lanka. They were the nobility of the Kandyan Kingdom. After capturing the Kandyan provinces in 1815 with the aid of locals from both maritime and Kandyan provinces, the British created an extensive class of loyal ‘New Radalas’ in the Kandyan territory to assist them in the administration of that province.

[edit] History

A group of Kandyan Chiefs from Tennent’s Ceylon, published in 1859.

A lithograph from 1841 showing traditional Nilames walking in the Kandy Perehera. This is in stark contrast to some modern Nilames who organize pageants to give the impression that it is being held to honour them rather than the relic, and now even walk under umbrellas which were previously carried in the procession to honour the relics.

A group of British appointed Kandyan chiefs, with Hon. J. P. Lewis, Government Agent in 1905. The chiefs have adopted the dress of traditional Dissawas by this time but still haven’t started using other traditional insignia of high office such as jewelry, ceremonial daggers or footwear.

Traditionally, Radala was not a common term used for all officials of the state. In the Sinhala version of the Kandyan Convention of 1815, only the Adigars, Dissavas and a few others are called Radalas. The 19th century British rulers who created an extensive class of ‘New Radalas’ in the Kandyan territory have been keen to call them an Aristocracy to assist them with its administration. This misnomer and misapprehension remains todate. However Sri Lankan history shows that many Kandyan Radalas were civil and military officials of the court but were ritually never considered aristocratic or heirs to the Kandyan throne.

The offspring of Kandyan kings from commoner concubines (yakadadoli) were generally considered Radalas. In addition to a chief queen and one or two secondary queens, Kandyan kings also had a Harem. Harem ladies from royal stock were called Randoli. Hindu princesses were brought over from Madurai in South India as Randolis after the royal families of the maritime region in Sri Lanka converted to Christianity. Ladies of Radala and other non royal castes were taken into the harem as Yakadadoli and never as Randolis. Favourite concubines frequently received land grants and their offspring were appointed as high officials of the royal court but could never inherit the kingdom. As a result of this taboo Mampitiya Bandara and Unamboowe Bandara, born to Radala yakadadolis and fathered by Kandyan kings, were never considered as heirs to the Kandyan throne.

The status disparity between royalty and the Radalas was so great that the Radalas called themselves ‘servile dogs’ (Balugettás) in the presence of the king and prostrated in full at the ritually allowed distance to demonstrate their lowly status vis a vis the king (This practice continued into the British period and the Kandyan Chiefs had to prostrate before the British Governor and remain kneeling in his presence until this custom was abhorred as a degrading form of ancient tyranny and abolished by the British in 1818 under the proclamation of November 21st, 1818 by Governor Robert Brownrigg). Apart from having to continuously kneel or prostate in full in the presence of the King, the Radalas too had to rise from their seats just like all other commoners even when the king’s dirty linen was taken past them (A Historical Relation of Ceylon, Robert Knox, Part II, Chapter2). They were not permitted to use royal insignia, swords, umbrellas, jewellery or even wear shoes. Most Chiefs were merely personal attendants of the King. The Diyawadana Nilame was the King's personal Valet responsible for bathing and dressing of the king.

The traditional Kandyan Radala of the past had considered themselves to be an exclusive caste and not part of the Govigama caste. Bryce Ryan observed as recent as 1953 that Radalas repudiated Govi connections and that the status of the Govi caste still remains low in villages where the Radala existed (Caste in Modern Ceylon, page 99). The demand by the Kandyan Radala elite for a separate federal state in independent Ceylon, the representations made to the Donoughmore Commission and the formation of the Kandyan National Assembly (KNA) as recently as in 1924 demonstrates the reluctance of the Kandyan elite to be governed by arriviste low country Govigama families which was to be the inevitable outcome of the British departure.

[edit] The British Radalas

After capturing the Kandyan provinces in 1815, the British soon created an extensive class of ‘New Radalas’ in the Kandyan territory to assist them with its administration. As much as the British created class of Sri Lankan Mudaliyars in the low-country, this class too comprised of natives who were most likely to serve the British masters with utmost loyalty. They were all from families that had either cooperated with the British to capture Kandy or from families that had joined the cause later.

They were all from anglicized families and some were considered pillars of the Anglican church. They had English names and their children too were similarly named. In addition they had a string of high sounding Sinhala names taken on when receiving their appointment from the British. Some of these names were from Kandyan families that had ceased to exist and from purported ancestors with tenuous connections.

Many of these ‘New Radala’ families had low-country origins and many intermarried with the anglicized low country Mudaliyar class, and in many cases several times with one family in an apparent bid to create some exclusivity. Most were from the Sabaragamuwa province and not from interior parts of the Kandyan provinces that were less susceptible to British influence. These New Radals too resembled English country squires and most of them had received large land grants from the British. Their residences were of unprecedented scale, built in the 19th century in the British colonial style and were referred to by the Tamil word Walauu or Walvoo.

They generally held ‘Rate Mahattaya’ or local administrator positions and had studied under leading Anglican Priests at the Anglican missionary schools St. Thomas’s , Trinity College (Kandy) and High school Ratnapura, which were institutions set up by the British specifically for producing a class of loyal, local, second level administrators. With each successive batch of British Civil Servants and Governors arriving in Sri Lanka, this group created a greater and higher appearance of aristocracy and Kandyan lineage.

[edit] A few profiles

Ancestors of the Mahawalatenne family. 1 to 8 William Ellawala, William Ellawala Jn., Mahawalatenne Rate Mahattaya, Cyril Ellawala, Francis Theodore Ellawala, Sylvia Ellawala, Harry Ellawala, Agnes Mahawalatenne (Nee Ellawala). See note on left under ‘A few profiles’

William Ellawala born 1834, son of Banda from Sabaragamuwa who had married from Panadura. Educated at Ratnapura School and St Thomas’s. Appointed as a Rate Mahattaya in 1856. Married Jane Petronella, daughter of Don Bartholomew Mudaliyar. His daughter Agnes married Mahawalatenne Rate Mahattaya of Balangoda and their daughter Rosalind married Barnes Ratwatte Dissawe. Barnes Ratwatte’s daughter Sirimavo married S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake. William Ellawala was the Kandyan member in the Legislative Council of Ceylon from 1892 to 1897. His second son Francis Theodore married Ezeline Mahawalatenne, (Niece) in 1893 and succeeded as Rate Mahattaya in 1894. The younger son Harry married Adelaide Margaret Winifred Attygalle from Colombo in 1905. (Wright 897 & 898)

Barnes Ratwatte born 1883, son of Abeyratne Banda Ratwatte Basnayake. However Abeyratne Banda’s father was a Paranagama and not a Ratwatte and as such his two brothers and sister were Paranagamas as well. Barnes Ratwatte married Rosalind Mahawalatenne as noted above under the Ellawala family. Appointed as a Rate Mahattaya and Dissawa of Sabaragamuwa by the British.

John Henry Meedeniya, son of Loku Banda Meedeniya, Deputy Coroner for Colombo and Kandy. Educated at St Thomas’s, entered public service as a Clerk at the Colombo Kachcheri in 1886. After serving in several posts including that of Deputy Coroner, he was appointed as a Rate Mahattaya in 1897. Married Cornelia Magdeline Senanayake, daughter of an Anglican priest. Although previously referred to as Mr. Kupuppu, his final assumed name was Meedeniye Rajakaruna Senanayaka Panditha Heart Wasala Kupuppu Mudiyanse Ralahamillage Punch Banda John Henry Meedeniya. His elder daughter married the Colombo newspaper magnate D. R. Wijewardena in 1916. See picture in 20th century paragraph. (Wright 898)

Philip A. Chas Eknaligoda with his umbrella bearer, late 19th century. It is interesting to note that the umbrella is a regular black one and that it is not raised over his head.

William Alexander Abraham Eknaligoda born1826. Educated at the Colombo Academy under Rev. Boake, appointed as a Rate Mahattaya in 1847 in the Sabaragamuwa province. After serving in several other posts appointed as a Dissawa in 1880. He is said to have possessed a gold medal presented to his ancestors by Sir Robert Brownrigg after the Kandyan rebellion of 1818 but it is not clear as to who the ancestor was. His final assumed name was Mahipala Akrakkuruppu Wickremesinghe Basnaike Mudianse Ralahamilage William Alexander Abraham Ekneligoda. (Wright 795)

William Dunuwille born 1855. Maternal grand father was Loku Banda Dunuwille Superintendent of Police of the Central Province. Educated at Trinity College (Kandy) and St Thomas’s. Became Private Secretary to Sir Archibald Campbell Laurie in 1877. His final assumed name was Dunuwille Rajakarudare Darmakirthe Mudeliarge Lokubanda William Dunuwille. (Wright 906)

Charles Edward Tennekoon born 1851. No mention of Father. Educated at St Thomas’s, entered public service in 1871 and appointed as a Rate Mahattaya in 1876. In 1880 Married Elizabeth Florinda Jayetilleke. His eldest daughter Flora Ethel married Reginald Edward Dias Bandaranayeke. The second daughter Frances Alexandra Elsie married Godfrey Edward Madawala. (Wright 722)

Theodore Barcroft L. Moonemalle born 1868 son of John Marcellus L. Moonemalle, Proctor of the Supreme Court. Grandson of John Graham Jayatileke. Educated at Christ Church Kurunegala and Trinity College (Kandy). Appointed as the Kandyan representative on the Legislative Council of Ceylon in 1906.

[edit] 20th century

Mr Kuruppu alias William Henry Meediniya with his family in 1905. Center, the daughter who married the low-country newspaper magnate D. R. Wijewardena in 1916.See note on left under ‘A few profiles’

The Kandy Perehera in 1977 shows that Nilames were still respecting the sanctity of the ceremonial umbrellas which are carried in the procession for the sole purpose of honoring the Tooth relic. The first to desecrate this sanctity was Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijayaratne (1990’s)who had it held over his head to honor him rather than the relic. During his tenure the umbrella kept getting larger and larger every year until it was larger than even a large garden umbrella. He also wore shoes when attending on the Tooth relic.

Twentieth century strategic political marriages such as low country Govigam, noveau riche D. S. Senanayake’s marriage in 1910 to Kandyan Radala Mollie Dunuwila, newspaper magnate D. R. Wijewardena’s marriage in 1916 to a Meedeniya and finally S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake’s marriage in 1940 to Sirimávo Ratwatte appear to have muted some of the antipathy and created the common political power block that has ruled the country since independence from the British in 1948. The Radalas however are still relatively endogamous and even as at date would only rarely marry an average Govigama in an arranged marriage. Nevertheless a few writers sometimes refer to the Radala as the upper crust of the Govigama caste.

The 20th century has also seen the abandoning of the name Banda by this group and replacement of Banda with Bandara, a name that was reserved for royalty until this new development.

[edit] References

• Wright Arnold 1907 Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon
• Van Sandan J C The Chieftains of Ceylon