Batticaloa region

Batticaloa region (Tamil: மட்டக்களப்புத் தேசம் Maṭṭakkaḷapput tēcam; also known as Matecalo;[5] Baticalo;[6] in Colonial records, was the ancient region of Tamil Settlements in Sri Lanka. The foremost record of this region can be seen in Portuguese and Dutch historical documents along with local inscriptions such as "Sammanthurai Copper epigraphs" written on 1683 CE which also mentions about "Mattakkalappu Desam".[7] Although there is no more the existence of Batticaloa region today, the amended term "Batti-Ampara Districts" still can be seen in the Tamil print media of Sri Lanka.

This article is about the ancient territory and the district of colonial Ceylon. For similarly named places, see Batticaloa (disambiguation).
Batticaloa region
மட்டக்களப்புத் தேசம்
Territory of Colonial Ceylon
????–1961

The map of former Batticaloa District based on a British Ceylon map of 1822 CE[1]
CapitalSammanthurai till 1628, Puliyanthivu 1628–1961
Population 
• 1881
105,558
• 1953
270,043
History 
• Tribal Native and settlements from Tamilakam
????
• Bifurcated into two districts of Batticaloa District and Ampara District[2][3]
1961
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Dominion of Ceylon
Batticaloa district
Ampara District

History

Ancient Batticaloa region spread south to Verugal Aru and north to Kumbukkan Oya.[8][9] and some researchers lengthen it from Koneswaram to the north and Katirkamam to the south.[10] Brahmi Inscriptions and ruins related to Megalithic period observed in Kathiraveli, Vellaveli, Ukanthai and kudumbigala are pointing out the antiquity of Batticaloa region.[11] Mattakalappu Purva Charithiram, the chronicle of Eastern Tamils, which was collected from palm manuscripts dated back to 17th century CE, annotates the history of the kings ruled this region with some historical background which is still in question. It narrates that this region was an ancient settlement of aborigines including Nagar, Thumilar or Iyakkar and Vedar.[12][13] Etymological researches on some places such as "Nagamunai",[14] and "Mantunagan Saalai" (present Mandur) indicated their association with Naga tribe of ancient Sri Lanka.

Mattakalappu Purva Charithiram also includes the settlements arrived this territory from various parts of present India in different time periods. Arrival of Virasaivite Priests for Nagarmunai Subramanya Swami Kovil from Srisailam of Andhra [15] is believed to be a contemporary of Vira Saivite renaissance occurred during the 12th Century CE.

Capital

It is said that Sammanthurai, a town in present Ampara district was the primary capital of Batticaloa region until the colonial period. Portuguese built a fort in 1628 against the union of Kandy kings and Dutch merchants at Puliyanthivu where the present Batticaloa town is situated. However, Portuguese were defeated in the war with the alliance of Kandyan and Dutch Company in 1638 and the fort was captured by the dutch. Since that , Puliyanthivu became the administrative capital of the District until the independence of the island in 1948.

Administration

During the colonial period, Batticaloa region was following Vannimai chieftainship same like Vanni region of northern Ceylon. There were three or four Vannian Chieftainships were observed by the Portuguese historians like Bocarro and Queroz – Palugāmam, Panova and Sammanturai along with Eravur.[16] By the end of the eighteenth century, the Dutch colonial territories comprised eleven separate sub-chieftaincies, or as dutch called them, "Provinces": seven Mukkuvar controlled districts of Eravur, Manmunai, Eruvil, Poraitivu, Karaivaku, Sammanturai and Akkaraipattu, plus Panama in the south, NaduKadu(or Nadene) in the west, and Koralai and Kariwitti to the north.[4] totally eleven "provinces" were in Batticaloa territory. Nadukadupattu, the last pattu inhabited by the people came from Sitawaka in the 17th Century[17] was abandoned by its inhabitants at the end of 19th century[18] and its residual populated area was later identified as "Wewgampattu". In 1950s, there were nine D.R.O divisions (Divisional Revenue Officer Divisions – present Divisional secretariat Divisions) in Batticaloa District: Panamapattu, Akkaraipattu, Nintavur-Karaivakupattu, Sammanthuraipattu, Manmunaipattu North, Porativu – Manmunai South – Eruvilpattu, Bintennapattu, Eravur-Koralaipattu and Wewgampattu.[19]

Bifurcation of the ancient territory

After the independence, Gal oya scheme was proposed by the Dominion of Ceylon to increase the rice productivity of South eastern part of the country in 1949 and it caused the creation of many settlements in the Nadukadupattu region within the end of that scheme in 1953.[20] According to the new proposal of Electoral reforms in Ceylon in 1959, Nadukadu – Nadene pattus were introduced as a new electoral District with the name "Digamadulla" on 19 March 1960. At the end of 1960, Batticaloa District consists of four electoral districts in its southernmost part – Pottuvil, Kalmunai, Nintavur and Ampara.

Subsequently, The government declared a new administrative district including Pottuvil, Kalmunai and Ampara electoral districts on 10 April 1961. Ancient Batticaloa region was thereby divided into two administrative districts where the northern part remained in the same name, the southern part got a new name, "Amparai".[21][22] According to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka, the four single-member electoral districts of Ampara were replaced with one multi-member Digamadulla electoral district.[23]

It could be noted that pattu divisions of newly formed Batticaloa district still remain in their old names, though they disrupted to following divisions in modern Ampara District.

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References
  1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcartssrilanka/6102503485/ Ceylon Map 1822
  2. Partha S Ghosh (2203)"Ethnicity Versus Nationalism: The Devolution Discourse in Sri Lanka" p.269
  3. Robert Muggah (2008)"Relocation failures in Sri Lanka: a short history of internal displacement and resettlement" pp.88, 91
  4. McGilvray, Dennis B. (16 April 2008). "Crucible of Conflict: Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka". Duke University Press – via Google Books.
  5. Donald Ferguson (1927) "The Earliest Dutch Visits to Ceylon" pp.9,15
  6. Hamilton, Walter I. (31 January 2018). "A Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Description of Hindostan, and the Adjacent Countries". Murray – via Google Books.
  7. A.Velupillai (1971) "Ceylon Tamil Inscriptions" Part 01, p.62-64
  8. Census of Ceylon, 1946 – Volume 1, Part 1 – p.112
  9. Tambyah Nadaraja (1972), "The Legal System of Ceylon in Its Historical Setting" p.4
  10. Vellavur Kopal (2005) "Maṭṭakkaḷappu varalāṟu: oru aṟimukam" (Tamil), p.15
  11. S.Padmanathan (2013) "Ilaṅkait tamiḻ cācaṉaṅkaḷ" pp.1-26
  12. F.X.C.Nadaraja (1962) "Mattakkalappu Manmiyam"
  13. S.E.Kamalanathan, Kamala Kamalanathan (2005) "Mattakkalappu Purva Charithiram"
  14. Nirmala Ramachandran (2004) "The Hindu Legacy to Sri Lanka" p.103
  15. S.E.Kamalanathan, Kamala Kamalanathan (2005) ibid, pp.15,16
  16. Michael Roberts, (2004) "Sinhala consciousness in the Kandyan period: 1590s to 1815" p.75
  17. Nadukadu Paravani Kalvettu
  18. S. O. Canagaratnam (1921) "Monograph of the Batticaloa District of the Eastern Province, Ceylon" p.81
  19. Census of Ceylon, 1953, Volume 1, p.42
  20. G. H. Peiris (2006)"Sri Lanka, challenges of the new millennium" p.228
  21. Partha S. Ghosh (2003). Ethnicity Versus Nationalism: The Devolution Discourse in Sri Lanka. Sage Publications. p. 269. ISBN 9789558095324.
  22. Robert Muggah (2013). Relocation failures in Sri Lanka: a short history of internal displacement and resettlement. Zed Books Ltd. pp. 88–91. ISBN 978-1-84813-769-1.
  23. Jayatissa De Costa (1985). Law of Parliamentary Elections. pp. 25–28.
  24. E.B.Denham (1912). Census of Ceylon 1911. Dept. of Census and Statistics, Ceylon. pp. 176–177.
  25. Report of First Delimitation Commission of Ceylon September 1946, p.149-150
  26. Mu Cin̲n̲attampi (2007) "A glimmer of hope: a new phase in constitutional reforms in Sri Lanka". South Asia Peace Institute (Colombo, Sri Lanka). p.110. ISBN 9789551702007
  27. S. L. Gunasekara (2002) "The Wages of Sin". Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya. p.101. ISBN 9789558552018
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