This is a list of Sri Lankan Muslims. Sri Lankan Moors (; formerly Ceylon Muslims; colloquially referred to as Moors or Muslims ) are a minority ethnic group in Sri Lanka, comprising 9.3%Population of Sri Lanka by ethnic group 1881 to 2012 of the country's total population. They are mainly native speakers of the Tamil language with influence of Sinhalese and Arabic words, however, some of them use Sinhalese as their native tongue. They are predominantly followers of Islam.
The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka in waves beginning from the 8th century. The population of Moors are the highest in the Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts.
The Portuguese named the Muslims in India and Sri Lanka after the Muslim Moors they met in Iberia.Pieris, P.E. "Ceylon and the Hollanders 1658–1796". American Ceylon Mission Press, Tellippalai Ceylon 1918 The word Moors did not exist in Sri Lanka before the arrival of the Portuguese colonists.Ross Brann, "The Moors?", Andalusia, New York University. Quote: "Andalusi Arabic sources, as opposed to later Mudéjar and Morisco sources in Aljamiado and medieval Spanish texts, neither refer to individuals as Moors nor recognize any such group, community or culture." The term 'Moor' was chosen because of the Islamic faith of these people and was not a reflection of their origin.
The Tamil term for Moors is Sonakar, which is thought to be derived from the word sunni. The Tamil term Sonakar along with the Sinhalese term Yonaka have been thought to have been derived from the term Yona, a term originally applied to Greeks, but sometimes also Arabs.
Demographics
Census Population Percentage1881 184,500 6.69%1891 197,200 6.56%1901 228,000 6.39%1911 233,900 5.70%1921 251,900 5.60%1931 Estimate 289,600 5.46%1946 373,600 5.61%1953 464,000 5.73%1963 626,800 5.92%1971 855,724 6.74%1981 1,046,926 7.05%2011 1,892,638 9.2%
Pioneers and early accounts Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn – Arab traveller said to have founded Beruwala One tradition names a Prince Jamal-ud-din, son of Sultan Alaa-uddin of Konya, Turkey, to have arrived in Beruwala in the 10th century and introduced the Unani medicine system to the island. Another tradition states that four vessels sailed from Yemen with three Sultans, Bad-ur-din, Salah-ud-din and Mohamed. They landed at Mannar and settled there. Sad-ur-din, the son of Mohamed, sailed further south along the West coast and settled in Beruwela. The earliest physical evidence to a Muslim presence in Colombo is an Arabic tombstone marking the death in 948 A.D. of a Muslim preacher named In Abu Bakasa sent by the caliph of Baghdad Ibn Battuta, during his 1341–1344 visit to the island, recounts a regional Muslim ruler in Colombo named Jalasthi, who is reported to have been served by a garrison of 500 Abyssinians. Ibn Battuta also recalls being entertained by a "Ship Captain Ibrahim" in Galle. Tradition states that during the reign of a certain "Raja Sinha", three Arabs travelled inland to Kandy. The king allowed them to take three native wives, and the three Arabs settled Akurana. Those three Arabs became the ancestors of the Moors of Akurana.
Native headmen of Ceylon The native headmen system was an integral part of the administration of the island of Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) under the successive European colonial powers, namely the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch East India Company and the British Empire. Native headmen or leaders were appointed by the European colonial administrators to function as intermediates between the Europeans and the native populace. During different periods through this system these headmen functioned in military, policing, administrative and ceremonial capacities. They served as translators and revenue collectors, and wielded quasi-judicial powers. Much of the system evolved and changed over time until some of the last vestiges of it were removed in the post-independent Ceylon.
With the onset of British rule, Governor North restructured the native headmen system. The system was transformed into a salaried system with land grants and tenured service abolished. They became the second tier of the civil administration of the island with appointments made by the Government Agent of the Province. Appointments were non-transferable and usually hereditary, made to locals, usually from wealthy influential families loyal the British Crown. The holder had much control over the people of the area and had limited police powers since he was responsible to keep the peace, carry out revenue collection and assist in judicial functions. Over the next century, the headmen grew to be a powerful and affluent class consolidating economic power through land ownership and marriage. Gradually functions of headmen were transferred to various departments that were established by the British administration.
Following the formation of the State Council of Ceylon in 1931, one of its members, H. W. Amarasuriya, called for an inquiry into the Native Headman System. A commission was formed made up of retired civil servants and lawyers headed by H.M. Wedderburn. The commission reported on reforming the headman system or replacing it with transferable District Revenue Officers. The Native Headman System was abolished as an administrative system, with the titles of Mudaliyar (Mudali – මුදලි) and Muhandiram retained by government to be awarded as honors. This practice remained until suspension of Celanese honors in 1956. The minor headman positions were retained, surviving well into the 1970s when the posts of Vidane (විදානේ) in Low Country / Tamil Area and Town Arachchi (ටවුන් ආරච්චි) / Gan Arachchi (ගන් ආරච්චි) in Kandyan Area were replaced with the transferable post of Grama Niladhari (Village Officer).
"Peace Officer" includes Police Officer and the Headman of an area appointed in writing to perform police duties by the Government Agent of the Province by virtue of the powers vested in him by His Excellency the Governor.
List of prominent headmen in the low country The headmen system in the coastal and low country evolved over time under the colonial administration of the Portuguese, the Dutch and then the British.
Head Mudaliyar Maha Mudaliyar (මහ මුදලි) Head Mudaliyar was the head of the low country native headmen and native aide-de-camp to the Governor of Ceylon. Chief Mudaliyar Sheikh Abdul Cader Marikar Muhammad Cassim Lebbe Marikar (1805–1877) – Chief Mudaliyar Eastern Province
Korale Mudaliyar (Korale Mudali – කෝරලේ මුදලි) Korale Mudaliyar was in charge of an area known as a Korale and had several Muhandiram's under his supervision
Muhandiram (මුහන්දිරම්) A Muhandiram had several Vidane Arachchies under his supervision Haji Marikkar Muhandiram (d:1817) of Wellassa Galagaha Vidanalagegedara Seyed Mohamed Lebbe Marikar Madige Muhandiram (1840–1939) of Kandy M. K. Abdul Hameed Madige Muhandiram of Kurunegala Mohammed Salie Muhandiram Madige Aarachchi of Kotiyakumbura Ibra Lebbe Sulaiman Lebbe Muhandiram (1893–1964) of Kurikotuwa Maddeketiya Korale Muhandiram M. K. Mahmood Lebbe a.k.a Thalama (1910–1981) of Ibbagamuwa.
Vidane Arachchi (විදානේ ආරච්චි) A Vidane Arachchi had several Vidanes under his supervision Muhammedh Thamby Samsudheen Vidane Arachchi a.k.a Dheen Arachchi (1860–1915) of Negombo – Dheen Junction in Negombo is named after him Ali Thambi Abbas Lebbe Vidane Arachchi of Kal-Eliya I. L. M. Usuph Vidane Arachchi of Hanmbantota
Vidane (විදානේ) A village or a group of small villages placed under his administration. Vidane was a Low Country headman ranking immediately below that of a Vidane Arachchi in Low Country and below that of a Udayar in Tamil Area in the Native Headmen System. A Vidane was equivalent in ranking to the Kandyan Areas headmen Town Arachchi or a Gan Arachchi
Vidane Arrasi Marikkar a.k.a Sinna Thamby Vidane of Malwana Muhammad Hajie Marikar Vidane of Alutgama Maththicham Saleem Lebbe Muhammed Thamby Vidane (1819–1879) of Negombo – Udayar Thoppuwa Mosque at Dheen Junction in Negombo was built by him in 1846. This Masjid is maintained by his descendants who continue to preserve the original building. Avoo Lebbe Marikar Vidane (1836–1906) of Thihariya
Police Vidane in charge of police duties in the Village under the supervision of the vidane Hassan Meera Lebbe Police Vidane of Kahatovita
Vel Vidane In charge of distributing water from the wewa (tank) to villagers for cultivation under the supervision of the vidane
Seeni Vidane In charge of distributing Sugar under the supervision of the vidane
List of prominent headmen in Tamil areas The Northern and Eastern provinces had the following classes of native headmen:
Atikar Source:
Vanniyar (වන්නියා) (பண்டாரத்தார்) Vanniar or Vanniyar had several Maniyagar under his supervision. Abdul Kareem Kariapper Vanniah of Eravur Pattu and Koralai Pattu Kos Mohamed Abdul Majeed Vanniah of Karaivahu https://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/gen203.htm Abdul Latheef Kariapper Vanniah of Sammanthurai Pattu M. M. Abdul Majeed Vanniah of Kalmunaikudy Meera Lebbe Podi Vanniah of Karaivahu
Maniyagar Maniyagar had several Udayar's under his supervision
Udayar Udayar had several Vidane's under his supervision Mohamed Saleem Kariapper Udayar a.k.a Salin Udayar of Eravur
Vidane
Vidane A village or a group of small villages placed under his administration. Vidane was a Low Country headman ranking immediately below that of a Vidane Arachchi in Low Country and below that of a Udayar in Tamil Area in the Native Headmen System. A Vidane was equivalent in ranking to the Kandyan Areas headmen Town Arachchi or a Gan Arachchi Mohammed Mohideen Kariapper Vidane of Karaivahu
Police Vidane in charge of police duties in the Village under the supervision of the vidane
Vel Vidane In charge of distributing water from the wewa (tank) to villagers for cultivation under the supervision of the vidane
Seeni Vidane In charge of distributing Sugar under the supervision of the vidane Mohammed Meera Lebbe Seeni Vidane of Kalmunaikudy
List of prominent headmen in the Kandyan areas Following the Uva Rebellion in 1818 and changes to the administrative divisions of the island with the creation of Districts, British Government Agents (GA) took over the duties of the Dissava (with the remaining and newly appointed Dissavas being mere honorary titles), with Rate Mahatmaya becoming a subordinate to the local Government Agents and Assistant Government Agents. In the same way, after 1818 the position of the remaining and newly appointed Adigar (Maha Adigar or 1st Adigar) became mere honorary titles.
Adigar An honorary appointment
Dissava British Government Agent of the Province took over the duties of a Dissava (with the remaining and newly appointed Dissavas being mere honorary appointments) in 1818. Rate Mahatmayas under his supervision
Rate Mahatmaya (රටෙි මහත්තයා) Rate Mahatmaya had several Korale Mahatmayas under his supervision.Late Deshamanya E. L. B. Hurulle
Korale Mahaththaya (කෝරලේ මහත්තයා) Korale Mahattaya was in charge of an area known as Korale and had several Gran Arachchis / Town Arachchis under his supervision.
Town Arachchi (ටවුන් ආරච්චි) A Town Arachchi had a Town or group of small villages placed under his Administration Samsudeen Town Arachchi (1892–1956) of Danowita Unus Ibunu Muhammed Abdul Razzak Town Arachchi (1895–1972) of Nelundeniya Ahamed Lebbe Muhammed Junaid Town Arachchi (1914–1995) of Thulhiriya
Gan Arachchi (ගන් ආරච්චි) A Gan Arachchi had a village or group of small villages placed under his Administration Meerakkandu Muhandiramala Abdul Rahiman Lebbe Gan Arachchi of Udatalawinna Dambagolle Vidanele Omerudeen Lebbe Gan Arachchi of Udatalawinna Galagaha Vidanalage Gedara Ismail Marikkar Grama Aarachchi of Mawanella Galagawa Vidanele Seyado Mabammado Lebbe Gan Arachchi of Madawalamadige
List of prominent headmen Peace Officers