THE RISE OF THE KARAVAS – Michael Roberts

The Searchlight – Page 14 & 15, Year and Month unknown

The argument In Dr Raghavans monumental work “The Karava of Ceylon Society & Culture” stand unrefuted. Dr Raghavan’s arguments in their favour stand incomparable of being refuted in spite of Dr. Michael Roberts’ puerile attempt to throw a cloud of misrepresentation of historical facts concerning the ethnic group of a people who have made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of the populace in Sinhala and Tamil areas of the Island from time immemorial. Dr. Roberts has utterly failed to present salient viewpoints regarding the reasons for the uniqueness of the Kaurava contribution to the making of CeyIon and the social economy of the country. He has missed the main factor by which their contribution to world culture is conditioned.

To say that Govis a numerically superior group who formed the bulk of the Sinhalese and who according to Dr. Roberts “were so inept as not to have taken advantage of Western culture and the varied avenues for advancement” simply belies his pet presumption. Equally stupid is his pet aversion for the intrinsic worth and value of men and matters with a view to underrate their innate ability and power as to infer that ”by selling fish one could acquire considerable wealth and business acumen that would enable him to lay the foundation for a social revolution.

Facts are too solidly opposed to such a fancy as that which Dr. Roberts seems to entertain and cherish. From the attitude adopted by him as one who has had considerable historical evidence placed at his disposal, it Is obvious that this is only another attempt of a cultural assassin though got hired, yet deeply interested in casting aspersions on this particular section of the Ceylonese. His time could have been more usefully employed had he made a critical examination of Dr. Raghavan’s work. There had been no need to rake up old controversies of the last century. If his desire was to diffuse knowledge, the subject of his choice should have been the ”Rise of the Sudras” of the “Rise or the Masai” who display Caucasian contact. Even a discourse on the HARIJANS or as to who inhibited Lanka first, Sinhala or Tamil would have been in keeping with the thoughts of the day.

Professors Otakar Pertold, Bryce Ryan and William H. Gilbert Jnr have not sufficiently realised that the subject requires considerable explanation and authentic information from certain neglected sources. Among notable persons who had pursued historical researches in this direction and had the opportunity of placing the results of their researches at the disposal of the public and the misled European writers of repute. It may be mentioned here that Mr. Gustavus Jayewardene had in  1936 the privilege of enlightening Professor Otakar Pertold (Archiv Orientalni, Vol 7 1935) in the latter’s attempt to “trace the remains of the Indian Trading Caste among the Sinhalese of Ceylon”. Apart from the term Velenda there had been other terms in use for this caste of people viz, Kelembikula which had escaped the Professor’s notice. Mr. Jayewardene has further had the opportunity of making a concrete correction of what he felt it was his duty to confront the Professor who had been thoroughly misled by the interpolation of a particular caste name to suit the purpose of an interested party. This mutilation of a valuable description of the Carear in Dutch times is in its original context presented by the Dutch historian Themon. In connection with the translation of a passage from Francois R. I. Valentijn to effect that ” They (Karava people) have military officers amongst their number and some fill the place of Adigars if merited by their conduct and that “They are honoured by the king with different titles and are carried in palanquins while drums are beaten on the way with other circumstances of ceremonial parade. This is also corroborated by the Dutch historian Magistrate Themon, who further confirms their position in other respects in  this wise, “The physical type of the Carear recalls of the type of inhabitants of Northern India, soma of them resembling the Rajpoots, they are a strong and sturdy race of comparatively light colour of skin, they are impelled by some internal disposition to take to warlike and manly pursuits, and when historically considered their claim that Aryan blood runs in their veins is no empty boast.”

The Searchlight – Page 2 & 3, Year and Month unknown

Be it noted that the Kings of the five kingdoms of Anga, Vanga, Inga, Telinga and Kalinga were closely connected to the Kuru Royal Dynasty. Prince Kaaravanta the leader of the 700 heroes was Sub King Yuva Raja of King Vijayo, the first King of Lanka. This prince subsequently became King of Kanchipura. Hence from the time of the Vanga, Kalinga Vansa Sinha Gotra.Vijaya to Narendarasinha their kinsmen the Karawas have “migrated in successive waves” on the royal Invitation of their own Karawa Monarchs and other Chandra Suriya Vansa kings of the Island to fight their battles over here and to defend the country along the sea-board. They were definitely of the warrior or ruling caste of Kshatriya. Those whom the King of Kandy, Kirti Sri Rajasingha had invited daring his reign over there in the middle of the 18th century were Kshatriyas. But they were NOT ”originally associated with fishing” as presented by Michael Roberts. Mark well Dr. Roberts that they were originally associated with the Army and Navy. Hence their naval, trading and fishing vessels. Let the learned Doctor refer up Sinhalese historical publications including the Mahavansa and other connected Sinhalese documents.

Much emphasis seems to have been placed by citing in extract from a Pali Janavansa (mutilated passage from a spurious edition) quite unwittingly reprinted in M. B. Ariyapala’s “Society in Medieval Ceylon” 1956. The author of the spurious edition was one Simha of Kesellana. Ariyapala the learned Lecturer seems to have been shamefully misled by his acolytes. But why does Dr. Roberts ignore Dr. Raghavan’s comment on the Janavansa which runs thus:- “unfortunately as its translator Hugh Neville himself states, it has been mutilated and tampered with to suit the interest of different groups” hence he “did not wish to draw on the information contained in this work to any great extent.” The translations of the spurious Janavansa were published in the Taprobanian in the years 1885 and 1886. Dr. Andreas Nell had discovered an interesting note on the Janavansa among the Neville Manuscripts in the British Museum, a photocopy is well reproduced in the 2nd edition, of “Society in Medieval Ceylon” by Professor M. B. Ariyapala, Appendix V (1968.). Dr. Michael Roberts’ attention is here by drawn to that note which serves as a retraction of an erroneous extract published earlier. Of importance to us in the present issue is the final para to wit:- “I have a rare version, which contains an authentic massage referring to the Karawa caste, suppressed now from most copies, It is given loc cit p 109, and doubtless comes from the same source as the other traditions regarding Wijaya, found in Jaffna chronicles, but now unknown to the Sinhalese” (Hugh Neville). Now are we to reject this version of a reputed scholar and accept the version of one Sinha of Kesellana an unknown writer of no consequence? The genuine Janavansa (not the spurious one confining the 19th century language) the original work of Sri Buddha Rakkitha Maha Thero of Anuradhapura Maha Vihara circa 1240, tallies with the history of the kings of the Island.

Dr Roberts should have presented his thesis in a more scholarly manner. At no time and by no means have the Karawas been making “prodigious efforts to break free of their ascribed rank status once a certain level of material success had been attained.” Now, this aptly applies to the feelings and sentiments of usurpers of Kshatriya chieftains dress and imitators who assume affected attitudes. On the contrary being “self-conscious and proud of their caste identification” Kaurawas have always revolted, at the insidious attempts on the part of the Sudra Mudaliyars and their foreign overlords and have time and again protested against their deceitfulness and treachery in placing the Karawa in positions inferior to others. Hence their attempts “to destroy the pretensions of the Sudra caste” was justified. Thus Dr. Roberts preamble to trace the growth of the race of people called Kaurawa or Karawa within the social structure of the Sinhalese appears to be a sinister move.

The Searchlight – Page 19, Year and Month unknown

Those who were not con versant with the history of the Karavas from their anthropological and ethnological background and even those who are still ignorant of the philology of the word ‘KARAVA’ especially those early 19th century writers may well have taken the liberty to place this group along with the aboriginal ‘KARAI’ or ”coast-men.”

Dr. Winslow’s Tamil-English Dictionary (1862) mentions that those who came to South India from Kara-land were called In Tamil KAVRAVAR, later simplified into KARAYAR and misspelt as KARAIYAR by the foreigner. KARA should be distinguished from “KARAl – coastal”. Again the word Kara as occurring in the expression “Ma Kara Waren” or “Come near Me” should also be distinguished from KARA the derivative of KURU and its adjectival form KAURAVA denoting a proper noun by constant usage. Hence CAREA as the Portuguese spelt it, has nothing to do with the words “Coast or Near.” Far away from the coast ” KURULAND ( itself called KARALAND ) is the original country of the CAREAR” (Nighandu in Casie Chitty’s Gazetteer 235)

C. P. Bell who was one of three-man Caste Commission to inquire into the controversies that erupted in the latter part of 19th century concludes his findings after careful study of all available material placid at his disposal thus:- “I will briefly state here for the purpose for which this list and memos are intended that the Karawa people are NOT the aboriginal fishers of Ceylon of whom there are many living in the interior – I mean the Goyigama people who cultivate their fields and catch fish in rivers and lakes in the interior or Ceylon (Caste Papers-Karave, H. C. P. Bell Mss. 1886 Colombo Museum). O. Pertold, a Czechoslovakian Professor affirms the last statement in his reference to the fresh water fishers the Kevullo and especially to the female Kevullio of the said people in the interior. He distinctly states that the term Kevul does not apply to the Karawa”, actuated as they have been by certain notions, they considered it a de-graduation to catch fish in cogs, marshes, canal and fields.

Karawas, be they from the Sinhala or Tamil areas and as speakers of Sinhalese, Tamil or even English are descendants of the same great royal tribe of Kuru. There are variations of the name Kaurawa among various people of the same blood to be met with in different places in India and Ceylon KAURAWA or KAURS in Central India (Dalton) KAORWA in Rajaputana (Tod) elsewhere KARWAR and here in Ceylon Kaurawa, Kurukulam, Kurukulathar, Karawa and Karayar.   Again Caureas and Careas in Dutch documents. Hugh Nevill, the great Oriental scholar states that “The warrior caste of the Kaurawa is called in modern Sinhalese Karawa.” (Oriental Studies Vol 11. 9-10) Elsewhere he states that “The Kaurawas of Ceylon who are no doubt a northern remnant of a race in Ceylon and South India, where it forms a distinct caste, still holds a prominent place.”  (Indian Ethnology 1886). With regard to the caste controversies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries Dr. Michael Roberts has made references to the H. C. P. Bell collection of historical manuscript, in the Colombo Museum. However, a genuine study of the authoritative content, in these documents and pamphlets does not seem to have been made by Dr. Roberts. It is obvious that he has missed the salient points in the KARA-GOI CONTEST and the historical and ethnological importance of the ITIHASA 1876.

The Searchlight – Page 3, Year and Month unknown

In analysing the factors leading to ‘The Rise of the Karavas’ Dr. Michael Roberts has strained much indeed to show that this rise was only in the 19th century. Besides, like all others of his tribe before him, he conveniently turns a blind eye to the numerous historical records available. Even the evidence and sources he has consulted he brushes aside like an anarchist in one sentence thus: – “the bias of the authors and the circumstances in which these interpretations are trotted out suggest that they are forced and fictitious.”

Could not the same be said with one and the only one kind of TRUTH that his own interpretations of caste and those of his ilk in the past who had made a vain attempt to show that caste lists were compiled according to their caste status from highest to lowest, as Dr. Roberts himself has now trotted out are forced and fictitious in spite of “the TRUTH, the whole TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH” that these castes had been listed by foreigners in order of numerical strength. William H. Gilbert has commented upon this.

A study of the Karavas could be independently pursued as they could stand on their own and need not be considered with other ethnic groups. The history of this autonomous race of people is distinctive and abundantly illustrated. When a variety of factors are taken into serious consideration INTELLECT could perceive the actualities of Kshatriya birth and lineage of the Karava whose broad-based and comprehensive Sanskrit tribal name is Kaurava. There is sufficient proof since proof is so necessary to show that such Kshatriya kinship as those enshrined in their ancient history and laws, current customs and ceremonies, genuine clan names and particular titles, their exclusive reglia and forms of address and every other Kshatriya factor is not beyond comprehension, when all are taken together. All these cannot be easily overlooked. At least the essence of these and every other claim is clear. One should therefore, avail himself of all constituent elements of a Kshatriya conception and factualities taking other points into account before trying to brush aside legitimate Kshatriya claims as “scanty and inferential.”

As for bastard affiliations which are common enough in the hill country any comprehensive document in Kachcheries will tell Dr. Michael Roberts how slaves have assumed the names and inherited the nindagam properties of their great Kshatriya Lords and Masters. As an instance in point this happened with the extinction of a genuine Kandyan family as H. C. P. Bell recorded the extinction of this family with the death of the last surviving lady in 1890. In recent years a chieftain bearing the identical name proclaimed thus: – “I have no blue blood in my veins.” This was reported in the Ceylon Press.

It is interesting to note that Dr. Michael Roberts agrees “that the Karavas came over in successive waves at different times.” It is also noteworthy that the Karava remnants of the Kuru Nation of Dehi who migrated southwards at different periods, are the only group of people who make this claim. As Paul Peries states the Royal Family and occasional arrivals from India formed the Kshatriya; and it is these people who are recorded in history as having arrived in the island at frequent intervals. Nevertheless Dr. Roberts ignores the possibility of the arrival of earlier colonists- Princes, Warrior Chieftains, Military & Naval Forces. Merchants and Seafarers— confining his thoughts only to the period between the 13th and 18th centuries.

Nobody has denied South Indian origin of the Karavas during the period under review, for it is obvious that these Kshatriyas came to South India from KURLAND in the North also in successive waves.

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