Notes on Jaffna

Chronological, Historical, Biographical  –  JOHN H. MARTYN

This book by John H. Martyn chronologically lists the events connected with Jaffna from 1505 onwards. It also lists details of some of the prominent families of Jaffna at that time and is a good reference source for Genealogists.

However the entire appendix is dedicated to an in depth analysis of the ‘Poothathampi’ episode involving Don Manuel D’Andrado and the Tamil Mudaliyar Poothathamby. The book lists and analyses all the references made to this episode in historical documents. This is the most detailed analysis of this story ever. It dissects the many incarnations of this story piece by piece , analyses and lays to rest all arguments made by the various writers.

THE ANDRADO-PUTHATHAMBY STORY

Dryden has observed that “truth is required as the foundation of history to inform us.” This is the first and most im­portant property – the necessity of which cannot be gainsaid – to keep our understanding from the impositions of falsehood. Never­theless, close students of history not uncommonly find the nar­rative of realities disfigured by their being mixed up with fables and figments. Very often facts are misrepresented, documents are garbled, and important questions and particular portions of history so treated by partisan writers as to become coloured with their passions and prejudices. This is particularly the case with regard to that portion of local history in which the two personages, whose story forms the subject of this review, played a part in the revolution that followed the Dutch occupation of the Jaffna Peninsula.

Andrado and Puthathamby are representatives of two rival sections of the Singhalese and Tamil Communities. The members of each section are to be found all over the island, dwelling side by side, in town and country. They hold important and responsible offices in every Department of the Public Service under Govern­ment. In the learned professions, and in the educational, mercan­tile and industrial lines, they take equal rank. As capitalists and large landed proprietors too, they are, in general, pretty well matched.

But the great disparity is in their numbers. The ‘Puthathamby’ section is by far the larger one. Here lies the true secret of the advantage that this section possesses over the other. Every intelligent man is aware that in most departments of life, where sectional interests come into question, numerical superiority is a potent factor in helping a party to have its own way and carry its point. In public meetings, the majority gets the day in all questions that come up for discussion. The same principle ob­tains in the case of parliamentary, municipal and other elections; and the candid reader knows how often racial prejudices, caste feelings and personal dislikes have operated against the election of the fittest and most eligible candidate. In like manner, in a community, the section, which is numerically weak, is always at a disadvantage; and when the sense of rivalry between it and the stronger section becomes accentuated, the position of the former becomes one of embarrassment. An unfounded story or a silly canard respecting the weaker section finds a large circle in the stronger one, to accept it without proof, add to it without scruple, spread it without hesitation, and comment on it without charity. When to the advantage which numerical strength confers on the larger section is added the power that it derives from its influence with high functionaries, local magnates and the dis­pensers of power and patronage, the facility and the success with which it can bring discredit on the weaker, by magnifying its faults and making light of its virtues, can better be imagined than described.

The story in question affords a striking instance of the artful tactics, which designing individuals of the Puthathamby section, confiding in the numerical strength of their party for the promo­tion of their interests, have invariably employed in order to be­little the Andrado section and raise themselves and their clan in public estimation. The careful, unbiased student of history will surely be shocked to find how the stern facts of the story have been suppressed and ingenious interpolations so cleverly foisted in, as to make a real culprit an unsuspecting and harmless victim. I will not take upon myself the invidious task of narrating the story, the incidents of which occurred more than two centuries and a half ago. I shall just quote the story as told by differ­ent writers at different times and leave the reader to discern the truth and form his own judgment, adding only such remarks as are justified by the circumstances of the case.