Sri
Lankan Muslims
A brief history of the Muslims of
Sri Lanka
Introduction
Sri Lanka, known to the ancients as Ceylon, has been recorded in history books
as a country that has had many visitations from foreign travelers throughout
the ages. The people are mainly Buddhist, with a complex mixture of Hindus,
Muslims, Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations. The main race are
the Sinhalese while the Tamils, Muslims and Burghers (Anglo-Sri Lankans) form
the remaining. The Muslims of Sri Lanka are a very small minority amounting to
approximately 10% of a total population of 16 Million people. They claim
descendancy from the Arab traders from Hashemite origins, Yemeni traders and of
the Berbers of Morocco and North Africa, who were visiting and trading with the
Island even before the advent of Islam.
The first Sri Lankan Muslim
settlement was in a port settlement in western Sri Lanka which was named
Berbereen (Beruwala) in honour of the Berber traveller who founded the city,
Abu Yusuf al-Barbari. This individual was also responsible for converting the
nearby maldive islands to Islam. The Berbers are a ethnic group from North
Africa, mainly from Morocco. Their attachement to tradition and Islamic values
sets them apart from the Arabs and identifies them as formidable warriors
in Islam next to the Turks. Famous Berbers include, General Tariq bin Ziyad,
Ibn Batuta of Tangier among many others.
The second settlement in the area
was in Alutgamaweedia which was subsequently named Dharga town in the 1940's by
the Muslims of that town. The grand mosque in Dharga town has archaelogical
evidence pointing to its historical orgins.
The third settlement in the region
was in Weligama a town further to the south of Berberyn. This city was known by
its Arab name as As-Salawat. The biggest massacre of muslims in the
island by the portuguese was committed here at Weligama where at least 10,000
arab soldiers and their families were slaughtered mercilessly by the portuguese
who were reknowed for their barbarity towards those who refused to convert to
Christianity. A glance at the family names of the current Muslims of this
region points to their noble origins.
The larger settlements of Colombo
(Kalembu), Galle (al-Ghali) and Matara (al-Muttrah) were established by trading
families who migrated from Arab lands in the later centuries.
Sri Lankan Muslims can be
categorized into two distinct sub groups, the Moors and the Malays. The former
is the name given to them by the Portuguese colonial rulers who used the word
Moros to identify Arabs in general. The Malays are a group of Muslims who
originated from Java and the Malaysian Peninsula. They differed from the Moors,
both, in their physical appearance as well as in the language they spoke which
was a mixture of Malay and local dialects.
The Muslims of Sri Lanka have a colorful history behind them punctuated by a
long spell of hardship suffered during the Portuguese and Dutch occupation of
the Island. It is much to their credit that they withstood the onslaught of
economic constraints, political intrigues and religious persecution to stay
behind and survive. Most other peoples may have packed their bags and left for
good. They not only saved their religion from the Christian enemies but also
rebuilt the economy, slowly and steadily, by the 18th century when the British
took over control of the island from the Dutch.
Being geographically isolated from the main centers of Islamic culture and
civilization the Muslims of Sri Lanka were forced to interact closely with
their neighbours, the Muslims of South India, in order to preserve their
identity. Had they been denied this slender link, it is possible that, they may
have lost their distinct Islamic character completely. However, it must be
observed that this link has also caused many Indian (Hindu) traditions and
rituals to creep into their culture and life style, some of which, even though
vehemently anti-Islamic, are still practiced to date. Lack of a correct
understanding of the teachings of Islam has been the main cause of this sad
situation.
Having adapted to the local conditions in various ways and also contributing
largely to the Islands economic prosperity, the Muslim community of Sri Lanka,
unlike the Hindu Tamils of the Northern Province, has saved itself from any
major clash with the indigenous Sinhalese population. They have also been able
to receive a fair share in the countrs Politics and Administration by virtue of
their hard work and also of being an important minority whose support has been
vital to all the political groups in the country. Although it may be said that
the Muslim community was not politically dominant at any stage, yet, it is
certainly true that they manouvered their political activity without much
noise, unlike the Tamils.
This work attempts to present a brief history of the Muslims of Sri Lanka from
their early Arab trader beginnings to the present day minority community that
is fully integrated into the Sri Lankan society.
Historical
Background
Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon)
lies of the south-east of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The pear shaped
island, often referred to as the pearl of the east is separated from mainland
India by a narrow strip of water called the Palk Strait.
Being in such close proximity to and
having such easy access from India, it might be expected that Sri Lanka
received a large number of migrants from its neighbor from pre-historic times.
The original inhabitants of the island are believd to be an aboriginal tribe
called the Veddahs. The Sinhalese, presently the majority community, are
supposed to be the descendants of the colonists, led by Vijaya, from the valley
of the Ganges who settled in the island around the 6th century B.C. Sinhala,
the language of the Sinhalese, is an Aryan language, closely related to Pali.
Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa
during the period 307-267 B.C.
Trade relations between India and Sri Lanka are traced to the 3rd century B.C.
Historians have not been able to pin-point the actual date of establishment of
Tamil settlements in Sri Lanka. However, during the 3rd century B.C. a Tamil
General, Elara, set up a Tamil Kingdom at Anuradhapura, in the North Central
Province, and ruled there for 44 years. He earned a reputation for his just and
impartial administration among the Sinhalese and Tamils and was thus called
Elara the Just.
The strategic location of the island, in the Indian Ocean, together with some
of the coveted goods it produced, resulted in a fair degree of foreign trade
even from ancient times. The Romans discovered the commercial value of Sri
Lanka in the first century A.D. and the island was visited by Greeks, Romans,
Persians, Arabs, and Chinese traders. Sri Lankas trade offering included
Cinnamon, which grew wild in the forests of the wet zone, precious stones,
pearls, elephants and ivory.
While most of the traders were only
visitors to the island, who made their fortunes and left, it was the Arabs who
settled down, making Ceylon their home. Furthermore as the Muslims of Sri
Lanka claim their descendancy from the Arabs it is important to look at the
information available on the advent of the Arabs to the island.
The Arabs:
The Tamils of Sri Lanka, throughout
history, have attempted to categorize the Sri Lankan Muslims as belonging to
the Tamil race. This has been mainly for selfish reasons in a bid to eliminate
the minority Muslim community from having its own unique identity. The
Government of Sri Lanka, however, treats the Muslims as of Arab origin and as a
distinct ethnic group from the Tamils.
Fr. S.G. Perera in his book -History of Ceylon for Schools- Vol. 1. The
Portuguese and Dutch Periods, (1505-1796), Colombo (1955), The Associated
Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., p 16, writes,
-The first mention of Arabs in Ceylon appears to be in the Mahavansa (Ancient
Sri Lankan history) account of the reign of the King Pandukabhaya, where it is
stated that this king set apart land for the Yonas (Muslims) at Anuradhapura-
With the decline of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century A.D., Roman trade also
died out and the Arabs and Persians filled up the vacuum; engaging in a rapidly
growing inter-coastal trade. After the conquest of Persia (Iran), Syria and
Egypt, the Arabs controlled all the important ports and trading stations
between East and West. It is estimated that the Arabs had settled in Sri Lanka
and Sumatra by the 1st century A.D. K.M. De Silvas, Historical Survey, Sri
Lanka - A Survey, London (1977), C. Hurst & Co. Ltd., p 50, states,
- by about the 8th century A.D., the Arabs had formed colonies at the important
ports of India, Ceylon and the East Indies. The presence of the Arabs at the
ports of Ceylon is attested to by at least three inscriptions discovered at
Colombo, Trincomalee and the island of Puliantivu -
The manner in which Islam developed in Sri lanka is very closely similar to
that on the Malabar coast of India. Tradition has recorded that Arabs who had
settled down on the Malabar coast used to travel from the port of Cranganore to
Sri Lanka on pilgrimage to pay homage to what they believed to be the
foot-print of Adam on the top of a mountain, which, until today, is called
Adams Peak.
Ibn Batuta, the famous 14th. century Arab traveler, has recorded many
facets about early Arab influence in Sri Lanka in his travelogues.
Before the end of the 7th. century, a colony of Muslim merchants had
established themselves in Ceylon. Fascinated by the scenic splendor and
captivated by the traditions associated with Adams Peak, Muslim merchants
arrived in large numbers and some of them decided to settle in the island
encouraged by the cordial treatment they received by the local rulers. Most of
them lived along the coastal areas in peace and prosperity, maintaining
contacts, both cultural and commercial, with Baghdad and other Islamic cities.
According to Tikiri Abeyasinghe in his Portuguese Rule in Ceylon, 1594-1612,
Colombo (1966), Lake House Investments Ltd., p 192, tradition has it that,
- the first Mohammadans of Ceylon were a portion of those Arabs of the House of
Hashim, who were driven from Arabia in the early part of the 8th. century by
the tyranny of the Caliph, Abdel Malik bin Marwan, and who proceeding
from the Euphrates southwards made settlements in the Concan in the southern
parts of the peninsula of India, on the island of Ceylon and Malacca. The
division of them which came to Ceylon formed eight considerable settlements
along the Nort-East, North and Western coast of that island; viz., one at
Trincomalee, one at Jaffna, one at Colombo, one at Barbareen, and one at Point
de Galle. -
It is perhaps reasonable, therefore, to assume that the Arabs, professing the
religion of Islam, arrived in Sri Lanka around the 7th./8th. century A.D. even
though there was a settled community of Arabs in Ceylon in pre-Islamic times.
The circumstances that helped the growth of Muslim settlements were varied. The
Sinhalese were not interested in trade and were content in tilling the soil and
growing cattle. Trade was thus wide open to the Muslims. the Sinhalese Kings
considered the Muslim settlements favorably on account of the revenue that they
brought them through their contacts overseas both in trade and in politics. The
religious tolerance of the local population was also another vital factor in
the development of Muslim settlements in Ceylon.
The early Muslim settlements were set up, mainly, around ports on account of
the nature of their trade. It is also assumed that many of the Arab traders may
not have brought their womenfolk along with them when they settled in Ceylon.
Hence they would have been compelled to marry the Sinhalese and Tamil
women of the island after converting them to Islam. The fact that a large
number of Muslims in Sri Lanka speak the Tamil language can be attributed to
the possibility that they were trading partners with the Tamils of South India
and had to learn Tamil to successfully transact their business. The integration
with the Muslims of Tamil Nadu, in South India, may have also contributed
to this. It is also possible that the Arabs who had already migrated to Ceylon,
prior to Islam, had adopted the Tamil language as a medium of communication in
their intercourse with the Tamil speaking Muslims of South India. The Muslims
were very skilful traders who gradually built up a very lucrative trading
post in Ceylon. A whole colony of Muslims is said to have landed at
Beruwela (South Western coast) in the Kalutara District in 1024 A.D.
The Muslims did not indulge in propagating Islam amongst the natives of Ceylon
even though many of the women they married did convert. Islam did attract the
less privileged low caste members of the Tamil community who found the factor
of equality a blessing for their status and well-being.
There is also a report in the history of Sri Lanka of a Muslim Ruler, Vathimi
Raja, who reigned at Kurunegala (North Central Province) in the 14th. century.
This factor cannot be found in history books due to their omission, for reasons
unknown, by modern authors. Vathimi Raja was the son of King Bhuvaneka Bahu I,
by a Muslim spouse, the daughter of one of the chiefs. The Sinhalese son
of King Bhuvaneka Bahu I, Parakrama Bahu III, the real heir to the throne was
crowned at Dambadeniya under the name of Pandita Parakrama Bahu III. In order to
be rid of his step brother, Vathimi Raja, he ordered that his eyes be gouged
out. It is held that the author of the Mahavansa (ancient history of Ceylon)
had suppressed the recording of this disgraceful incident. the British
transaletor, Mudaliyar Wijesinghe states that original Ola (leaf script) was
bodily removed from the writings and fiction inserted instead. The
blinded Vathimi Raja (Bhuvaneka Bahu II or Al-Konar, abbreviated from
Al-Langar-Konar, meaning Chief of Lanka of Alakeshwara) was seen by the Arab
traveler Ibn Batuta during his visit to the island in 1344. His son named
Parakrama Bahu II (Alakeshwara II) was also a Muslim. The lineage of
Alakeshwara kings (of Muslim origin) ended in 1410. Although all the kings
during this reign may not have been Muslims, the absence of the prefix -Shri
Sangha Bodhi- (pertaining to the disciples of the Buddha) to the name of these
kings on the rock inscriptions during this hundred year period may be
considered as an indicator that they were not Buddhists. Further during Ibn
Batutas visit a Muslim ruler called Jalasthi is reported to have been holding
Colombo, maintaining his hold over the town with a garrison of about 500
Abyssinians.
In spite of this the Mulsims have always been maintaining very cordial relationships
with the Sinhalese Royalty and the local population. There is evidence that
they were more closer to the Sinhalese than they were to the Tamils. The
Muslims relationship with the Sinhalese kings grew stronger and in the 14th.
century they even fought with them against the expanding Tamil kingdom and its
maritime influence.
By the beginning of the 16th. century, the Muslims of Sri Lanka, the
descendants of the original Arab traders, had settled down comfortably in the
island. They were evry successful in trade and commerce and integrated socially
with the customs of the local people. They had become an inseparable, and even
more, an indispensable part of the society. This period was one of ascendancy
in peace and prosperity for the Sri Lankan Muslims.
The Malays:
Sri Lankan Muslims include the
Malays although they form a separate group by themselves. Even the earliest
census of Sri Lanka (1881) lists the Muslims as Moors and Malays separately.
Malays too, follow the Islamic religion just like the Moors.
The real beginning of the Malays in
Sri Lanka dates back to the 13th. century. Husseinmiya writes,
- The definite arrival of Malays in Sri Lanka took place in the 13th. century.
Chandra Bhanu, the Malay King of Nakhon Sri Dhammarat in the Isthmus of Kra on
the Malay Peninsula invaded Sri Lanka in A.D. 1247, with Malay soldiers. He was
determined to possess the relics of the Buddha from the Sinhalese kingdom. In a
second invasion he brought soldiers from India -.
Chandra Bhanus 50 year rule of northern Ceylon in the 13th. century is
remembered by such place names as Java Patnam (Jaffna), Java Kachcheri
(Chavakachcheri), Hambantota etc. Most authors have, yet, linked the origin of
the Malays in Ceylon to the period when the uisland was ruled by the Dutch.
Murad Jayah in -The plight of the Ceylon Malays today-, MICH Silver Jubilee
Souvenir, 1944-1969, Colombo (1970), p 70, writes,
- In 1709 Susana Mangkurat Mas, king of Java, was exiled to Sri Lanka by
the Dutch with his entire retinue. He was followed in 1723 by 44 Javanese
princes and noble men who surrendered at the battle of Batavia and exiled to
this country with their families. These familes formed the nucleus from which
the Malay community grew. -
- The Dutch continued to bring more -Java Minissu- (Malay people) as exiles,
and employed them to fill the ranks of the army, the police force, the fire
brigade, the prison staff and other services. They formed the bulk of the
servicemen during the Dutch occupation and the early British times. The British
too imported Malay families for settlement in Ceylon with the idea of raising a
regiment. The Kings colors were awarded in 1801 to the Ceylon Malay Regiment,
the first Asian to receive that Honor. -
The unsuccessful attempts of the British to attract more Malays from overseas,
the meager salaries paid to the Malay soldiers coupled with more avenues for
lucrative employment in the plantation industry, resulted in the disbandment of
the malay Regiment in 1873. The Malays released from the army were absorbed
into the police and the fire brigade services.
The mother tongue of Malays is Malay ( Bahasa Melayu). Murad Jayah writes,
- Bahasa Melayu has been preserved in this country for over 250 years due to
the fact that the original exiles from Indonesia were accompanied by their
womenfolk and it was not necessary for them to find wives among Sinhalese and
Tamil women, unlike the Arab ancestors of the Ceylon Moors. –