From the Introduction by the author:
"To the Jaffna Tamil the study of the ancient history of his
mother-country ought to be of paramount interest. His attachment to
his birthplace is indeed proverbial. Go where he may in search of wealth and
live where he may for the time being, even in the fairest and the most
favoured of lands he feels himself but a sojourner; and sooner or later he
follows his heart back to home, to spend his last days in those
well-remembered spots and among the friends of his earliest love. Jaffna in
distress has never appealed to him in vain; his response has always been
ready and whole-hearted. The history of a country reflects, and bears
witness to, the national character. What feelings of just pride and
patriotism would swell in the heart of every true son of Jaffna, if he could
but have a peep into the glories of her past !
At times like the
present (1926) when many are endeavouring to lift the thick veil of
obscurity that envelopes the ancient history of Ceylon, it may seem
presumptions on our part to undertake such a colossal task. Some of the
statements made in the book may appear incorrect or capable of different
interpretation. But this attempt at research has been performed with the
sole object of arriving at the truth, and in the fervent hope that more
competent students will soon be able to present a more satisfactory
treatment of a subject which is very necessary for the education and the
enlightenment of the youth of Jaffna.
In the year 1736 A.D, at the request of Jan Maccara, the then Dutch
Governor of Jaffna. one Mailvagana Pulavar of Madagal compiled in Tamil
prose the Yalpana Vaipava Malai, the earliest history of Jaffna. His
authorities were certain earlier writings such as the Kailaya Malai, Vaiya
Padal,. Pararajasekaran Ula and Raja Murai (Royal Chronicles), the oldest of
which was certainly not earlier than the 14thor the 15th century A D.
Whatever might have been the source of the earlier writers whether they drew
their material from authentic records or from mere tradition, it cannot be
denied that the Vaipava Malai was a faithful account of all that was
available at the time. Today, except the Kailaya Malai which has been
printed, and a few manuscript copies of Vaiya Padal, the other works are
very rare and hardly procurable.
It is lucky that the Vaipava Malai was printed several years ago and
translated into English by the late Mr.C. Brito, for at the present day it
is impossible to procure any of the older manuscripts for the purpose of
testing the correctness of the printed version. The fact that all the
statements made in the Kailaya Malai including those that will be
proved hereafter to be misconceptions, were bodily taken and introduced into
the Vaipava Malai, stamps it with the impress of an honest attempt at
history on the part of that 'well meaning villager'', Mailvagana Pulavar.
Some of the historians of Jaffna that have from time to time appeared
within the last 35 years, [ Tamil Histories of Jaffna have been
written and published by Messrs S. John of Uduvil, A. Mootootamby Pillai of
Vannarpanne and K. Velupillai of Vasavilan] have so well
sueceeded in mutilating altering and amending the Vaipava Malai according
to their whims and fancies, that there are now but few who acknowledge its
historical value. On the contrary the belief seems to be gaining ground that
it, is only a compendium of ancient folklore, old women's tales and mythical
anecdotes.
It would certain not be reasonable to dismiss this work as altogether
untrustworthy, merely because some of the events recorded there have been
declared to be inaccurate in the matter of chronology. Research in this
branch ought to follow the far safer method of modern European scholars; and
ancient inscriptions, coins, carved stones and contemporaneous literature,
should be carefully studied to see if they refute or confirm the traditional
history of the land.
Indeed in those far-off ages history was
written under very different circumstances. There is no doubt that our
earliest works were based on mere tradition. Tradition, as we all know,
was handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation, and,
moulded and shaped into different forms in the process, it grows in the
course of a few centuries into something not quite the same as the
original. However, by careful sifting and analysis the truth can be
ascertained. The Mahavamsa for instance, although composed in the 5th
century A.D., speaksof events of a thousand years earlier known to the
compiler only by tradition and hearsay. But with care, it can be, and
has been used as material for the early history of Ceylon. We have only
to follow the methods used by the critics and historians who made use of
the Mahavamsa
In order to reconstruct the history of Jaffna from its earliest
times, it becomes necessary to examine critically our ancient traditions in
the light of contemporary documents, and, in the absence of any local
literature and inscription, to search for further information in the
literature and chronicles of other countries. In this respect the Mahavamsa
is most useful. It is a Court chronicle containing the annals of the Ceylon
kings, and its writers who most probarly regarded the Tamils as a horde of
cruel marauders pass over both them and their efforts in silence, except
when they made themselves too unpleasant to go unnoticed
Had the
monastic annalists of the Sinhalese chronicle with the instinct of true
historians depicted impartially the events that took place in the North from
time to time, the task of the Jaffna historian of today would have been
rendered much lighter.
Considering how little we know of the
political history of the country, and even of the dynasty of kings who ruled
over Jaffna from the eleventh to the seventeenth centuries, it is not
surprising that we should know still less about the allied branches of
archaeology and epigraphy.
But how long are we to remain in this listless if not disgraceful state
of ignorance ? To a true son of Jaffaa, is it not galling to have to wait
till some foreign scholar finds time and leisure to make investigations and
enlighten him on the history of his motherland.
And although he may be willing to wait, the sources of information appear
not to be endowed with eternal patience. The literature of the land
unfortunately committed to such a fragile material as the palm leaf is fast
disappearing.
The archaeological remains have been almost fully depleted of their
carved and inscribed stones which bave, in the march of civi]ization, either
been turned to metal for the roads or hidden safely away in tbe foundations
of new houses. The rapidity vith which the devastating tide of progress is
washing away old landmarks is clearly apparent in every direction.
Traditional beliefs, old legends, local folklore and manners and customs
peculiar to the people of the country are fast vanishing. Every caste is
giving up its own for the sake of the dress and ornaments, the speech and
conventions of some other which is considered superior.
National games and amusements are giving place to Western innovations,
and in another generation their very names will be forgotten. There is
little left of our ancient literature and even less of ruins and
archaeological remains.
These scanty sources of information should be made use of as early as
possible; else our only links with the past will be gone for ever. If we
therefore venture to interpret some of the dark problems of historical
antiquity with the help of evidence now hidden away in obscure nooks and
corners, and try to awaken a general interest in the history of our country,
the certainty that in a few more years, these matters will cease to be heard
of altogether, is our sole and sufficient excuse."
