Demala Hatpattu

Demala Hatpattu or Demala Pattu or Demala Pattuva was a medieval and pre colonial division of Sri Lanka. It was a regional political division formed by royal land grants. There were number of such Pattus across the country. Demela Hatpattu was named as such because at its time of creation, it was exclusively governed by Tamil hereditary chiefs. The land was granted to Chiefs of Tamil or Kerala origin for services rendered or as a result of conquest by Mukkuvas.^[1] (See Mukkuvar and Vannimai)

The Pattu consisted of the following subdivisions

1. Panditha Pattuva
2. Kirimettiya Pattuva
3. Karamba Pattuva
4. Periavelli Pattuva
5. Muneswaram Pattuva
6. Anevilundan Pattuva
7. Kumaravanni Pattuva
8. Rajavanni Pattuva^[2]

Of which Muneswaram Pattuva alone had over 63 inhabited villages. It was believed that Chiefs of Munneswarm Pattuva began the Munneswaram temple as a village guardian temple to Munisvaran around 1000 CE.^[3] Within the Mueswaram Pattuva, Maradankulama provided the political leadership for the area.^[4] Demala Hatpattu formed a large division within the current Puttalam District.^[5] During the British Colonial period Demala Hatpattu transferred between numbers of provinces. In 1873, when the North Central Province was created, Demala Hatpattu was detached from the North Western Province but in 1875, Demala Hatpattu was reattached to the North Western Province.^[6]

Notes

1. ^ Bastin, pp.17 - 18
2. ^ Chitty, p.86
3. ^ Bastin, pp.20-22
4. ^ Bastin, p.158
5. ^ Samarasinghe, L.M.. "Reminiscences of an Administrative Officer:Looking back". Daily News (Lake House Publishing House). http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/09/23/fea11.asp. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
6. ^ Arudpragasam, Arular (18 August 2010). "The British demarcation of Tamil Homeland". Sri Lanka Guardian. http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/08/british-demarcation-of-tamil-homeland.html. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 

References

• Bastin, Rohan (December 2002). The Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in Sri Lanka. Berghahn Books. ISBN 1571812520. 
• Chitty, Simon Casie (1834). The Ceylon gazetteer: containing an account of the districts of Ceylon. Gotta Church Mission. ISBN 1571812520.