Pandara Vannian

Pandara Vanniyan or Pandara Vannian was a rebel Tamil chief from the Vanni region who was known as one of last native chiefs to challenge British rule in the Island nation of Sri Lanka

Biography

Kulasegaram Vairamuthu Pandaravanniyan was the last king of Vanni. Some of the history books say that he had a sister and two brothers but the truth is he only had 2 younger brothers called "Kaylaa vanniyan" and "Periya Meynaar".

Conflict with the Colonial rule

With the capture of the Jaffna kingdom by the Portuguese in 1621, the Vanni was under their nominal control and 'Parangichetticulam' of the Vanni may have been the fort of the Portuguese.ref|1

With the arrival of the Dutch colonials on the scene they were only able to exact yearly tribute of 42 elephants. About the year 1782 the continued conflicts came to an end when the Dutch once and for all defeated the Vanniyars. Every foreign power found the Vanniyars a formidable foe and this could be explained in the words of Lewi, It is characteristic of the spirit of this people that the Dutch met nowhere a more determined resistance than from one of the native princesses, the Vannichi Maria Sembatte, whom they were obliged to carry away as prisoner, and to detain in captivity in the fort of Colombo'.(MVD,p 17 & 18 ).ref|1 The Vanniyars, thence commenced to live a wild and marauding life and carried on a predatory warfare against the Dutch in Mannar and Trincomalee and even penetrated to the Jaffna peninsula. The Dutch had to build forts along the river to keep them at bay. With the advent of the British Pandara Vanniyan started a revolt to expel them from his district with the assistance of the Kandyans kingdom. He attacked the government house in Mullaiteevu and drove out the garrison which was under the command of one Captain Drieberg and seized the fort.ref|1

The end

The victory of the Vanniyars was short lived. Three detachments from Jaffna , Mannar and Trincomalee were dispatched and the Vanniyars were defeated in the Mannar district. Although Pandara Vanniyan was active again his grandiose scheme to rule the Vanni faded away after 1811.ref|1

ee also

*Vanniar - a caste in South India

References

* [http://www.tamilnation.org/heritage/rajasuriyar.htm Tamil heritage of Sri Lanka]