Vannimai

Vannimais or Vanni chieftaincies were feudal divisions ruled by petty chiefs south of the Jaffna peninsula in the present-day Northern, North Central and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. These cheftaincies arose after the 12th century A.D. after the collapse of the classical Sinhalese kingdom period. These were sparsely settled areas ruled by chiefs calling themselves Vanniar of multi ethnic and multi caste origins. Their influence can be seen in language and manner of speaking of the local population.

Vanniar

Sri Lankan Tamil peopleVanniar or Vannia is a title of a feudal chief in medieval Sri Lanka who ruled as a tribute payer to any number of local kingdoms. It was also recorded as that of a name of a caste amongst Sri Lankan Tamils in the Vanni District of northern Sri Lanka during the early 1900’s. It is no longer used as a name of a caste or as chiefs in Sri Lanka. There are number of origin theories for the feudal chiefs as well as the caste as coming from modern Tamil Nadu state or as an indigenous formation.

;Feudal chiefsAfter the demise of the classical Sinhalese kingdom period post twelfth century AD and the fall of Polonnaruwa the secondary capital city, many petty chiefs took power in the buffer lands between the northern based Jaffna Kingdom and other Kingdoms based on the Southwest of the Island namely Kotte Kingdom and the Kandyan Kingdom. These petty chefs paid tribute to the Jaffna Kingdom or the Kingdoms in the South based on the political power wielded by the kings. Sometimes they were independent of any central control. Many kings and chiefs with titles such as Vannian or Vannia had ruled in northern areas of modern Sri Lanka during the Jaffna Kingdom days.(see Pandara Vannian)Chieftains of some of the Vanni lands who were immigrants from Southern India ruled over populace known as "rate-atto" in Sinhalese. Over whom the Vanniyas or "Vannihuru" ruled following local custom supported by a coterie of local officials. They have left noticeable influence on the local populace over whom they held supremacy, as seen from the language and manner of speaking. [citeweb|url=http://wanni.org/south-vanni.htm
title= Book review of "Spoken Language of Nuwarakalaviya"|accessdate=2008-02-04 |format=html |work=D.G.B.de Silva]

;Origin theoriesThe ruling class was composed of multi ethnic and multi caste origins. Some according primary sources such as "Yalpana Vaipava Malai" were descended from Vanniar caste immigrants from modern Tamil Nadu where as others were clearly of Mukkuva origins.McGilvray, "Mukkuvar Vannimai: Tamil Caste and Matriclan Ideology in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka", p.34-97] There were also number of Vannia chiefs of Sinhalese ancestry.

Some Sri Lankan historians derive these titles independent of Indian based Vaniar caste amongst both Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese from the Sinhalese word for forest, namely Vanna and a Vannia or Wannia as a person from the forest and Vannimais were large tracks of forest lands.(see Wanniyala-Aetto)

Northern cheiftancies

Among the medieval Vanni cheftaincies, those of Panankamam, Melpattu, Mulliyavalai, Karunavalpattu, Karrikattumulai an Tennamaravadi in the north of the island were incorporated into the Jaffna Kingdom. The cheiftaincy in Trincomalee was at times incorporated into the northern Kingdom. Hence Vannimai's just south of the Jaffna peninsula and in the eastern Trincomalee district usually paid an annual tribute to the Jaffna Kingdom instead of taxes. The tribute was in cash, grains, honey, elephants, and ivory. The annual tribute system was enforced due to the greater distance from Jaffna.Gunasingam, "Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism", p.53] Peebles, "History of Sri Lanka", p.31-32] [citeweb|url=http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/romadict.pl?page=3567&table=tamil-lex&display=simple|title= Vannimai|accessdate=2007-12-23 |format=html |work=University Of Madras, Tamil Lexicon]

Western and Eastern cheftaincies

Vannimais in the Batticalao and Puttalam districts were under the control of chifs of Mukkuvar origin. Vannimai's in the eastern Batticaloa and Ampara districts came under the nominal control of the Kandyan Kingdom after the fifteenth century although they had considerable autonomy under their chiefs. Vanni Cheiftancy in the Puttalam districts came under the control of Kotte Kingdom.Karthigesu, "Sri Lankan Tamil Society and Politics", p.7-9]

Notes

References

*cite book |last = McGilvray |first = Dennis | title = Mukkuvar Vannimai: Tamil Caste and Matriclan Ideology in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, (Caste Ideology and Interaction) | publisher = Cambridge University Press | date = 1982
*cite book | last = Kartithigesu | first = Sivathamby | title = Sri Lankan Tamil society and politics | publisher = New Century Book House | date= 1995 | pages = 189 | isbn =812340395X
*cite book | last = Peebles | first = Patrick | title = The History of Sri Lanka| publisher = Greenwood Press | date= 2006 | location = USA | pages = 248 | isbn = 0-313-33205-3
*cite book | last = Gunasingam | first = Murugar | title = Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism | publisher = MV | date= 1999 | location = Sydney | pages = 238 | isbn = 0-646-38106-7