And their links to Calicut
Some years ago, we discussed the Chaliya community at Chaliyam near Calicut, focusing on Calico and its origins, and later, as related to the mystery of Chinese Sha-mi-ti. Today, we will explore how community members migrated to Ceylon as weavers, their hardships, and how they transitioned from that traditional trade to cinnamon peelers.
The Saliyas (Chaliya, Chalia) are an ancient weaving
community. In the past, they lived in the Kanchipuram area during the Chola
period. For various reasons or by invitation, some of them moved to Chaliyam
near Beypore in Calicut. The first legend says that the Zamorin of Calicut
invited weavers from Tamilakam. The second legend claims that the Kolathiri
Chirakkal Rajas of Kannur brought weaver families from traditional Saliya
communities in other regions and settled them in Kolathunadu. The third legend
states that Calicut's weavers migrated to the Kolathiri kingdom after being
ousted by the Mangat Achan. While legends suggest they arrived around the 13th
century during the caste agitations in Tamil Nadu (see my blog for details), it
is also possible that wealthy families moved due to their desire to wear fine cloth,
inspired by immigrant Brahmins or visitors wearing such at temple occasions.
According to Thurston - It is said that they were
originally of a high caste, and were imported by one of the Zamorins, who
wished to introduce the worship of Ganapathi, to which they are much addicted.
The latter's minister, the Mangatt acchan, who was entrusted with the entertainment
of the new arrivals, and was nettled by their fastidiousness and constant
complaints about his catering, managed to degrade them in a body by trick of
secretly mixing fish with their food. They do not, like their counterparts on
the east coast, wear the thread; but it is noticeable that their priests, who
belong to their own caste, wear it over the right shoulder instead of over the
left like the Brahman's punul, when performing certain pujas (worship). In some
parts, the place of the regular punul is taken by a red scarf or sash worn in
the same manner. They are remarkable for being the only caste in Malabar
amongst whom any trace of the familiar East Coast division into right-hand and
left-hand factions is to be found. They are so divided; and those belonging to
the right-hand faction deem themselves polluted by the touch of those belonging
to the left-hand sect, which is numerically very weak.
There are two divisions among them: the Pattusaliya, who
weave silk textiles such as fine silk saris, and the Padmasaliya, who weave
cotton textiles and garments. Note here that in Malabar, we mostly find the
Balanga or Valagai (right-handed) saliyas. The few Chaliyans belonging to the
Edanga (Left-hand caste) are primarily goddess worshippers. Although there are
legends of them being expelled from Calicut and Kolathunad, it seems unlikely,
as they were always present, as documented by various visitors. They produced
coarse cloth (no longer fine varieties) known as Calico. According to Ajesh,
the raw materials for textile production were obtained from nearby regions such
as Madurai, Coimbatore, and Ramanathapuram because Malabar’s soil was not
suitable for cotton cultivation. Chaliya settlements were mainly located along
trade routes and centers, facilitating easy collection of raw materials and
sale of their products. Important Chaliya settlements in Malabar include
Nileswaram, Koodali, Madayi, Valapattanam, Kondudesham, Chaliyam, Pantalayani,
and others. Anyway, they lived and prospered there.
Now we explore the connection to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and
examine the Salgama link. As expected, there are many legends, but the most
common one is about King Vathhimi Buvenekabahu (Vijaya Bahu III) who assigned a
Marakkar trader from Horakauwa Beruwala, named Periya Mudali Marikkar, to bring
weavers from Saliya Pattinam – Chaliyam in Calicut. This was because Sri Lanka
lacked professional weavers to produce special cloths with gold thread for the
king. According to this tradition, the Chalias arrived in Sri Lanka from Kerala
in several waves after accepting invitations to migrate from various Sinhala
Kings at different times. Over time, the story changed to depict them as
Nambudiris invited to conduct a coronation, after which they were tasked with
tending the king’s cinnamon gardens! A third myth portrays them as Peskara
Brahmins invited to weave gold-braided cloth.
The Periya Mudali Maraikkar story appears to be supported by
a set of copper plates that verify a grant to the Maraikkar from the then king.
According to Portuguese scribes, the story goes as follows, narrated by a
Chalia chief (the Portuguese called them the Dueas) who was then protesting to
the new Portuguese governor about their treatment. The governor is Diego de
Mello (1633-38), and the story is recorded by Queyroz in 1687.
We, the Chaleas, came to this Island in a paguel (dhow?)
of Moors which came into Chale. We derive our origin from Chale, and the port
of Chale took from us the name it has today. We came seven, one went away, and
we remain six. We married in this Island in the Court of the King. The first
paravenia (estate) given to us was Calature (Kalutara), and from there we spread
along the coast, as is seen even today. When our descendants had increased, the
Kings levied from us as dues, two fanams from each household, and as our duty
was to weave cloth, we paid one tupetim a year. Those who had service lands and
villages paid their dues like the other natives. The first time we made
cinnamon in the Island was in the time of Raja King of Ceytavaca (Sitawake),
and as what we made was small, we were very well paid. At this time they
increased our tributes, and the two fanam which each household paid to the King
was converted into four larins a head per male; and when the King had made use
of us for preparing cinnamon, which is increased each time, the Vidanas
(headmen) thereof kept us engaged in their private work; and when we were
hoping for relief from these engabadas (body tax) and afflictions on account of
which many of our people fled to Candea(Kandy) where they live free from these
excesses, a sentence that came from Goa was declared, making us slaves of the King; and this
for no other purpose, than that those who plotted it may rob us in safety,
under the name of slaves.
The following description presents a different perspective,
with 8 arriving by sea and one being killed while attempting to escape – the
translation of the Sannas is based on Abraham de Saram Maha Mudaliyar's (1832)
account of castes in the Island of Ceylon. The date is in the Saka era, so it
could be 1088 CE.
The purport of this letter dated the 7th May, 1010, is: The
name of the men called Siviyar, who were brought from the Hali (Chali) village
by Periya Mudali Marikar, who lived at Gorakaduwa in Beruwala, are: Walliyam, Alaimuni,
Walliammayi, Walisalaman, Wediyasaran, Paramuttu and Malliyan. These
seven were taken charge of by the Great King, who saying that His Majesty
wanted them and that they must be kept well, prepared to supply them with
presents and with lands, without deficiency. And the great King being glad and
in return for keeping ships at Beruwala and sending them to those countries,
and for improving the village and for bringing those men called Siviyar, this
writing called Sempottu was written and delivered to the person named Periya
Mudali Marikar. As long as the sons and grandchildren descending from Periya
Mudali Marikar live, they are not to perform the service of carrying palanquins
on account of Government, nor to pay the money tax. His respectability and
dignity are to be maintained always undiminished. "On their application
they are permitted to build Mosques for the performance of their religious
rites, and they are to be taken care of, and any lands that they apply for are
to be granted them. The descendants of this Mudali Marikar are not to perform
the service of carrying palanquins, and he is allowed to carry on trade in any
port he likes by shipping cargo. This is granted according to the application. "By
command, order, and permission of the Great King who was pleased to assist in
this matter, and to the truth of this writing called the Sempottu Pattiram
having been written for Periya Mudali Marikar, Sd..Periya Perumal Mugavettu.
Bertolacci (1817) The Challias, or Cinnamon-peelers, are
said to have been originally a distinct race of people who came from the
continent of India. There is no distinction to be noticed, at present, between
them and the Ceylonese Proper, either in their personal appearance, manners,
religion, or language. They form, now, one of the Ceylonese casts,
distinguished only from the others by their occupation, and some privileges
granted to them by the European governments. The Moormen who were established
in trade at the sea-port of Barbereen, and navigated to the coast of
Coromandel, brought from it to Ceylon seven men, about the year 1210, and
presented them to the King Wattenowe, the reigning Raja. Some say, that these men
were slaves; others state them to have been palanquin-bearers ; but the most
probable and general opinion is, that they were weavers . It is added, that, in
those times, there were no people of that profession in Ceylon; and it may now
be remarked, that, besides their occupation of cultivating and peeling
cinnamon, the Challias are almost all weavers ; and that in the southern parts
of the island, which are peopled by the Ceylonese Proper, there are no other
weavers but the Challias . The persons of that profession now in Ceylon,
besides the Challias, are Moormen or Malabars, and reside in the northern or
eastern provinces. From these seven men the whole cast of the Challias is said
to have sprung.
The cinnamon is collected by the caste of the Mahabadde, commonly called Challias. Prone to insult the casts which are superior to them, they have long aimed at attaining the privileges of the Vellales ; and their demands on this head often embarrassed the Dutch Government. The lands of the Challias are almost all free from contribution to Government, and they have privileges not enjoyed by other subjects in the colony. Of the Mahabaddes, which denomination comprehends all persons attached to the cultivation and preparation of cinnamon, the Challias, properly speaking, or peelers, hold the first rank; the labourers, the second: although, in common discourse, the appellations of Mahabaddes or Challias are indiscriminately used.
Some (Cotton) is now cultivated at Batticalo and Chilaw,
but more at Hambangtotte, whence it is taken to several villages of challias or
cinnamon-peelers, in the Galle province; but particularly to the vicinity of
Ambelamgodde, where it is manufactured by them into cloth
In 1833, Johnston provided an account (based on a copper
plate which he acquired from the Maraikar) and presented their flag to the
Asiatic Society, which documents their arrival pictorially. He says - As the
Cingalese inhabitants of Ceylon were previous to the thirteenth century,
ignorant of the art of weaving fine cloth, which was then known to the Hindu
inhabitants of the peninsula of India, the Kings of Kandy offered great rewards
to any of their subjects who would bring over from the peninsula some weavers
for the purpose of introducing that art into Ceylon. Early in the thirteenth
century, a Mahommedan merchant of Barbareen, a port between Colombo and Point
De Galle, on the south west coast of the island, induced by the offer, brought
over eight weavers from the peninsula in one of his trading vessels, and landed
them at Barbareen. On their arrival, the then King of Kandy received them with
great kindness, had them married to women of distinction, gave them houses and
lands, established a manufactory for them in the vicinity of his palace, and conferred
the highest honours upon their chief. The descendants of these persons, who
were called by the other natives of the country Chalias, having in the course
of two centuries become numerous and powerful, excited the jealousy of the
Kandian government, and were compelled by the King of the country, as a
punishment for some alleged offence against his authority, to quit the
interior, and settle near the south-west coast of the island, in the district
where cinnamon grows to perfection; and there as the condition upon which they
were allowed some government lands, to peel and prepare for the government, without
pay as much cinnamon annually as it might require
The flag he obtained is shown below. Although it is not officially called the Nambudri Flag, that name was given later, possibly after the Chalias, for various reasons projected a Brahmin connection.
The flag was called the Namediri Kodiy, and a new theory
emerged that these seven had been Nambudiris from Malabar/Kerala. The names
Walliyam, Alaimuni, Walliammayi, Walisalaman, Wediyasaran, Paramuttu, and
Malliyan were changed to Nambudiri, Kappinai, Virasingi, Virakkodi, Edirimuni,
Valaimuni, and Edirisingi.
From Hussein’s study - C.De Z.Gunaratna who relies on the
Heladiv Bamuṇu Vata, an old Ola leaf manuscript dealing with the arrival of the
Salagama, holds that the Salagama arrived in Sri Lanka in the Saka year 1009 or
1087 A.C. These Brahmaṇs, he says, were brought to Sri Lanka to perform the
abhisheka (coronation ceremony) of Vijayabahu I as borne out by the illustrations
in the Salagama flag and the Saka date of the 7th day of Vesak 1010 (1088 A.D.)
when Periya Mudali Marikkar received his famous copper grant, it being the
practice in the time of the Rajarata kings to perform the abhisheka on the pasaḷossaka
poya day of Vesak.
The copper sannasa bestowed on Periya Mudali Marikkar on
the 7th day of the month of Vesak in the Saka year 1010 has it that the seven Brahmaṇs
named Nambudiri, Kappinai, Vīrasingi, Virakkodi, Edirimuni, Valaimuni, and
Edirisingi were brought from Saliya Mangala by Mudali Marikka of Gorakaduva,
Beruvala. Gunaratna records that the task of bringing the eight Brahmaṇs to the
country to perform the abhisheka of Vijayabahu was entrusted to Periya Mudali
Marikkar, who along with Kappal Udayar, Ahamad Kadiral Lebbe, Uduman Lebbe,
Selesman Lebbe and sixty other Arabs embarked on ships bound to India and made
their way to Saligrama (which was known as Sliya Mangala) where they selected
the eight Brahmaṇs as well as an additional Brahmaṇ, two of whom later died due
to an unfortunate incident that took place while at sea. The seven remaining Brahmaṇs
however arrived at the port of Beruwala. Here they received from the King a
Sannasa, Mutukuda and a flag depicting the sun, moon, svastika, conch, sword
and trident. They then departed to Anuradhapura to perform the abhisheka.
Having thus pleased the King, they were invited to settle in Polonnaruva, where
they were espoused to aristocratic women by the King.
This is, however, quite unlikely since these are not
Nambudiri names. Additionally, Nambudiris were never associated with such
professions or trades, let alone weaving, and they do not resemble the seven
being carried on the porters' shoulders in the painting. Nambudiris had
distinctive hairstyles, with side knots! Finally, they were quite wealthy and
would never leave their sacred villages, as ordained by Parasurama. Also, along
the way, the flag itself appears to have been altered; a section was blanked out
(near the boat) for unknown reasons, was called the Namediri flag, and became a
national treasure.
Adrian Ragia Pakse provided a very long and curious description. An extract follows - Ceylon is a small island, at a little distance from Dambedive (Somewhere in North India) ….A descendant of the first king of Dambedive, Mahasamete, arrived there. He was called Vige Koumarea and was the son of Vagowragia. This prince Vige had acted very unjustly towards his father's subjects. And his father, recollecting that Boudhou had foretold that his son Vige would be king of Ceylon, made him embark with 700 giants, and ordered them all to go in search of the island of Ceylon. They departed with fair wind for the mountain, Saman cle Sripade, which they perceived at distance, and landed at Tamine in the Wany. Vige destroyed all the devils, and cultivated the lands. He then sent large presents to the king of Paundi, whose daughter he demanded and obtained in marriage. The princess brought 700 young girls with her, and servants and artists of every description. The 700 giants married the 700 girls; Vige wedded the princess, and declared himself king. Sometime after, Vige Ragia made other presents to his father-in-law, who, in return, sent him some Piskare Brahmines. Vige received them well, granted them lands and honours, and they employed themselves in making magnificent gold stuffs for the king and queen. He died after thirty-eight years reign. The descendants of these Peskare Brahmines neglected the art, gave themselves up to agriculture, and lost the name of Peskare with their talent…..
It is said in the book Saliegesoutre, that they lived in
the village Saleagame. which means the village of houses or buildings. This
village was afterwards called Chelow. This place gave the name afterwards to
the caste. Some Europeans shortly after arrived in Ceylon, who employed the
Peskare Brahmines or Saleagame to gather cinnamon. It is certain that the
Saleas, at present called Challias, descend from very high cast, and that they
have always been held in great estimation having, except in late times, been
constantly exempted from paying taxes, and enjoyed great honours.
In 1799, some members traveled to Burma and were ordained as
Buddhist monks, thus creating a Buddhist following. However, many of them had also
become Catholics during the Portuguese period.
Gananath Obeyesekere (1987)
summarizes - The Salagama caste were weavers, later cinnamon peelers, from
Malabar who were brought to the south coast by the Portuguese. Several of these
Salagamas have the surname (vasagama) Nambudirige (“of the Nambudiri”). A naive
interpretation of this term may lead us to conclude that they were originally
Nambudiri Brahmans from Kerala. It is very unlikely that Nambudiri Brahmans
ever practiced weaving (an inferior-caste occupation). Salagama (or Chalaiyans)
are found in South India to this day as weavers. If so, how did they get the
surname Nambudiri?
We have to interpret Sinhala caste dynamics both
historically and contextually. The original settlers of the West and South were
Sinhala goyigama (farmers), some of them originally from Malabar. Much later,
in early Portuguese times, there were immigrations of kardva (fishermen, karaiyar
of South India) and salagama. The Karava were antagonistic to the Sinhala
goyigama, who were the highest caste in the area. To boost their own status the
karava activated the varna scheme, which was moribund in Sri Lanka. Thus, by
the varna scheme goyigama are Sudra, the Kardva then pushed their ancestry to
the Kuru (kaurava) of the Mahabharata war, thereby making them kshatriya. The Salagama,
not to be outdone, opposed themselves to the Kardva (to whom they were traditionally
hostile) by claiming Brahman descent, which made them the highest in the varna
scheme! The only Brahmans they knew were the Nambudiris from their original
home in Kerala; thus, Salagama came to be descended from the Nambudiris.
Interpretations of caste claims of this sort cannot be taken literally but must
be seen as a dialectic of conflict between antagonistic castes.
Over time, the Salagamas began to assimilate with the
Sinhalese, aided by a noble lineage, and became disconnected from the Tamils
and cinnamon cultivation. However, historically, they faced hard times after
the King degraded them to cinnamon peelers and enforced Rajakarya, providing no
pay, only basic maintenance. They did a bit better under the Portuguese but
struggled more under the Dutch; nevertheless, the practice of Rajakarya was
abolished. After the British arrived, Governor Frederic North officially
recognized them as a caste and served as their leader for a time. They created
their own subcastes, branching into roles like soldiers and porters, and
eventually formed a vibrant community.
Interestingly, the Maraikkars seem to have been active in
Ceylon as early as the 11th century, which also suggests that Calicut and
Chaliyam were popular ports with Mairakkar trade links from that period.
However, this conclusion needs further investigation, as it is generally
accepted that Chaliyas only arrived in Calicut during the 13th century.
The temporal and spiritual conquest of Ceylon - Queyroz, Fernão de, 1617-1688, Vol 3
Settlement sites of the artisan communities in pre-modern Malabar – Ajesh am
The book of Ceylon – Henry Cave
Caste in Sri Lanka – Asiff Hussein
Ceylon: The Portuguese Era; Being a History of the Island for the – Vol 2 -Paul Edward Pieris
A view of the agricultural, commercial, and financial interests of Ceylon - A Bertolacci
Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society – Vol 3, 1833 A Johnston article Account of a Flag representing the Introduction of the Caste of Chalias or Cinnamon-peelers, into Ceylon
Asiatic researches Vol #7 - On the religion and manners of the people of Ceylon- Joinville
The Cult of the Goddess Pattini – G Obeyesekere
Ceylon – H J Suckling
Sinhalese Banners and Standards – Edward W perera
Malayalees of Ceylon – KC Sankaranarayanan
Historic alleys – Calico
and its origins
Historic Alleys – The
Sha-Mi-Ti mystery
Historic Alleys – Right
and Left-handed castes
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