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Research Journal of the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka- Rohana 11, 2019

Over thousands of years the depressed caste Tamil people had been subjected to
Vellalah hegemony, based on the traditional caste system and its injustices. Ragavan

(2009) who was an early Tamil militant leader presented a clear idea regarding

contemporary Tamil society. “I think the Jaffna Tamil society is structurally violent
because of the caste system. When an upper caste man’s honour is questioned, he

uses violence to assert his authority.” This observation is sufficient to convey an
idea of how the lower caste Tamil people had to face discrimination by the dominant

upper caste. As pointed out by Silva et al. (2009), the caste system among Sri

Lankan Tamils in Jaffna can be seen to be very rigid, with clearly defined patterns of
inequality, discrimination, and social rejection (p. 06).

The Jaffna caste system had an inverted pyramidal structure with the Vellalah in the

dominant top position (Banks, 1960; Mahroof, 2000; Pfaffenberger, 1982;
Siddarthan, 2003). Simon Casie Chetty (1934) identified more than 65 castes among

Sri Lankan Tamils. However, most studies by national and international authors
(Banks, 1960; David, 1974; Pfaffenberger, 1982; Rasanen, 2015) have estimated a

little more than twenty castes in the peninsula. Those castes are listed here according

to their population strength in Jaffna. Vellalah (land owner, farmer) 50.0%,
Karaiyar (deep-sea fisherman) 10.0%, Nalavar (praedial laborer) 9.0%, Pallar

(praedial laborer) 9.0%, Koviar (domestic servant) 7.0%, Paraiyar (drummer) 2.7%,

Thachchar (carpenter) 2.0%, Mukkuvar (lagoon fisher) 2.0%, Pantaram (garland
maker) 1.0%, Vannar (washer) 1.5%, Ambattar (barber/ hairdresser) 0.9%, Brahmin

(temple priest) 0.7%, and Thattar (goldsmith) 0.6%, Cantar (oil monger) 0.5%,
Kuyavar (potter) 0.5%, Kikular (weaver) 0.5%, Kollar (blacksmith) 0.4%, and

Nattuvar (musician) 0.2%. Further, Sivathamby (1995) has identified some other
castes in addition to above castes. These are, Saiva kurukkal (Vellalah who achieved

the status of temple priest), Nattuvar (temple drummers), Kaikkular, Chettikai/

Chiviar (those who carried palanquin for kings), Mukkuvar (fisherman) and
Turumpar (washers for paraiyar). Rasanen (2015) has confirmed that members of

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