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

each and every caste mentioned here were to be found in Jaffna society even in
2015.

As pointed out by Sivathamby (2005), Vellalah and Brahmin castes are recognized
as high castes (p. 10). However, in practice the Vellalahs were able to dominate

society as the ratio of Brahmins was very low. Also, “---these Brahmins were being
employed only as temple priests. They were in fact salaried employees of the

Vellalah who managed the temples” (Banks, 1960, pp. 66–67). Mahindapala’s (n.d)
observation regarding the Vellalah’s hegemony of Jaffna was, “Jaffna had only one

identity, the identity of the Vellalahs. It was a closed society that did not permit

anything outside its rigidly conservative identity. The power and the insularity of the
Vellalahs, together with the exclusion of any external influences, gave them the

upper hand in Jaffna. Having eliminated all rivals there was no one to challenge
them so they resisted jealously and fiercely any intervention from any external or

internal quarter.” Under the hegemony of the Vellalahs Jaffna society continues its
feudal rituals and practices. Vellalahs were the traditional landowners in the society.

Also, during the colonial period they were able to access the best educational

resources, which allowed them to acquire proficiency in the English language and
other subjects. That and the close relationship they maintained with the colonial

rulers enabled them to enter the important professions and achieve political

representation. As Russell noted, “Under British rule, missionaries began setting up
schools in Jaffna and the American missionaries were allowed to function only in

Jaffna along with the British. The Jaffna Tamils, especially Vellalahs took to
education in a big way to gain upward mobility” (Russell, 1984, p. 35). In this

context they were able to further monopolize the whole of Jaffna society and
become wealthy and powerful. Rasanen (2015) explained this as follows, “Vellalahs

had a monopoly over land ownership, social leadership, education, the service

castes, places of worship and religious rituals, and thus over the entirety of Vellalah-
hood” (p. 74).

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