Ehelepola Nilame

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Ehelepola Nilame
ඇහැලේපොළ නිලමේ
Ehelepola Maha Nilame (Maha Adikaram).jpg
First Adigar
In office
1811–1814
EducationYatawatte Pirivena
OccupationCivil servant

Ehelapola Wijesundara Wickramasinghe Chandrasekara Seneviratna Jayatillake Ekanayaka Amarakone Wahala Panditha Mudiyanse (Sinhala : ඇහැලේපොල විජයසුන්දර වික්‍රමසිංහ චන්ද්‍රසේකර සෙනෙවිරත්න ජයතිලක ඒකනායක අමරකෝන් වාහල පණ්‌ඩිත මුදියන්සේ; [1] 1773–1829), commonly known as Ehelapola Nilame (Sinhala : ඇහැලේපොළ නිලමේ), was a courtier of the Kingdom of Kandy. He was the Pallegampahe Adigar, and held the honorary title of Maha Nilame from 1811 to 1814 under the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha of Kandy. Ehelapola joined a revolt against King Rajasinha in Sabaragamuva province after he was sent to conquer it, and his entire family was executed. He helped the British launch an invasion against the Kandy Kingdom, overthrow Rajasinha, and subjugate Kandy to the British monarchy under the Kandyan Convention. Various records of Sri Lankan history suggest that he aided the British with the plan to later overthrow them. He was later convicted of treason by the British following the Great Rebellion of 1817–18, and was exiled to Mauritius.

Contents

Early life

He was born to a Radala family of courtiers who came from the village of Ehelepola, and was educated by the chief priest, Yatawatte, before joining the royal court as part of the royal household. He was the son of a chieftain named Wijayasundere Wickremasinghe Chandrasekere Seneviratne Senanayake Jayatillake Ekanayaka Amarakoon Rajapakse Wahala Pandita Mudiyanse Adikaram and Pilimatalawe Kumarihami, sister of Pilimatalawe Pallegampaha Adikaram. His grandfather was awarded the position of Mohottala of the Dadimunda Shrine, Aluthnuwara by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe and was the youngest out of four brothers who belonged to the family of Madawla Kulatunga, a Kandyan Radala family who had been chieftains of the Uva Province for centuries. The second eldest of the four brothers was Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero, the last Sangharaja of Sri Lanka.

Royal service

Seal of Maha Nilame Seal of Ehelepola Maha Nilame.png
Seal of Maha Nilame

Ehelepola's first appointment was to the post of Paniwidakara Nilame by the king, and was later appointed Udagampahe Adigar in 1808 succeeding Megastenne on his death. Ehelepola was appointed Maha Dissava of Sabaragamuva. Sath Korale, which was also held by Megastenne was divided between Molligoda and Ehelepola which was unprecedented and caused much unrest amongst the populaces and resulted in riots in 1811, which had to be put down by Pilimatalawwe Nilame, the Udagampahe Adigar and Ehelepola's uncle. It also led to much animosity between Molligoda and Ehelepola. In 1811, Pilimatalawwe was beheaded after he was convicted of high treason for attempting to remove the King and replace him with the young Prince Kannasamy. Ehelepola was thereafter appointed as Maha Adigaram in 1811. The king became increasingly suspicious of his chiefs and courtiers. His suppression of his repressive enemies was brutal and soon the king became unpopular among his chiefs and people.

Rebellion

Ehelepola Nilame's Monument in Mauritius. Ehelepola Nilame's Monument in Mauritius.JPG
Ehelepola Nilame's Monument in Mauritius.

The king fell out of favor with the Ehelepola and when a revolt broke out in Sabaragamuva, Ehelepola was sent to suppress it. When Ehelepola failed to return on the king's summons, Molligoda was dispatched to capture and return with Ehelepola. Following an engagement with Molligoda's men, Ehelepola went to the coastal areas of the island to gain support to overthrow the king.

Molligoda returned to Kandy with 47 chiefs of Sabaragamuwa as prisoners, who were executed in a day followed by the brutal execution of Ehelepola's family. After these executions, the king lost popular support and riots broke out in response. As a result, the king fled to Hanguranketha. Ehelepola joined the British forces with the plan to overthrow the British after the capture of Kandy in January 1815.

The Kandyan Convention was shortly signed on March 2 recognizing the British monarchy. Following this convention, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was captured and exiled to India.

Later life and death

After the capture of Kandy by the British, Ehelepola was banned from various activities, such as riding his white horse in public, to prevent the people of Ceylon from viewing him as the possible king of Kandy.

Prior to the Great Rebellion of 1817–18, Ehelepola’s plan to retake island after the capture of the Kandy was halted by the British administration; he was arrested by the British and exiled to Mauritius along with several Kandyan chiefs without any cause. He died there in 1829 from cholera. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kandyan Wars</span> British Army expeditionary campaigns

The Kandyan Wars refers generally to the period of warfare between the British colonial forces and the Kingdom of Kandy, on the island of what is now Sri Lanka, between 1796 and 1818. More specifically it is used to describe the expeditionary campaigns of the British Army in the Kingdom of Kandy in 1803 and 1815.

Great Rebellion of 1817–1818, also known as the 1818 Uva–Wellassa Rebellion , was the third Kandyan War in the Uva and Wellassa provinces of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which is today the Uva province of Sri Lanka. The rebellion started against the British colonial government under Governor Robert Brownrigg, three years after the Kandyan Convention ceded Kingdom of Kandy to the British Crown.

Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, born Kannasamy, was the last of four kings to rule the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. Being crowned king in 1798 with the backing of Pilamathalawe Adikaram, his capture by the British in 1815 effectively concluded the 2,300-year Sinhalese monarchy on the island. The Nayak Kings were of Telugu origin and practiced Shaivite Hinduism and were patrons of Theravada Buddhism. The Nayak rulers played a huge role in reviving Buddhism in the island. They spoke Telugu and Tamil, and used Tamil as the court language in Kandy alongside Sinhala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radala</span> Sinhala aristocratic subcaste of the Govigamas, traditionally of the Kandy region in Sri Lanka

Radala refers to a small minority group in Sri Lanka in the former provinces of the Kingdom of Kandy, who are either descendants of chiefs and courtiers of the King of Kandy of Nayaks of Kandy or descendants of native headmen appointed by the British colonial administration following the Uva Rebellion in 1818.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nayaks of Kandy</span> Rulers in Sri Lanka, 1739 to 1815

The Nayaks of Kandy were the rulers of the Kingdom of Kandy between 1739 and 1815, and the last dynasty to rule on the island. The term Nayak is derived from the Sanskrit word Nāyaka. Their rise to power came about as a result of the death of Vira Narendrasinha, who left no legitimate heir- the throne passed to his brother-in-law, who was crowned as Sri Vijaya Rajasinha in 1739. They were of Nayakkar origin, spoke Sinhala and Tamil, and used both Sinhala and Tamil as their court languages and also they used Telugu with their family members and with their familiars They are also credited for building various Vishnu temples in Sri Lanka dedicated to their clan deity Vishnu, known as Upulvan in Sinhala. A prominent one of them was the Kandy Vishnu Temple established at their capital Kandy. A cadet branch of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, the Kandyan Nayaks were related to the Thanjavur Nayaks as well. Both Madurai and Thanjavur nayaks belonged to Nayakkar caste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Kandy</span> Kingdom on the island of Sri Lanka from 1469 to 1815

The Kingdom of Kandy was a monarchy on the island of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in the late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diyawadana Nilame</span> Office of chief lay custodian in Sri Lanka

Diyawadana Nilame is the office of the chief lay custodian of the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Formerly an office of the royal household, at present it is the trustee for the Temple of the Tooth as defined by the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance of 1931. A ceremonial position, enriched with over two thousand years of history to protect and carry out ancient rituals for the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. The Diyawadana Nilame recognised as a states man has the responsibility of overseeing of all aspects of the Sri Dalada Maligawa. He has the traditional duty of organizing the annual pageant, the Kandy Esala Perahera. The current Diyawadana Nilame is Pradeep Nilanga Dela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kandyan Convention</span> 1815 treaty incorporating the Kandyan Kingdom into the British Empire

In the history of Sri Lanka, the Kandyan Convention was a treaty signed on 2 March 1815 between the British governor of Ceylon, Sir Robert Brownrigg, and the chiefs of the Kandyan Kingdom, British Ceylon, for the deposition of King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha and ceding of the kingdom's territory to the British Crown. It was signed in the Magul Maduwa of the Royal Palace of Kandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maha Adigar</span> Great Officer in the Amātya Mandalaya, Sinhalese Kingdom, Sri Lanka

The Mahâ Adigâr was a Great Officer in the Amātya Mandalaya, or Sinhalese Council of State, in the Sinhalese Kingdoms of monarchical Sri Lanka. The office was second in power and dignity to the King. Like many of the existing high offices at the time it had combined legislative and judicial powers and functioned primarily equivalent to that of a prime minister and chief justice, but also had duties in the governance of a province. During the Kandyan period there were two Adigars, who were styled Mahâ Nilames, the Pallegampahê Mahâ Nilamê and the Udagampahê Mahâ Nilamê, the former taking precedence over the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maha Dissava</span> Sri Lankan title

The Mahâ Dissâvas was a Great Officer in the Amātya Mandalaya, or Sinhalese Council of State, in the Sinhalese Kingdoms of monarchical Sri Lanka. Like many of the existing high offices at the time it had combined legislative and judicial powers and functioned primarily equivalent to that of a Provincial governor. The office of Dissava was retained under the successive European colonial powers, namely the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch East India Company and the British Empire. A Dissava was the governor of a province known as a Disavanies. Within his province, the Dissava held both executive and judicial authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madduma Bandara Ehelapola</span> Sri Lankan hero (1806–1814)

Madduma Bandara Ehelapola, mostly known as Madduma Bandara, was one of the national heroes of Sri Lanka. Bandara and his family were executed in 1814 by the King for treachery. His bravery at the time of his execution made him a legendary child hero in Sri Lanka.

Barnes Ratwatte was a Ceylonese colonial-era legislator and a headman. He was a member of the State Council and the Senate of Ceylon. He was appointed to the posts of Rate Mahatmaya of Balangoda and Dissawa by the British. He was the father of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the first female prime minister in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Leuke Ratwatte</span> Ceylonese legislator

Wijewardena Seneviratne Panditha Abeykoon Bandaranayake Wahala Mudiyanselage Harris Leuke Ratwatte MBE (1900–1964) was a Ceylonese legislator. He was a member of the State Council of Ceylon, Parliament and the Senate of Ceylon. Ratwatte was award the title of Dissawa by the British Governor of Ceylon and was elected as the Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. H. Meedeniya</span> Ceylonese politician

Rajakaruna Senanayaka Panditha Herath Wasala Kuruppu Mudiyanse Ralahamillage Punchi Banda John Henry Meedeniya was a Ceylonese legislator and a headmen. He was the Kandyan Sinhalese member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and elected member of the State Council of Ceylon for Ruwanwella. He was awarded the title of Adigar by the British Government of Ceylon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ratwatte Nilame</span>

Loku Nilame Adikaram Ratwatte was a courtier of the Kingdom of Kandy. He was the 2nd Adigar (Adigaram) from 1825 to 1827 during the British rule. He was one of the signatories of the Kandyan Convention which made the Kandyan Kingdom part of the British Empire.

The National Museum of Ratnapura is one of the national museums of Sri Lanka. It is located in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka and it was opened on 13 May 1988. The museum building is called “Ehelepola Walauwa”, as it once belonged to Ehelepola Nilame, a courtier of the Kingdom of Kandy, who was the 1st Adigar under the reign King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Sri Lanka, for whom he served as the Disawe of Ratnapura.

<i>Ahelepola Kumarihami</i> 2014 film

Ahelepola Kumarihami colloquially as Ehelepola Kumarihami is a 2014 Sri Lankan Sinhala epic historical film directed by Sugath Samarakoon and produced by Gayan Ranadheera for Rupun Films. It stars Dulani Anuradha and Jackson Anthony in lead roles along with Sriyantha Mendis and Nadeeka Gunasekara. Music composed by Rohana Weerasinghe. It is the 1208th Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema. The film is about the tragic historic incidence, where the last king of Sri Lanka, King Sri Vickrama Rajasinha slaughtered the entire family of Ehelepola Nilame due to mistaken as a betrayer to the Kandyan Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kandyan period</span> Period of Sri Lankan history from 1597 to 1815

The Kandyan period covers the history of Sri Lanka from 1597–1815. After the fall of the Kingdom of Kotte, the Kandyan Kingdom was the last Independent monarchy of Sri Lanka. The Kingdom played a major role throughout the history of Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1476. The kingdom located in the central part of Sri Lanka managed to remain independent from both the Portuguese and Dutch rule who controlled coastal parts of Sri Lanka; however, it was colonised by the British in 1815.

Ehelepola Walauwa was the ancestral home of Ehelepola Disawe and his family and is located in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

1815 in Sri Lanka marks the turn from the Kandyan period to the British Ceylon period, when the Kingdom of Kandy was disestablished and the creation of British Ceylon as the sole polity on the island.

References

  1. [Gamagē, N.J. (1980) Karatoṭa Nā Himi. Tihagoda: Nimal Jē. Gamagē. ]
  2. "The last days of Ehelepola Adikaram: A grudge that rewrote history". Archived from the original on 2014-05-21. Retrieved 2019-08-04.