<< Back to Home Page

Dearth of Available Source Material

The researcher into genealogy in Sri Lanka, (as in the rest of the Indian subcontinent) faces a significant problem due to the lack of reliable source material. Unlike in the west, where there has been a long tradition of documenting genealogical data (ie: births, marriages and deaths) from very early times, in Sri Lanka it is only after the advent of the Portuguese that such information was recorded systematically in the Parish records. (sadly these records were destroyed by the Portuguese to prevent them from falling into the hands of the advancing Dutch army.)

In Sri Lanka as in the Indian sub-continent, genealogical information was maintained and passed down by Oral Tradition prior to the advent of the Colonial Powers.  Even the Hindu religious teachings such as the Vedas have been passed down the centuries from father to Son by word of mouth.  In Jaffna, genealogical information about prominent families were also traditionally maintained by the Paraya community (the drummer caste).

The vestiges of the feudal structure, which continued to remain until the,  1950’s 1960’s, has disappeared hastened by the ethnic conflict. Village communities including the “Parayas” have dispersed from their native villages, taking with them their knowledge of the local genealogies. Information that had been committed to writing was on perishable material, and hence very little if any has survived the ravages of time. Official Documents have also been lost in the destruction caused by the civil war.

One of the leading causes for the collapse of the caste system has been migration. Internal migration from Jaffna and the Vannis to the business and economic centres of the country, which took place in the closing years of the 19th century and the   early part of the 20th century. The advent of the ethnic conflict in the 1970's saw migration of many residents of Jaffna and the Vannis migrate to countries such as Canada and Australia where large communities of Jaffna Tamil diaspora can be found.  In addition to migration, education too has played a part in the collapse of the caste system of Jaffna and the Vannis. As education became readily available many Jaffna Tamils from the traditional lower castes have pursued careers in other professions. Therefore the castes and the traditional occupations of the Jaffna Tamil people have ceased to be a consideration in the day to day lives of the people, and have over a period of time been abandoned and forgotten.