Tamil migrations to Lanka are well-known but not many know that 1/3 of all Sinhalese such as the castes Karava, Salagama, Durava etc have recent, post-15th century, origins from South India. Karavas are now overrepresented in many fields such as the military and cricket.🧵1/6
South Indian presence and their cultural influence in southwest Lanka starting from 15th century were immense with the influx of labourers to the Kingdom of Kotte which was also founded by a South Indian family. They were gradually assimilated into Sinhalese society. 2/6.
Portuguese colonizers that came after also continued the policy of importing South Indian labourers who were settled to fill the labour gap left by depopulation in the south due to wars/epidemics. Many of these were Pallar from TN who constituted the majority in some villages.3/6
Later the Dutch colonizers also imported South Indian labourers for cinnamon peeling in the southwest and were categorized as “slaves”. 4/6
There was also an influx of South Indians into the Kingdom of Kandy which was ruled by a South Indian dynasty. These rulers also imported peasant soldiers from Madurai to settle in lands depopulated by the wars with European colonizers. 5/6
It’s estimated that most of the people employed in professions other than self-sufficient cultivation were recent South Indian immigrants. These immigrants were gradually integrated into Kandyan society and several myths emerged in Sinhala folklore to explain their presence. 6/6
