The Northern Peninsula is richly embellished with history. During a visit there I came across a tale infused with religious zeal, and began to unravel a legend that would make a great movie, for, it has the elements of faith, fear, betrayal and hope. Ancient kingdoms have intrigued us with conquest and enigmatic diplomacy. The Northern Province was once home to a dynasty of Kings known as the Ariya Cakaravarti who ruled for almost 300 years. Today, there is little left in terms of royal ruins. Ceylon was subject to three waves of colonization: Portuguese, Dutch and British. Prior to this era there was dominant interference from the Pandyan Kingdom of India.
The Ramnad District (Ramanathapuram) had an area known as Cevvirukkai Nadu. These men of Brahmin origin excelled in military service to the Pandyan kings. As such, Cinkai Ariyan was a descendant of a Brahmin general. Cakaravarti Nallur was the ancestral homeland of this clan. It is interesting to note that today, the Nallur area in Jaffna which was the capital of these rulers bears the same name.
The chronicler of the Cekerasacekaramalai describes the bestowing of royalty on this family in South India. At a temple ritual Sri Rama garlanded two of these men with a Thulasi garland ‑ a symbol of royalty and gave them the standard (flag) of the Bull (Nandi). A single conch shell was also gifted. When one looks at the ancient flag of Vavuniya we can see its borders displaying four conch shells which prove this ancient rite of honour. Over the next three centuries the Ariyan kings used the throne names Cekarasacekeran and Pararasacekeran.
The first 12 monarchs ruled independently but following the Portuguese invasion the remaining kings had to rule under suzerainty. Cankili I was one of the most controversial and bold kings of this dynasty. Prior to him assuming the throne there were a series of mysterious deaths of others aspiring regal status. Such incidents have plagued royalty, globally. The father of Cankili I had three wives and a host of concubines, something which would not be accepted in Tamil society today.
The first wife Rajalakshmi bore him two sons, while the second wife Valliammal bore him a son, Paranirupasingham. The third wife gave birth to Cankili (Sangilian) along with a daughter.
Cankili I was a man who often seemed to act on impulse. His young son had been acquainted by a Portuguese named Andre de Souza. This mutual bond gave De Souza the chance to gracefully persuade the Prince to follow the Catholic faith. The converted young Prince was planning to go to Goa and be baptized. When his father, the King became aware of this, in a violent rage he ordered his son to be murdered in November 1544. The king without remorse buried his son with royal honours.
Another native Antonio Fernandez is said to have built a small chapel in the thick forest border on the spot where the crown Prince’s ashes were buried, naming the spot ‘Emilda de Cruz’. Thus the son of Cankili became a Christian martyr. An old man with impaired vision, I met at the church told me that a shining Cross would appear randomly on this spot, which had dazzled people centuries ago. I tried to trace this area with no response. The present day folks did not even know of this legend. Yet, some believe, this is the present location of the St. Mary’s Cathedral, Jaffna built in 1789 (almost 245 years later).
Easily provoked by anger Cankili I was ready to stain his hands with blood. The violent massacre would lead to his downfall. Jaffna was a relatively calm place at this time in history, enjoying trade. In 1543 many in Tuticorin converted to Catholicism, due to the dedicated efforts of Francis Xavier. Thereafter, the Portuguese had to settle these new Parava converts and faithfully eyed the Northern islands. Perhaps, they also had a hidden agenda to wield control of the lucrative pearl business which was thriving in Mannar. At this juncture Mannar had a busy port called Manthai (Manthottam) which was a strategic maritime trading centre.
A pious young priest arrived in Mannar and went about preaching, without the consent of the ruling King. Shortly, the offended Hindu priests began to inform the King of the activities of the zealous priest. Cankili I frustrated with this act of disloyalty by his citizens ordered the Military garrison stationed in Mannar to control the conversions. He was dismayed to find his own Commander, Ilavarasn Ilansigham, and the soldiers on the island had embraced the Christian faith and failed to obey the royal decree. With a sense of betrayal and frustration Cankili I began to realize that the people of Mannar and the garrison may support the Portuguese, whose invasion had been considered a threat.
Also, around this time the Portuguese Commandant had destroyed the Ketheeswaram Temple and was using the same bricks to build the Mannar Fort, which infuriated the King.
The dishonoured monarch directed his army of almost 5,000 troops armed with swords and spears and entered Mannar. He sent a royal edict asking the converts to renounce the Catholic faith. The people remained steadfast. In a violent display of terror the enraged, Cankili I ordered his troops to attack, killing 700 unarmed people, including children in a blood bath. The young Priest Francis and Commander Ilansingham were put to the sword. The entire province was horrified as blood stained the once serene sands. The King proceeded to bury his former chief Ilansingham with royal honours. As a tribute to the dead the bewildered Portuguese would refer to Mannar as Illa dos Matryres – Island of Martyrs.
To this day, there are wild horses roaming in Mannar, from the cavalry of the Portuguese regiments that once rode this barren land, an endorsement to the validity of this legend. Sometime thereafter Cankili I was rejected and his son Puviraja Pandaram ascended the throne.
In 1617 Cankili II aspired to rule the Kingdom of Jaffna. Like his predecessor he also displayed a darker side. He manipulated an attack of the reigning heir, the Princess Arasasekari and murdered her. He assumed power as Cekerasasekeran VIII. Many believed he received military help from Thanjavur for this stealthy palace raid. The mercenaries landed at Nedunthivu. Once again his reign was challenged by the Portuguese.
Over the next few years he was ambushed by the Portuguese under the direction of Philippe de Olivera who arrived in Ceylon with a battalion of soldiers sailing by a naval flotilla of almost 60 ships. Cankili II was overpowered and sent as a prisoner to Goa, where he was subsequently hanged. It is believed, some remaining members of his family embraced Holy orders and became monks and nuns: a strange twist of events as his father once murdered people who converted to the Catholic faith. Cankili II was the last King of Jaffna. During the period 1644 to 1678 the areas of the North came to be known as Pannemgammam, land of the palmyrah trees, the same trees which majestically rise to dominate the Northern skyline.