How Muslims settled in Sri Lanka
The east-west trade between Asia and Europe came into the hands of
the Muslims when trading nations such as Persia went over to Islam. The
Muslim traders used the monsoon for sailing in the Indian Ocean. The
last stop to wait for the change of monsoon was Sri Lanka. On leaving
the Malabar coast, the next landmark they looked out for was Adams Peak.
Sri Lanka therefore became a permanent base of operations for the
Muslim trader. Three Muslim writers of the 10th century, Istakhri, Ibn
Hawqual and Maqdisi, speak of Sri Lanka as the final destination of
Muslim navigators.
Kiribamune says that Muslims had settled in Sri Lanka by the end of
the 7th century. Some of them brought their wives and families with them
but the majority married local women. The first arrivals were from West
Asia.
A focal point for Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority, Kechemalai Mosque
at beruwela marks the location of the first recorded Muslim
settlement on the island in 1024. |
They came from Arabia and the Persian Gulf area. M.A.M.Shukri, using
evidence from the Arabic (Kufi) inscriptions found in Sri Lanka, says
that the first settlers came from Aleppo, a city in Syria.
Three Muslim tombstones were found in the Mannar - Puttalam area.
Z.A.Desai, Superintending Epigraphist for Arabic and Persian at the
Indian Archaeological Survey said that the tombstone found off
Puttalam-Anuradhapura Road was in calligraphy peculiar to Morocco.
It probably belonged to the 9th or 10th century. The one found off
the Puttalam-Kurunegala Road appeared to be inscribed in Sabean
characters over which Tamil letters had been super inscribed.
Sabean script was used in kingdoms such as Yemen and Ethiopia. The
tombstone found off Puliyantivu in Mannar District was in Arabic Kufic
script and was dated it to 12th century.
Traders
By the 10 century, Arabs had entrenched themselves as traders on the
western coast of India. They married Indian women and from the 12th
century, Indo - Muslim settlements came up along the Indian coast, from
Gujerat to Bengal. The major settlements were in Gujerat and Kerala.
Low caste Hindus converted to Islam, adding to the number. In the
13th century, the Bay of Bengal trade passed into the hands of these
Indian Muslims. The Arabs had dropped out and were concentrating on the
Arabian Sea.
The Hindu merchants had also dropped out. The high caste Hindu felt
that travelling with Muslims and Europeans, contaminated him and made
him unclean. So Hindu merchants let Muslims export their merchandise. A
second set of Muslims came into Sri Lanka from these Muslim communities
of south India.
Marina Azeez says Muslims from Kalyanapattam in Tamilnadu,
established themselves in the eastern and western ports of Sri Lanka and
continued to trade with India.
Settlers from Kalyanapattam are believed to have arrived at Beruwela
in 1024 AD. Kalyanapattam was the main settlement of Indo-Muslims in
southeast India. Dewaraja says that south Indian Muslims visited Sri
Lanka in the 14th and 15th centuries for trade and in due course,
married local women. W.I.Siriweera says that the local settlements held
Malaysian Muslims as well.
The Muslim settlements in Sri Lanka were, almost without exception,
located close to sea ports. Kiribamune says the first settlement was
near the port of Mantota. Mantota was the leading port during
Anuradhapura period. This settlement seems to have disappeared once
Mantota lost its position as an international port. Ibn Batuta who
visited Sri Lanka in 1344 found no Muslims at Mundel, except for one
person from Khurasan who had been stranded there due to illness.
Inscription
There were Muslim settlements at the ports in the south west of Sri
Lanka. The Muslims seem to have followed the movement of trade from the
north west to the southwest.
A Kufic inscription datable to 949 AD was found in Colombo, in a
Muslim cemetery. Azeez says Kolontota or Kolamba consisted at this time
of a small fort and a small harbour from where extensive trade was
carried on. This settlement continued to develop. Ibn Batuta visiting in
1344 said Colombo was controlled by a Jalasti who is said to have had a
100 Ethiopians under him. Ibn Batuta also found a Muslim settlement in
Chilaw.
Beruwela was at one time regarded as the main centre of Muslim
settlements. A tombstone with Hijra 331 found in Muslim cemetery in
Beruwela, indicates that Muslim had settled there in the 10th century.
Marginolli who visited Sri Lanka in 1349 refers to a Kwajah Jahan at
Beruwela. Gira sandesaya (15 century) refers to Muslim women of Beruwela.
The Portuguese arriving in the 16th century, noted that Beruwela was in
Muslim hands. Ibn Batuta saw many Muslim merchants at Devinuwara (Dondra).
In Galle he was treated by a Muslim named captain Ibrahim who had a
residence in town. The Galle settlement continued into the modern
period. A collection of 15 tombstones datable to 16th century were found
at Karapitiya, Galle.
The main centres of Muslim settlement were in Colombo, Beruwela and
Galle. From these centres, the Muslims spread to other points along the
western and south western coasts such as such as Kalutara and Alutgama.
Close commercial contacts were maintained with the main ports and
often the Muslims at these small settlements inter-married with those of
the major ports. Shukri stated that port tombs show that in 16th
century, there were permanent well consolidated Moorish settlements in
all major ports from Mannar to Matara and in most of these towns, the
Moors had their own headmen. However, he provides no supporting
evidence.
There were many trading points centred on sheltered bays and inlets
such as Weligama (Valuk gama) Matara (Nilvalatiththa) and Bentota (Bhimmathithta).
These were predominantly Sinhalese settlements where Muslims were
allowed to settle.
There has been a settlement of Muslims in Trincomalee in the 15th and
16th centuries. Two tombstones were discovered at Nicholson’s cove
overlooking Trincomalee harbour. One tombstone, in Arabic Kufi and Naskh
script was that of a respected Quazi. Desai says the date given is
16.8.1405.
The other was for a ‘noble, pious and chaste lady’ the daughter of
Amir Badr ud din Hussain, son of Ali Al-Halabi. Desai was unable to
decide whether the year was 1329 or 1523 because the third digit of the
year had been ‘completely scraped off.’
Tombstones
There is little or no data regarding Muslim settlements in the
interior. Only two tombstones have been found in the interior, one by
the Puttalam - Kurunegala Road and the other by Puttalam - Anuradhapura
Road.
Ibn Batuta said that initially traders were not given access to the
interior. However, he had encountered a Muslim settlement at Gampola.
Azeez says it was only after the arrival of the Portuguese and Dutch
that Muslims migrated in large numbers and settled in the hill country
and in the eastern province.
However, the Portuguese sources say that when the Portuguese arrived
in Sri Lanka, Muslim villages were ‘to be found in every disawani.’
Marco Polo who was in Sri Lanka in 1292 AD, said the Muslims in the
ports were actively and busily engaged in trade. In 1344, Ibn Batuta
found that Muslims were in a position of privilege and even of power in
certain areas. Kiribamune says that after Parakrama bahu VI (1412-1467)
Sri Lanka rulers appear to have allowed Muslim and South Indian Hindu
merchants, particularly the Muslims, to take over control of the foreign
trade of the country and by the 15th century, the dispatch of export
items was completely in the hands of the Muslims.
She says that Muslim trade with Sri Lanka showed an undulating
pattern of growth culminating in an almost monopoly situation by the end
of the 15 century. The memoirs of Gaspar Corea show that when Lorenzo de
Almeida entered Colombo harbour, in the 16th century, vessels belonging
to Muslims were being loaded with cinnamon, small elephants, various
kinds of wood and green and dry coconuts.
Muslims have also been employed as mercenaries in the army. Marco
Polo said Sri Lanka hired Muslim soldiers. Marignolli also commented on
the fact that there were Muslim soldiers fighting in the armies of this
country.
(The writings of M. Azeez, S Devendra, L Dewaraja, S Kiribamune,
M.A.M. Shukri and W. I. Siriweera were used for this essay.) |