Mudaliyar (or Mudali) was a Ceylonese colonial title during Portuguese and British rule of the island. Stemming from the native headman system, the title was usually hereditary, made to wealthy influential families loyal to the British Crown.[1]
First used by Sinhalese kings and reigning princes from the Polonnaruwa period forward to ennoble subjects, the Portuguese from 17th century onwards, followed by the Dutch and British continued use of the Mudaliyar title.[1][2] The British use differed slightly in that they re-established a Mudaliyar class, at the behest of the Governor of Ceylon, with appointments that had the title of Mudali. This process was stopped in the 1930s when the Native Department of the British government of Ceylon was closed down.[3]
The members of this group formed a unique social group called the Sri Lankan Mudaliyars and associated with older Radala caste.[4] At present, the post of Court Mudliar remain in function in Sri Lankan courts.
- ^ a b Silva, R. Rajpal Kumar De (1988). Illustrations and Views of Dutch Ceylon 1602–1796: A Comprehensive Work of Pictorial Reference With Selected Eye-Witness Accounts. Brill Archive. p. 367. ISBN 90-04-08979-9.
- ^ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society. 1876. p. 302.
- ^ Peebles, Patrick (1995). Social change in nineteenth century Ceylon. Navrang in collaboration with Lake House Bookshop, Colombo. p. 256. ISBN 978-81-7013-141-0.
- ^ "The Mudaliyar Class of Ceylon" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2017.