Kandyan Royal Consorts

Queen Consort of Kingdom of Kandy
අග බිසව
Queen Consort Venkata Rangammal Devi
StyleHer Majesty
Member ofInner Court
ResidenceMeda Wasala
AppointerThe Monarch
Formation1469
First holderMayurawathi of Gampola
Final holderVenkata Rangammal Devi
Abolished1815
Unofficial namesRandoli

In the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka, the Kings maintained a harem that consisted of a chief queen and one or two secondary queens. In addition to the queens, the harem also included concubines, who were divided into three categories based on their rank. The highest-ranking category was Randoli, which consisted of consorts of royal blood who held the position of chief queen. The second category, Rididoli, consisted of consorts from either noble families of royal lineage or sisters of Randoli. The lowest ranking category was Yakadadoli, who were from the Radala (Elite) castes.[1][2]

The names Randoli, Rididoli, and Yakadadoli are believed to have originated from the palanquins used by the different ranks of consorts of the Kings of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. The Randoli consorts used a palanquin made from gold, which is reflected in their name. The Rididoli consorts used a palanquin made from silver, and the Yakadadoli consorts used a palanquin made from iron. This naming convention was likely used to differentiate the different ranks and levels of status among the royal consorts.

  • Rank I - Randoli (Sinhala: රන් දෝලිය)
  • Rank II - Rididoli (Sinhala: රිදී දෝලිය)
  • Rank III - Yakadadoli (Sinhala: යකඩ දෝලිය)
  1. ^ Fernando, A. Denis N. (1986). "ANCIENT MAPS OF SRI LANKA—as a Primary Source of Information for the Study of HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND POLITICAL BOUNDARIES". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka Branch. 31: 82–114.
  2. ^ Vimaladharma, Kapila Pathirana (2000). "FAMILY GENEALOGIES IN THE STUDY OF PRE-COLONIAL KANDYAN SOCIETY AND POLITY". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka. 45: 93–128.