Karava

Karava of Sri Lanka
The Karava Maha Kodiya of the Karava Community.
Regions with significant populations
Sri Lanka,
Languages
Sinhala (Tamil also spoken by bilingual Karavas north of Negombo.)
Religion
91% Theravada Buddhism, 9% Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Sinhalese, Tamils, Karaiyar, Pattanavar
The Karava Sun and Moon Flag symbolising the Royal Solar and Lunar Dynastical origins of the community. This flag is also one of the main flags still used by the Karavas at their ceremonies.

Karava (Sinhala: කරාවා, romanized: Karāvā) is a Sinhalese speaking ethnic group of Sri Lanka, whose ancestors migrated throughout history from the Coromandel coast, claiming lineage to the Kaurava royalty of the old Kingdom of Kuru in Northern India. The Tamil equivalent is Karaiyar.[1][2][3][4][5] Both groups are also known as the Kurukula (Kuru clan).[6]

The last mass migration to Sri Lanka happened in the 15th century from Tamil Nadu to fight against the Mukkuvar confederation as mentioned in the Mukkara Hatana. They have also given great importance to trade and commerce. The elite families are involved in entrepreneurial activities including the development of plantation agriculture such as coconut, tea and rubber.[7][8][9] They also played a leading role in advocating constitutional reforms and socialism prior to independence as well as in the emergence of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism in post-independent Sri Lanka.[10][11][12][13][14] It is estimated that they form 10% of the Sinhalese population.[15]

  1. ^ PARANAVITĀNA, Senerat (1970). Inscriptions of Ceylon Vol. I (3rd century BC to 1st century CE in the Early Brāhmī Script). Department of Archaeology. pp. 7, 83 & 113. ISBN 9789559159308.
  2. ^ Raghavan, M. D. (1971). Tamil culture in Ceylon: a general introduction. Kalai Nilayam. pp. 53, 138.
  3. ^ Cambridge South Asian Studies. Cambridge University Press. 1965. pp. 18, 51. ISBN 9780521232104.
  4. ^ Indrapala, Karthigesu (1965). Dravidian Settlements in Ceylon and the Beginnings of the Kingdom of Jaffna. University of London. pp. 109–110, 371, 373.
  5. ^ Raghavan, M. D. (1961). The Karāva of Ceylon: Society and Culture. K.V.G. De Sīlva. pp. 5, 13, 195.
  6. ^ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, Volume 36-37. University of Michigan: Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka. 1993. p. 137.
  7. ^ Roberts, Michael (1982). Caste Conflict and Elite Formation. Cambridge University Press. pp. 18, 75, 81–8, 131–40, 300–20. ISBN 9780521052856.
  8. ^ Jiggins, Janice (1979-06-07). Caste and Family Politics Sinhalese 1947-1976. Cambridge University Press. p. 27. ISBN 9780521220699.
  9. ^ Fernando, Mario (2007). Spiritual Leadership in the Entrepreneurial Business: A Multifaith Study. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 55. ISBN 9781847208613.
  10. ^ Roberts, Michael (1982). Caste conflict and elite formation: the rise of a Karāva elite in Sri Lanka, 1500–1931. Cambridge University Press. pp. 292–7. ISBN 978-0-521-23210-4.
  11. ^ Guruge, Ananda (2011). PEACE AT LAST IN PARADISE. Author-House. pp. 213–14. ISBN 978-1463418373.
  12. ^ Peebles, Patrick (2015-10-22). Historical Dictionary of Sri Lanka. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442255852.
  13. ^ Silva, K. M. De (1981). A History of Sri Lanka. University of California Press. pp. 361–362. ISBN 9780520043206.
  14. ^ Working towards reform, The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) Retrieved 23 April 2015
  15. ^ Bush, Kenneth (2003). The Intra-Group Dimensions of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka: Learning to Read Between the Lines. Springer. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-230-59782-2.