Bodhivansha caste

The caste traces its origin to the arrival of the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Sri Lanka. Dipavamsa, the earliest document of the history of Sri Lanka, states that the following persons came to the island with or associated with Sri Mahabodhi.The Dipavamsa, An ancient Buddhist historical record, Hermann Oldernberg, Asian Educational Services, Fourth reprint, New Delhi, 2006, p 88, p 195

1. Eight Kshatriya who were entrusted with protecting the Bodhi Tree
2. Bodhiguptha and Chandraguptha
3. Sixteen Lanka Mahalekhas (Lambakarnas)
4. Castes (or families) that received golden drums used for royal coronations (Lambakarnas)

The Mahavamsa records state that during the reign of King Parakramabahu I, three lambakarnas (or mahalekha), were sent to southern India for a coronation festival.Mahavansha (Sinhala), Buddhist Cultural Center 7th reprint, 2010, pp 382 Accordingly, they are either descendants of Bodhiguptha, Chandragupta, eight kshatriyas or from the gotra lambakarnas. Mahavamsa itself contains a narrative of this incident which is less credible than Dipavamsa. It states that eighteen families of gods, eighteen families of ministers, eight families of Brahmins, eight families of {{Transliteration|si|kelembi}} etc. have been sent from India.Mahavansha (Sinhala), Buddhist Cultural Center, 7th reprint, 2010, pp 81 However, only a certain "eight situ families are specifically mentioned as Bodahara Caste".Mahavansha (Sinhala), Buddhist Cultural Center, 7th reprint, 2010, pp 84 According to later sources, these situ clans are Bodhiguptha, Chandragupta, Samudragupta, Sumitta, Devagupta, Sooryagupta, Dharmagupta, and Juthindara, relatives of King Dharmashoka. It was commonly believed that the members of this caste were descendants of this clan (in particular, Bodhiguptha), and are also connected to the lambakarnas{{cite web|script-title=si:හාරිස්පත්තුවේ ආරියවංශාලංකාර හිමි|url=http://www.silumina.lk/2013/10/27/_art.asp?fn=af1310274|website=Silumina|access-date=13 June 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141204032715/http://www.silumina.lk/2013/10/27/_art.asp?fn=af1310274|archive-date=4 December 2014}}Dumbara Harispaththuwa Amarapura Puranaya, H.S.S. Nissanka, Department of Cultural Affairs, 2000, pp 89

Many Sinhalese royals prior to the Kandyan era claimed descent from the families that accompanied the Sri Maha Bodhi. For example, Kawyashekaraya, a Kotte era literary source mentions:

මහබෝ රකින ලෙස

සැලසු බෝ කලක්‌ වැස

එමහ බෝ අබියස

විසූ කුලයන් මෙලක මුල් බැස

සිරි සඟබෝ නිරිඳු

විකුම් වැඩි මහසෙන් රදු

කිත්සිරි මේ නිරිඳු

බුජස්‌ මහනම කුමර දස්‌ රඳු

The above two verses refer to castes that were entrusted to protect the Bodhi tree establishing roots in the country and producing kings like Sirisangabo, Mahasen, Kithsiri mewan, Buddhdasa, Mahanama, and Kumaradasa. However, due to the absence of direct descendants who claim to be of this caste, it is difficult to prove that this is the same royal clan that lost power by the 17th century.

The following provides further evidence for royal lineage:

• The term "pannadura" literally means officials assigned with temples, or pannasala. In historical sources similar officials are referred to as aramikas and inscriptions as veherkami.{{Cite book|title=Inscriptions of Ceylon, Volume V|publisher=Department of Archeology|year=2004}} The Mahavamsa historical chronicle states that King Aggabodhi I assigned a hundred of his relatives to be aramikas.
• Some of the people belonging to this caste still attend to the duties assigned to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi holy tree to this day. The head of the clan attending to Sri Maha Bodhi is known as mahaya,archives.dailynews.lk/2009/06/16/fea28.asparchives.dailynews.lk/2009/06/17/fea12.asparchives.dailynews.lk/2009/06/19/fea16.asp which is the old term used to denote the next in line to the kinship of country.
• The Mehenavara clan (descendants of prince bodhiguptha) were the last line of traditional kings that ruled from Kandy.Rajarathnakaraya,Karunadasa Rupasinghe,S.Godage & Bros.,1995,pp 129 Descendants of the Mehenavara clan appear to have survived in the village of Mawela in Kotmale (Kobbekaduwa copper plate-given to Mehenavara Mawela Ratnavalli by king Sena Sammatha Vikramabahu of the same clan),{{Cite book|title=Inscriptions of Ceylon, Volume IX|publisher=Department of Archeology|year=2015|page=11}} which is the village associated with King Dutugemunu. Members of this caste and Nekathi caste live in Mawela to this day.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/agazetteercentr00lawrgoog#page/n79/mode/2up|title = A Gazetteer of the Central Province of Ceylon (Excluding Walapane)|year = 1898|publisher = G.J.A. Skeen}} According to one legend, King Dutugemunu lived in Mawela in a house belonging to a person of this caste.{{cite web|script-title=si:ගැමුණු කුමරු කොත්මලේ සැඟවී සිටි නිවෙස සොයා මව්බිම ගිය ගමන|url=http://www.mawbima.lk/55-28078-news-detail.html|website=Mawbima News Paper|access-date=13 June 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140525062803/http://www.mawbima.lk/55-28078-news-detail.html|archive-date=25 May 2014}}
• Village of origin of Jothiya Situ, ruler of Kandyan provinces during the reign of king Parakramabahu VI, and also known as Divanawatte Lankadikara (Madawala inscription){{cite web |url=http://www.divaina.com/2009/10/04/siya10.html |title=siya01 |website=www.divaina.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215100734/http://www.divaina.com/2009/10/04/siya10.html |archive-date=2009-12-15}} belonged to this caste.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/agazetteercentr01lawrgoog#page/n191/mode/2up|title = A Gazetteer of the Central Province of Ceylon (Excluding Walapane)|year = 1896|publisher = G.J.A. Skeen}}

Since the 17th century, the status of the Bodhivansha caste gradually declined as a result of social changes taken place due to western colonial influence. Throughout the colonial period, particularly during the British colonial era, it was portrayed as several disconnected castes with names such as pannadura, villidura, and dura that were not in use prior to the 17th century. Jobs like grass cuttingBryce Ryan, Caste in Modern Ceylon, Rutgers University Press, 1953.1855 Ceylon GazetteerIevers, R. W., Manual of the North-central Province of Ceylon, 1899 have been proposed by various writers without referring to historical and literary sources like the Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, or Pujavaliya. During this time of decline, they functioned mainly as soldiers, with some holding high ranks.{{cite web |script-title=si:පූජාච පූජනීයනං |url=http://www.budusarana.lk/budusarana/2012/12/20/tmp.asp?ID=fea08 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190904160934/http://www.budusarana.lk/budusarana/2012/12/20/tmp.asp?ID=fea08 |archive-date=4 September 2019 |website=www.budusarana.lk |access-date=4 September 2019}} Their military capability is visible even after the collapse of Kandyan kingdom, as they actively supported rebellions of 1818, 1834, and 1848.{{cite journal|last1=Meyer|first1=Eric P.|title=Historical Aspects of Caste in the Kandyan Regions with Particular Reference to the non-Goyigama Castes of the Kagalla District|journal=Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities|date=2014|volume=40|pages=21–54|doi=10.4038/sljh.v40i0.7229|url=http://sljh.sljol.info/686/volume/40/issue/0/|access-date=15 June 2017|doi-access=free}} They also functioned as royal officers attached to various departments like the Kuruwe (elephant men), royal stables, and prisons.{{cite web |url=http://www.divaina.com/2011/04/11/mano06.html |website=Divaina |access-date=10 February 2020}}{{dead link|date=July 2023}} Some cared for the royal cattle shed{{cite periodical |author=A.Nimal F. Perera |author2=A.Nimhani K. Perera |author3=E.R.Kalyani Perera |date=April–May 2010 |title=Traditional Cattle Management Systems and Indigenous Veterinary Medicine of Sri Lanka |periodical=Economic Review |s2cid=19860673 |url=https://dl.nsf.gov.lk/handle/1/14122}} and others held posts as {{Transliteration|si|mananna}}, or grain measurers, of the royal storehouses.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/agazetteercentr00lawrgoog#page/n363/mode/2up|title = A Gazetteer of the Central Province of Ceylon (Excluding Walapane)|year = 1898|publisher = G.J.A. Skeen}} Several others lived in royal villages of the type Bisogam (Queens villages),{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/agazetteercentr01lawrgoog#page/n105/mode/2up|title = A Gazetteer of the Central Province of Ceylon (Excluding Walapane)|year = 1896|publisher = G.J.A. Skeen}} Gabadagam (kings own villages) and especially Vihara/devala gam (Temple villages).{{cite web |script-title=si:අමරාපති දෙවොලේ වග |url=http://www.dinamina.lk/2017/12/15/%E0%B6%B4%E0%B7%8A%E2%80%8D%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%AF%E0%B7%9A%E0%B7%81%E0%B7%93%E0%B6%BA/45955/%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%B8%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%B4%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%92-%E0%B6%AF%E0%B7%99%E0%B7%80%E0%B7%9C%E0%B6%BD%E0%B7%9A-%E0%B7%80%E0%B6%9C |website=dinamina.lk |access-date=9 January 2020}} As a result, Disputes are still in place between villagers and leading Buddhist institutions.{{cite web |script-title=si:පාරම්පරික ඉඩම් අයිතිය වෙනුවෙන් සටන් වඳින විහාරගම් වැසියෝ |url=http://slpi.lk/rti-sn/%E0%B6%B4%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%BB%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B4%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%9A-%E0%B6%89%E0%B6%A9%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8A-%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%BA%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BA-%E0%B7%80/ |website=slpi.lk |publisher=Sri Lanka press Institute |access-date=9 January 2020 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230043426/http://slpi.lk/rti-sn/%E0%B6%B4%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%BB%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B4%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%9A-%E0%B6%89%E0%B6%A9%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8A-%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%BA%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BA-%E0%B7%80/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=ශ්රයමනයෙකුගේ ඉඩම් කොල්ලයට පොලිස් සහාය |url=http://peoplesforumsl.blogspot.com/2012/05/blog-post_15.html |website=peoplesforumsl.blogspot.com |date=15 May 2012 |access-date=9 January 2020}} Samarakkodi, second Adigar of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha, who was instrumental in re-establishing Buddhism in Sri Lanka is a high-ranking officer from this caste.Dumbara Harispattuwa Amarapura Puranaya,H.S.S Nishshanka,Department of Cultural Affairs,2000,pp 63

• Ihagama Unnanse (also known as Ihagama Babasa), leader of 1816, 1818, and 1834 rebellions to oust the British
• Puran Appu (leader of the 1848 rebellion){{cite web |url=http://www.divaina.com/2010/02/10/feature02.html |title=feature1 |website=www.divaina.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211233309/http://www.divaina.com/2010/02/10/feature02.html |archive-date=2010-02-11}}
• Ven. Harispattuwe ariyawanshalankara thero

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Category:Sinhalese castes