Govigama - Ancient Period

Ancient Period

Ancient texts such as the Pujavaliya, Sadharmaratnavaliya and Yogaratnakaraya list the four caste categories as Raja Kshatriya, Bamunu Brahmana, Velanda Vaishya and Govi in descending order, where the Govi caste is the 4th caste. However the current caste system in Sri Lanka has dis empowered the Raja, Bamunu and Velanda Castes, and establishes the Govigama caste as the highest extant caste in the hierarchy of Sinhala castes (Govi, Karave,Durava,Salagama etc.). The Pújavaliya also says that Buddha could be born in the Govi caste, although in reality he was born as a Kshatriya and Theravada says there is only one Buddha per human era. The 10th century Dampiyaatuvagetapadaya and the 12th century Darmapradeepikava already state that the Govi caste is a middle caste compared to the kings. (Dampiyaatuvagetapadaya 217. Darmapradeepikava 190), indicating gradual rise from the bottom of society.

With the advent of Christianity, it is to be noted that similarly as with Christianity in Europe, in South Asia, intermarriage with the conquerors and conversion was often a refuge for the lowest classes, so it was probably natural for non-Givogama people to turn to Christianity in hope of equality (however Europe had no caste system, and Emperor Constantine I was a king). A fact that is oftern over looked is that other than Mayadune (who enlisted the help of Muslims) and the passionate Hindu king Rajasinghe I, all kings of that period adopted Catholicism and Portuguese names; Don Manoel Jayaweera Astana, Don João Karalliyadde Bandãra Don Juan Dharmapala Periya Pandar, Don John Vimala Dharmasurya, Don Philipe Yamasinghe Bandar and Mahabandige Donna Catherina Kusuma Devi . Hence while many Govigama surnames are traditionally Sri Lankan, among the Karave and Salagama castes, surnames such as De Silva, Perera, Zoysa, Cooray and Gomez are common place. Yet all elite Govi families were also Christian and had Portuguese/Christian names (some strangely adopted during British/Dutch times) such as Barthlamew (Senanayakes), Ridgeway Dias (Nilaperumal/Bandaranaykes), Arnolis Dep (Wijewardane), de Sarem, de Alwis, etc. Another factor was that the Portuguese rarely had control over the interior of the island. It is also why all elite Lankans of the British period be it farmer or other wise had English first names. The above is a classic indication of how recent history has been misrepresented by the aspiring classes. In fact, Christianity came last to the so-called lowest classes; Rodi, washers and other agriculturalists.

Other ancient texts such as the Gavaratnakaraya and Sarpothpaththiya (Sarpavedakama vi, 5 & 123) respectively classify even Sri Lankan cattle and snakes into the same four caste categories as Raja, Bamunu, Velanda & Govi, where again Govi is the 4th form. Secondary castes such as Durava and Salagama are not mentioned in these texts since they were later Dravidian migrants to Sri Lanka or were small communities. Ballads sung to-date at ancient Gammaduva rituals also refer to the above four castes categories in the same sequence and also describes the limits and privileges of each. The domestic utensils of the Raja, category are described as made of gold; silver and copper for the next two and finally earthenware for the Govi caste which is last in the hierarchy (Gammaduwa 13).

King Nissanka Malla who managed to chase out the Indians who destroyed the Raja, Bamunu, Welanda, and Govi castes by forced intermarriages authored a stone inscription "Gal Potha" in Polonnaruwa which clearly states that people of "Govi" caste should not even think of becoming the King of Ceylon.

In this light it is clear that the superiority of each caste changed from time to time, and by this time there were no clear demarcation of castes which were prevalent in Ceylon prior to this period. Castes such as Salagama who came after this period maintained their Brahmin identity till the independence from the British, where the caste system was again obliterated by the citizens of the country themselves.

Although modern writers have attempted to dismiss the above fourfold division as a mere classical division unconnected with realities, the repetition of the same caste hierarchy even as recently as the 18th century, in the British / Kandyan period period Kadayimpoth - Boundary books (Abhayawardena 163 to 168) as well, indicates the continuation of the tradition right up to the end of Sri Lanka’s monarchy or even further. It should be noted that no well known Karava / Salagama families existed in the Kandyan kingdom, though the Govigama caste is considered as the highest caste in Sri Lanka because of numerical superiority, in India similar castes such as govigama are considered as "Shudras", the "Karava" caste considered second in Sri Lanka was really a kshatriya caste comprising the specialist mariners/navigators also brought to Sri Lanka as warriors throughout history, the "Salagama" caste has its origin in Kerala as "Saligrama Brahmins" who are even today considered as among the highest castes in Kerala & the "Wahumpura" descending from the Deva (mountain people) of the Mahavamsa. The Buddhas are born only in the kshatrya(Raja kula) or Bamunu kula,& among the last 28 Buddhas not a single had been recorded as born to "Shudra" or Govi kula.