UNPARALLELED PATRIOTISM | Daily News

UNPARALLELED PATRIOTISM

“Had the insurrection been successful Keppetipola would have been honoured and characterized as a patriot instead of being stigmatized as a rebel and punished as a traitor,” wrote Henry Marshall, Deputy Inspector General of Army Hospitals in his book, Description of the Island and its Inhabitants.

The Kandyan Convention drafted chiefly by John D’Oyly was an agreement between Governor Robert Brownrigg and the Kandyan Chieftains signed at the Magul Maduwa – the Audience Hall of the kings of Kandy, on March 2, 1815.

According to the terms the Governor pledged to safeguard the powers and privileges of the chieftains and laws, customs and institutions, above all Buddhism, Buddhist clergy and places of Buddhist worship were to be maintained and protected.

The Kandyan Convention was signed in the absence of other chieftains assembled outside the Magul Maduwa and without the participation of the people. Prof. K.M. de Silva opined “British took the stand on English constitutional law treated the convention as more than an ordinary treaty capable of an amendment by subsequent legislation.”

Revolt against British rule

However the events that followed, Chieftains, Buddhist clergy and people began to get discontent over the change of the government. Moreover the authorities planned to establish a seminary which irked the feelings of the Kandyan people.

Hardly before the lapse of two months, Madugalla and Ihagama Thera with some leading monks of the Malwatta Vihara held a secret discussion to overthrow the British rule and erase the stigma of being under foreign domination.

Their plan did not materialize when Eknaligoda Mohottala revealed it to the authorities. Madugalla was arrested and charged for planning a revolt against the British rule. Madugalla was imprisoned for two years in Jaffna and later was released on August 12, 1817 on account of the birthday of King George III of England while Ihalagama Thera escaped from arrest.

Kepptipola was one of the signatories to the convention and with Galagoda and Galagama signed the convention in Sinhala, whereas other chieftains signed their names in Grantha – a combination of Sinhala and Tamil characters.

The settlement following the signing of the historic document, the Governor Brownrigg appointed Keppetipola the Maha Disawa of Uva. Earlier King Sri Vickrama Rajasinha in 1804 sent Keppetipola to oppose the advancing British troops from Batticaloa under the command of Captain Johnstone.

Once he spoke to Muhandiram David de Alwis, Interpreter to the British Agent in Badulla, said that the British rule must end and a Sinhalese king was essential for the welfare of the people and Keppetipola Disava’s brother-in-law Ehelepola Maha Adikaram in due course of time should be raised to the throne.

Kandyan Kingdom

The family of Keppetipola hailed from Galboda Korale in the Kegalle district, the vanguard of the Sinhalese army. In the 18 century, the then chief of the clan Keppetipola after he was appointed Maha Disava of Matale and Tammankaduwa, migrated to Matale Disavany (the area under the Disava), married a lady from Monarivila Pattuwa in the Matale Disavany.

The descendants of Keppetipola held high office in the Kandyan Kingdom. One of them was Disava of Matale and Nuwarakalaviya and others of the family held the offices of Saluwadana Nilame and Maduwe Lekam.

Another Keppetipola viz. Golahela Nilame held the office of Diyawadana Nilame under Rajadhi Rajasinha, married Monaravila Kumarihamy and had three sons and three daughters. The second son, Kepptipola the Disava of Uva married Delwala Etanahamy who had been described as young and handsome. The sister of the Disava married Ehelapola Maha Adikaram who served under King Sri Vickrama Rajasinha.

Once, Keppetipola as Maha Disava punished certain headmen in his Disavany for rendering honours to the British Agent at Badulla. He as the Disava was entitled to Madi Hungam – transit duties, at the Idalgashinna Kadawata. The Governor on hearing this information was constrained to instruct D’Oyly, the British Commissioner in Kandy to remind Keppetipola that the agent appointed by the British Agent represented the interests of His Majesty King of England.

The people of Sabaragamuwa were encouraged by the British because they rendered assistance in the conquest the Kandyan Kingdom and when they refused to pay the duties, Keppetipola immediately placed a total embargo at the traffic at Kadawata. He also as Disava, and not the Agent was entitled to the payment at the Kataragama Devale.

Thus it became clear that the Disava did not accept the new government gladly.

The uprising of the people broke out in October over the appointment of a Moor Muhandiram Hadjee over a predominantly Muslim population in Wellassa. In the meantime a Pretender claiming to the throne named Doraisamy, claiming himself to be the son of Kalu Nayakkar, brother-in-law of Kirti Sri Rajasinha appeared in Wellassa, who proclaimed himself king and demanded allegiance and it was met with success.

On October 12, 1817 when Sylvester Wilson the Assistant Agent at Badulla received the information of the Pretender, decided to send the Moor Headman Hadjee whose appointment was offensive to the people, to Wellassa to apprehend the Pretender.

Hadjee left accompanied by a party of Moors and at Wellassa they were attacked by armed gangs who assailed them.

At this encounter Hadjee was captured while his brother who accompanied him was wounded. On hearing of this incident Wilson set out for Wellassa in October with a party of Malay soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Newman.

Wilson conferred with the insurgents for two days, yet his efforts proved futile and he was eventually killed on his return to Badulla.

Governor Brownrigg lost no time in making defence plans and placed Wellassa under martial law on November 1, and offered a reward of 2000 Rix dollars for apprehending and capture of the Pretender Doraisamy.

Dr. Davy of the British army hospitals had described Keppetipola as active, enterprising and an ambitious man.

William Tolfrey the Chief Translator of the British, stationed in Kandy foresaw the spirit of revolt among the people and wrote to the Governor stating that “a deep and extensive plot to annihilate British power” is being organised in the Kandyan provinces.

In the meantime Sawers the British Commissioner in Kandy decided to send Keppetipola Disava to quell the rebellion. Instead of taking soldiers he took with him 12 selected armed men loyal to him to meet the rebels.

Keppetipola Disava was addressed by the rebels namely, Maha Badulu Gama Rala, Butave Rate Rala, Kiulegedara Mohottala and Kohukumbure Rala. They impressed upon him the need of his leadership and convinced him to join their struggle to free the country.

British troops

The Disava convinced of their request took a firm decision to join them and sent back the men who accompanied him with their muskets and ammunition issued by the Army and a message to Sawers informing him that he decided to join with the rebels.

The resentment of the people against the British rule first surfaced in Wellassa – the most sparsely populated and isolated area in the Kandyan provinces where people enjoyed some independence even under their own kings.

The Disava knew the need of a claimant to the throne, although he was aware that Doraisamy was merely a pretender and not a prince. Nevertheless he was declared a prince of the displaced king Sri Vickrama Rajasinha and was named Veera Vickrama Keerthi at a solemn ceremony held in May 1818 at Wellawaya and he appointed Maha Badulu Gama Rala, Butawe Rate Rala, Kiulegedera Mohottala and Kohukumbure Rala as his officials.

The pretender thereafter appointed Keppetipola as his Adikaram. The rebellioin became intense and during the following months it began to spread into other areas. Among those who supported the rebels were Adhivasis.

The British troops were placed on alert and their positions were fortified in the provinces and Lady Brownrigg was sent to Colombo for her safety.

With the setting of the rainy season the authorities found it difficult in sending an adequate number of soldiers because they were depleted in their numbers. The mail service was also disturbed by the rebels and hence Uva became isolated from Colombo.

In the latter part of 1817, Wariyapola Sumangala Thera had been planning to send the Sacred Tooth Relic from the Sri Dalada Maligawa for its safety. But it was in April 1816, that the sacred relic was removed secretly in the night and at Wellagiriya in Maturata it was handed over to the rebel leader Keppetipola, who declared before a gathering of people that the Sri Dalada had been handed to him at Hanguranketa.

The exposition of the relic drew crowds of people from the neighbouring villages. The authorities came to know from Rambukpotha Mohottala how the relic was removed from the Sri Dalada Maligawa. He related this incident to Sawers.

The rebellion under Madugalla began to spread into Dumbara followed by Hewaheta and reached Sabaragamuwa. The rest of the areas joined in the struggle. The British power in the Kandyan provinces appeared to be in great peril by April – May. The Governor declared Martial law over the whole of the Kandyan provinces.

Earlier on February 1818, all the Kandyan districts put forth their own leaders. The authorities feared since Keppetipola was connected to all the leading families and they would rise against them.

The rebels fought against the British soldiers adopting tactics when they passed through the jungle in a single file.

The area through which they passed was familiar to the rebels but not to the British soldiers. The rebels attacked them with bows and arrows, spears and muskets. They underwent hardship especially on rainy days.

To be continued 


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