K. D. Paranavitana’s RICH contribution to Dutch ERA

The term ‘Dutch Period’ has been deliberately avoided in this essay because it has Euro-centric connotations. The Dutch, like the Portuguese, administered only the coastal belt and a small portion of the island, while a large extent of interior territories was under the Kandyan Kingdom. The Kandyans who launched liberation struggles, attacked Dutch territories on and off. In 1762, the Katuwana Interior Fort between Akuressa and Hakmana bordering Sinharaja Forest as well as the Matara Fortress were taken over by them, although the Dutch recaptured them later.

Nevertheless, it must be stated that the colonial era was a step forward from the earlier stage of slow socio-economic change. It was during this era that society and the economy were transformed from semi-feudalism to mercantilism. Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or the VOC played an important role in this transformation. The introduction of the Roman-Dutch Law, land registration and the school system which were primarily based on Protestant religion and European marriage customs ushered in a new era in Sri Lankan history.

From the 1950s, several scholars have made substantial contributions for understanding the various aspects of the Dutch encounter in Sri Lanka. Professors Sinnappah Arsaratnam and Carl Goonewardena engaged in pioneering work in the mid-1950s and their excellent PhD dissertations were published abroad. During the 1960s, D. A. Kotalawela and V. Kanapathipillai conducted doctoral researches on Dutch studies, but their dissertations had not seen the light of print. Both contributed only a little even in the form of articles. Most recently, Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri brought out an excellent anthropological and historical survey on land tenure and social change in Dutch territories by displaying his expertise in the Medieval Dutch language. Nevertheless, he too has not pursued research on Dutch - Sri Lanka relations any further.

In this broad context, Prof. K. D. Paranavitana’s writings on the Netherland’s connections with Sri Lanka are unique and exceptional. His writings are not only voluminous, but also of high quality. Among his many publications, Journal of Spilbergen: The first Dutch Envoy to Ceylon (1997), Land for Money: Dutch Land Registration in Sri Lanka (2001), Galle: the Heritage City (2005) and various memoirs of Dutch governors, their diaries and diaries of officers such as commanders deserve special attention.

Of the last mentioned category, Prof. Paranavitana’s translation of the Travel Diary of Governor Isaac Augustine Rumpf won the national literary award for the best translation (miscellaneous category) in 2016. The diary covers the years 1717 to 1720 during which Rumpf visited the Hanwella, Galle, Kalutara, Mannar and Jaffna areas. One of the main objectives of these tours was to locate the exact boundaries of land-parcels and villages in order to increase land revenues. At the same time, Rumpf reflects on his experience with the natives, their grievances and complaints. In fact, his account provides detailed local snapshots of the early part of 18th century Sri Lankan history.

More important is the book co-authored by Prof. K. D. Paranavitana with Dr. R. K. de Silva titled Maps and Plans of Dutch Ceylon in 2002. This volume is a testimony to the nature of painstaking archival research on the geographical contexts of Dutch colonial operations. The vestiges of most of the colonial coastal fortresses that exist now belong to the era of the Dutch occupation of maritime areas of the island. But many of them originated during the Portuguese encounter. What the Dutch did was, making improvements upon them. The book, Dutch Maps and Plans provides detailed layouts of presently less visible forts in Colombo, Kalutara, Negombo, Tangalle, Mannar, Arippu, Point Pedro, Elephant Pass, Poonaryn, Mullaitivu, Delft, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Although the Dutch did not build a fort in Kotte, one of their early maps shows the configuration and entire rampart of the Portuguese Fort in Kotte, but not a single map drawn by the Portuguese have been found so far.

Prof. Paranavitana’s illustrated book; Galle: the Heritage City is the only publication that provides a clear picture of the colonial city of Galle and its transition to date. It goes into depth about the layout of the Galle Fort - its ramparts, 14 bastions such as the Sun, Moon, Star and Akersloot, administrative buildings, hospital, warehouses, law courts, manufacturing areas, residential quarters, church, cemetery, belfry, unique sewerage system, and the changes that took place during the British occupation of the island. The author also refers to the oldest breadfruit (del) tree near the Akersloot bastion which can still be seen. In that context, he states further that rambutan, durian and mangosteen were introduced into the island from South East Asia by the Dutch.

Although he had been awarded various honorary titles including the Knight of the Order of Oranje-Nassau by the Dutch government, Prof. Paranavitana has not failed to engage in any research on negative aspects of the colonial rule. Under colonial rulers, Buddhism and the Sri Lankan culture suffered considerably. For instance, the Portuguese persecuted Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims and vandalised Muslim mosques such as the Kechchimalai Mosque in Beruwala, Hindu temples such as the Munnesvaram Kovil near Chilaw and Tiruketisvaram Kovil near Mannar, and numerous Buddhist shrines including the Kelaniya Temple and the Kande Viharaya. This was an era of a clash of civilisations. The Dutch, when they invaded Kandy in 1765, destroyed even the Temple of the Tooth Relic and robbed its valuables. Prof. Paranavitana’s article titled Suppression of Buddhism and aspects of indigenous culture under the Portuguese and the Dutch published in the JRASSL special issue in 2004 highlights some of these atrocities as well.

Prof. Paranavitana has devoted much of his time to the enhancement of the vistas of existing knowledge in the field of his specialisation, particularly the colonial history of the Dutch occupation in the maritime districts of Sri Lanka in the 17th and 18th centuries.

However, this brief essay can only be ended by lamenting the non-existence of scholars from the younger generation who could continue Portuguese and Dutch studies irrespective of inducements offered for investigations into their relations with Sri Lanka.