Sri Lankan Malays


Sri Lankan Malays ; මැලේ මිනිස්සු / ජා මිනිස්සු Mæle Minissu / Ja Minissu, historically known as Ceylon Malays, are Sri Lankan citizens with full or partial ancestry from the Indonesian Archipelago, Malaysia, or Singapore.
The term is a misnomer, as it is used as a historical catch-all for all native ethnic groups of the Malay Archipelago who reside in Sri Lanka; it does not apply solely to the ethnic Malays. Sri Lankan Malays are primarily of Javanese, Ambonese, Bandanese, Balinese, Madurese, Malay, Bugis, and Peranakan Chinese descent. They number approximately 40,000 and make up 0.2% of the Sri Lankan population.
Sri Lankan Malays first settled in the country in 200 B.C., when the Austronesian expansion reached the island of Sri Lanka from Maritime Southeast Asia and brought speakers of the Malayo-Polynesian language group to Sri Lankan shores. This migration accelerated when both Sri Lanka and Indonesia were Dutch colonies, while a second wave came from the Malay Peninsula, when both Malaya and Sri Lanka were in the British Empire. However, Sri Lanka has had a history of Malay presence dating back to as early as the 8th century. Distinct from the present-day Sri Lankan Malay population, these migrants were primarily Malay and Javanese Buddhists who intermarried into the Sinhalese population. Sri Lankan scholars suggest that the Sinhalese population possesses a notable Malay connection as a result, meaning a significant portion of the Sri Lankan population would have at least some Malay ancestry.
Sri Lankan Malays have played an important role in shaping Sri Lankan culture and identity through cultural diffusion, having contributed to many areas of Sri Lankan culture and society including cuisine, cultural traditions, and place names.

History

Contacts between Sri Lanka and Maritime Southeast Asia are attested by the 13th century, when Chandrabhanu Sridhamaraja, described in Sri Lankan chronicles as a Javaka ruler associated with Tambralinga, led an invasion of northern Sri Lanka, in 1247. The majority of present-day Sri Lankan Malays, however, trace their ancestry to later periods, particularly to soldiers, officials, and exiles brought to the island by the Dutch and, subsequently, the British colonial administrations, many of whom settled permanently in Sri Lanka. Other immigrants were convicts or members of noble houses from the Dutch East Indies, who were exiled to Sri Lanka and who never left. The main source of a continuing Malay identity is their common Malay language, the Islamic faith, and their ancestral origin from the Malay Archipelago. Many Sri Lankan Malays have been celebrated as courageous soldiers, politicians, sportsmen, lawyers, accountants, and doctors.

Society

Language

Depending on where they live in the country and other socio-economic factors, Sri Lankan Malays speak Sinhala, Tamil, and/or English. According to the 2012 census, 79.2%, or 28,975 Sri Lankan Malays also spoke Tamil and 66.2%, or 24,202 also spoke English.

Religion

Like their ancestors in present-day Indonesia and Malaysia, Sri Lankan Malays are Muslim. Mosques were erected by the local Malays along the coasts of Sri Lanka in places like Hambantota, Beruwela, and Galle. The Jawatte mosque in Colombo and Masjidul Jamiya, the military mosque on Slave Island, are renowned for their architecture and long history. The first two storeys of the Grand Mosque in Sri Lanka was built by Mohammed Balankaya, an exiled Malay noble of the royal house of Gowa. Today, the mosque is of great significance and is a symbol of Muslims in Sri Lanka; it is the Grand Mosque of Sri Lanka, where decisions affecting the lives of the island's Muslim population are made.
During Dutch rule, the religious makeup of Sri Lankan Malays was diverse and consisted not only of Muslims but also Christians and Hindus who belonged primarily to the Ambonese and Balinese communities, respectively. Due to skewed migration patterns of Ambonese and Balinese settlers to Sri Lanka, which consisted only of men, intermarriage with Sinhalese and Tamil women was common and resulted in the phasing out of the Christian and Hindu communities that existed in the community early on. Evidence shows certain customs, such as marriage rites, performed by Sri Lankan Malays, fused Islamic practices with Hindu and Buddhist elements. However, their close connection to Wahhabi thought has resulted in the emergence of a clear Muslim identity, with many of these pre-Islamic practices facing extinction in the community.

Sri Lankan Malay names

First and last names among Sri Lankan Malays are mostly of Sanskrit origin and are similar to names used by Sinhalese people. Common last names include Jayah, Weerabangsa, Sinhawangsa/Sinhawansa, Jayawangsa, Singalaxana, Bangsa Jayah, and Wangsa. Malay-origin last names include Lye, Samath, Cuttilan, Chunchie, Preena, Hannan, Sallay, Doole, Kitchilan, Kutinun, Kanchil, Sainon, Bongso, Bohoran, Kuppen, and Lappen. Arabic names are also used by Sri Lankan Malays, including Saldin, Assan, Rahman, Drahaman, Bucker, Ramlan, Rajap, Jumat, and Mannan. Prefixes of Malay origin such as Tuan, Maas, and Raden for males and Gnei, Nona, Sitti Nona, and Gnonya for females are commonly used as first names among Sri Lankan Malays.

Legacy

Organisations

Some place names in Sri Lanka have references indicating the presence of Javanese and Malay communities or their contribution to the location. Some of these are:
  • Ja Goda
  • Ja Kotuwa
  • Thavasikulam
  • Hambanthota
  • Taiyiddi
  • Thachathopu
  • Jawatte
  • Kartel
  • Ja-Ela
  • Javakachcheri
  • street names such as Malay Street, Java Lane, Jalan Padang

    Notable Sri Lankan Malays