Berava
Encyclopedia
Berava are a social group or caste
amongst the Sinhalese
of Sri Lanka
. Like the Paraiyar
of the neighboring Tamil
ethnic group in Sri Lanka as well as Tamil Nadu
state in South India
they were segregated from the mainstream society yet played and still play an important and vital role in the religious rituals of the mainstream community.
like caste of South India who also play an important role in Tom Tom or Drum or Bera beating
of the word Bera for Drum in Sinhalese is derived from after the Tamil
word Parai which originally meant speak came to denote a drumming caste. Thus this etymology indicates that Berava were a late addition to the Sinhalese Society.
's drummers respectively. It may indicate diverse origins for this caste as for all castes in India.
Buddhism
there is a thriving belief in demons, spirit
s, Hindu
gods
and connected rituals such as spirit possession, cursing ceremonies throughout the country also referred as the Spirit Religion or Folk Tradition. Some of these are facilitated by shamans, sorcerers and native priests and astrologers. Berava perform the needed role as sorceress in some villages and also gain respectability by building cultic shrines to attract devotees from other castes.
class created by the British in the 19th century attempted to keep this caste and all other Sri Lankan castes out of colonial appointments. They also used all possible means to economically and socially marginalise and subjugate all other communities. The oppression by the Mudaliars and connected headmen extended to demanding subservience, service, appropriation of cultivation rights and even restrictions on the type of personal names that could be used by this community. Continuous oppression and prejudices created by the Buddhist monastic establishment has made it difficult for this community to progress.
pogroms, domestic workers and as overseas maid
s in the Middle East
whose hard earned foreign exchange
is vital for the economic wellbeing of the country.
Caste system in Sri Lanka
The Caste system in Sri Lanka is a division of society into strata, differing somewhat from the classic Varnas of North India but is similar in nature to the Jāti system found in South India...
amongst the Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Like the Paraiyar
Paraiyar
Paraiyar, Parayar, and Sambavar, anglicised by Europeans as Pariah are a social group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Sri Lanka . In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, though they have been enumerated under three different caste names, they have generally been referred to as...
of the neighboring Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
ethnic group in Sri Lanka as well as Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
state in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
they were segregated from the mainstream society yet played and still play an important and vital role in the religious rituals of the mainstream community.
Origins
As the mainstream Sinhalese speakers claim North Indian ethnic origins the presence of many South Indian type Jatis like the Beravas indicate a complex migration history from India to Sri Lanka. Beravas do not indicate any tribal origins like the other formerly untouchable caste of Rodiyas. They are part and parcel of the caste structure albeit with a primary function associated with Tom Tom or drum besting in all ritual occasions. Yet they are also used as agricultural workers, weavers and domestic help throughout the country.South Indian roots
Some anthropologists believe that the early society of Sri Lanka has looked to neighboring South India for manpower to fulfill functional needs as land was cleared and many new villages found. Berava are believed to be descended from ParaiyarParaiyar
Paraiyar, Parayar, and Sambavar, anglicised by Europeans as Pariah are a social group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Sri Lanka . In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, though they have been enumerated under three different caste names, they have generally been referred to as...
like caste of South India who also play an important role in Tom Tom or Drum or Bera beating
Etymology of Bera
The etymologyEtymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the word Bera for Drum in Sinhalese is derived from after the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
word Parai which originally meant speak came to denote a drumming caste. Thus this etymology indicates that Berava were a late addition to the Sinhalese Society.
Sub divisions
There are many subdivisions within the caste, some of which are Badgam Berava and Gahala Berava indicating drumming specializations. They denote Temple drummers who occupied and cultivated Bathgam (rice producing villages) as tenant farmers and ExecutionerExecutioner
A judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:...
's drummers respectively. It may indicate diverse origins for this caste as for all castes in India.
Role in folk religion
Although great many Sinhalese purport to profess the conservative TheravadaTheravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
there is a thriving belief in demons, spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
s, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
gods
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
and connected rituals such as spirit possession, cursing ceremonies throughout the country also referred as the Spirit Religion or Folk Tradition. Some of these are facilitated by shamans, sorcerers and native priests and astrologers. Berava perform the needed role as sorceress in some villages and also gain respectability by building cultic shrines to attract devotees from other castes.
Colonial period
The powerful MudaliyarSri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
class created by the British in the 19th century attempted to keep this caste and all other Sri Lankan castes out of colonial appointments. They also used all possible means to economically and socially marginalise and subjugate all other communities. The oppression by the Mudaliars and connected headmen extended to demanding subservience, service, appropriation of cultivation rights and even restrictions on the type of personal names that could be used by this community. Continuous oppression and prejudices created by the Buddhist monastic establishment has made it difficult for this community to progress.
Current status
They have also upgraded their social position in the society as Sinhalese look to their native traditions such as the Kandyan dance to compete with South Indian cultural dominance and influence. Still many languish at the bottom as agricultural workers, army recruits to the front line in the civil war since the Black JulyBlack July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
pogroms, domestic workers and as overseas maid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
s in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
whose hard earned foreign exchange
Foreign exchange market
The foreign exchange market is a global, worldwide decentralized financial market for trading currencies. Financial centers around the world function as anchors of trading between a wide range of different types of buyers and sellers around the clock, with the exception of weekends...
is vital for the economic wellbeing of the country.
A few prominent members of the Berava community
- Kalasoori Dr. S. Panibharata http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2006/04/02/mag07.html
- Vishva Prasadinee Dr. Chitrasena
- (Deshiya Narthanadhari Keerthi Sri) Kalasoori Piyasara Shilpadhipathi
- Wimal WeerawansaWimal WeerawansaWimal Weerawansa is the leader of the political party Jathika Nidahas Peramuna . He was entered into politics through the JVP during the 1980s and rocketed to the position of Propaganda secretary...
- The leader of the Jathika Nidahas PeramunaJathika Nidahas PeramunaThe Jathika Nidahas Peramuna or National Freedom Front is a political party in Sri Lanka was formed by the ten JVP parliamentarians led by Wimal Weerawansa, the breakaway group of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP, started their political activities on May 14, 2008...
& Cabinet Minister