Sri Lanka Kaffir people
Encyclopedia
The Sri Lankan Kaffirs are an ethnic group in Sri Lanka
who are partially descended from 16th century Portuguese
traders and the African slaves who were brought by them to work as labourers and soldiers to fight against the Sri Lankan kings. They are very similar to the African populations in Iraq
and Kuwait
, and are known in Pakistan as Sheedis and India as Siddis. The Kaffirs spoke a distinctive creole
based on Portuguese
, the Sri Lanka Kaffir language, now extinct. Their cultural heritage includes the dance
styles Kaffringna and Manja and their popular form of dance music Baila
.
is an obsolete English
term once used to designate African natives from the Eastern and Southern coasts. (In South Africa, it became a slur.) "Kaffir" derives in turn from the Arabic
kafir, "unbeliever".
It is not clear whether the Portuguese name cafrinha was derived from English "Kaffir" after the English took over Sri Lanka, or came directly from the Arabic kafir in the 16th century, when the Portuguese were buying slaves from the Arab traders. During the 16th century, the Portuguese did indeed call the peoples of Southern Africa "Cafres" - "cafrinha" is a diminutive of "Cafre".
Today, Kaffirs are proud to be Sri Lankans and are very proud of their name, and do not consider it a racist slur.
By 1444 the Sinhalease had became involved in the African slave trade
. They imported slaves from Africa to the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka. The Kaffirs were brought to Sri Lanka as a source of labour and were also used as soldiers to fight for the Sri Lankan kings, most likely in the Sri Lankan–Portuguese War, (Mulleriyawa (1562)
, Randeniwela (1630)
, Gannoruwa (1638)
). Sinhalease seafarers carried the first Kaffirs to what was then Sri Lanka
in the 16th century, most likely from Mozambique
.
When Dutch colonialists arrived around 1600, the Kaffirs worked on cinnamon plantations along the southern coast. The Kaffirs' ancestors were chained up and forced by the Dutch to fight the Sri Lankan army. After the Dutch military thrust was successfully repelled by Sri Lankan army in 1796, the Kaffirs were further marginalised by an influx of Indian slave labourers who took most of the work on tea and rubber estates. Later, British colonists brought more Africans to Sri Lanka to fight against Sri Lankan armies in "kaffir regiments." Both the Dutch and the British used the Kaffirs as a part of their naval forces and for domestic labor.
, in the North Western Province
of Sri Lanka but also in areas such as Trincomalee
, Batticaloa
and Negombo
. There was some contact between the Kaffir and the Burghers
, communities of partly European ancestry on the East coast of Sri Lanka.
to Buddhism
.
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...
who are partially descended from 16th century Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
traders and the African slaves who were brought by them to work as labourers and soldiers to fight against the Sri Lankan kings. They are very similar to the African populations in Iraq
Black Iraqis
Black Iraqis are an ethnic group that is descended from people of Black African heritage in Iraq. Most are found in the southern port city of Basra, with many speaking Arabic and adhering to Islam.-History:...
and Kuwait
Afro-Arab
Afro-Arab refers to people of mixed Black African and genealogical Arab ancestral heritage and/or linguistically and culturally Arabized Black Africans...
, and are known in Pakistan as Sheedis and India as Siddis. The Kaffirs spoke a distinctive creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
based on Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, the Sri Lanka Kaffir language, now extinct. Their cultural heritage includes the dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
styles Kaffringna and Manja and their popular form of dance music Baila
Baila
Baila is a form of dance music popular on the island of Sri Lanka. The genre originated centuries ago among the 'kaffir' or Afro-Sinhalese communities and was later amalgamated with European instruments and eastern and western rhythms, especially rhythms found in Spain and northern European folk...
.
Etymology
The word KaffirKaffir (racial term)
The word kaffir, sometimes spelled kaffer or kafir, is an offensive term for a black person, most common in South Africa and other African countries...
is an obsolete English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
term once used to designate African natives from the Eastern and Southern coasts. (In South Africa, it became a slur.) "Kaffir" derives in turn from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
kafir, "unbeliever".
It is not clear whether the Portuguese name cafrinha was derived from English "Kaffir" after the English took over Sri Lanka, or came directly from the Arabic kafir in the 16th century, when the Portuguese were buying slaves from the Arab traders. During the 16th century, the Portuguese did indeed call the peoples of Southern Africa "Cafres" - "cafrinha" is a diminutive of "Cafre".
Today, Kaffirs are proud to be Sri Lankans and are very proud of their name, and do not consider it a racist slur.
History
Kaffirs are proud to be Sri Lankans, but they also acknowledge their African ancestry. Kaffirs have an oral history maintained by families that are descended from former Sinhalease slave traders. While their exact place of origin along Africa’s east coast may never be known for sure because of a lack of documentation and conflicting oral histories, promoting their music allows future generations of Kaffirs to better understand their history.By 1444 the Sinhalease had became involved in the African slave trade
African slave trade
Systems of servitude and slavery were common in many parts of Africa, as they were in much of the ancient world. In some African societies, the enslaved people were also indentured servants and fully integrated; in others, they were treated much worse...
. They imported slaves from Africa to the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka. The Kaffirs were brought to Sri Lanka as a source of labour and were also used as soldiers to fight for the Sri Lankan kings, most likely in the Sri Lankan–Portuguese War, (Mulleriyawa (1562)
Battle of Mulleriyawa
The Battle of Mulleriyawa was a battle part of the Sinhalese–Portuguese War, it was one of the most decisive battles in Sri Lankan history. At the time, it was the worst ever defeat by a colonial power on eastern soil. Local chronicles say that the marshlands of Mulleriyawa turned red with blood...
, Randeniwela (1630)
Battle of Randeniwela
The Battle of Randeniwela was a battle fought on 25 August 1630 in the Sinhalese–Portuguese War. It was fought between Senarat and his sons Prince Mahastana, who would later become Rajasimha II king of Kandy, and his brother Prince Vijayapala against the Portuguese forces commanded by then Governor...
, Gannoruwa (1638)
Battle of Gannoruwa
The Battle of Gannoruwa was a battle of the Sinhalese–Portuguese War fought in 1638 between the occupying Portuguese forces and the Sinhalese King's army at Gannoruwa in the District of Kandy, Sri Lanka. The Portuguese had attempted three times without success to capture the Kingdom of Kandy, in...
). Sinhalease seafarers carried the first Kaffirs to what was then Sri Lanka
Kingdom of Kotte
The Kingdom of Kotte , centred on Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte was a kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Its king was the last native sovereign to unify all of Sri Lanka under one rule. -Etymology:The term Kotte means fortress in Sinhalese...
in the 16th century, most likely from Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
When Dutch colonialists arrived around 1600, the Kaffirs worked on cinnamon plantations along the southern coast. The Kaffirs' ancestors were chained up and forced by the Dutch to fight the Sri Lankan army. After the Dutch military thrust was successfully repelled by Sri Lankan army in 1796, the Kaffirs were further marginalised by an influx of Indian slave labourers who took most of the work on tea and rubber estates. Later, British colonists brought more Africans to Sri Lanka to fight against Sri Lankan armies in "kaffir regiments." Both the Dutch and the British used the Kaffirs as a part of their naval forces and for domestic labor.
Demography
The descendants of the freed Kaffir slaves are still a distinctive community are mainly found in the former occupied territories of the Portuguese colonists, mainly near PuttalamPuttalam
Puttalam is the capital city of the Puttalam District in North Western Province, Sri Lanka.-History:The history of this dry zone dates back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya, nearly 2500 years ago, when his vessel washed ashore. The name "Puttalam" may be a modification of the Tamil word Uppuththalam...
, in the North Western Province
North Western Province, Sri Lanka
North Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...
of Sri Lanka but also in areas such as Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Batticaloa
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
and Negombo
Negombo
Negombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
. There was some contact between the Kaffir and the Burghers
Burgher people
The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish.Today the mother tongue of the Burghers...
, communities of partly European ancestry on the East coast of Sri Lanka.
Religion
Sri Lanka Kaffirs were originally Muslims, but now presently practice religions from CatholicismCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
to 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...
.
Culture
Sri Lanka Kaffir culture is a direct link back to their distant African past which is rapidly disappearing.Music
Baila is a form of dance music popular in Sri Lanka, originating centuries ago among the Kaffirs or Afro-Sinhalese communities (mixed communities consisting of Portuguese, African and native Sinhalese people), and was later amalgamated with European instruments and eastern and western rhythms, especially rhythms found in Spain and northern European folk music.See also
- SiddiSiddiThe Siddi, Siddhi, or Sheedi , also known as Habshi, are an Indian and Pakistani ethnic group of Afro-Arab and/or Black African descent. The Siddi population is currently estimated to be 20,000–55,000, with Gujarat and Hyderabad in India the main population centre. Siddis are mainly Sufi Muslims,...
- Communities of African descent in Pakistan and India - Kaffir (racial term)Kaffir (racial term)The word kaffir, sometimes spelled kaffer or kafir, is an offensive term for a black person, most common in South Africa and other African countries...
- Portuguese-based creole languages
External links
- Kaffirs in Sri Lanka - Descendants of enslaved Africans at Sri Lanka virtual library site.
- Sri Lanka Portuguese Creoles at Sri Lanka virtual library site.
- The Beginnings of the European Slave Trade
- 'Kaffir culture', video portrait by Kannan Arunasalam
- The Kaffirs of Sri Lanka - An African Connection part 1
- The Kaffirs of Sri Lanka - An African Connection part 2