Sri Lankan Kaffirs: remnants of a glorious past

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

In a rough analysis of the etymological roots of the word Kaffir, the Sinhala encyclopedia says that the word was directly derived from an Arabic word 'Kafri' signifying a person with pagan beliefs. The Kaffirs are generally identified to have been brought for the first time, to Sri Lanka in 1638 by the Portuguese. Apart from that, the Dutch and English administration in Sri Lanka imported Kaffirs (Kapiri) on a large scale as hired labourers or soldiers who were thus posted in Colombo and other coastal fortresses.

A new definition formulated by Prof. Tennakon Wimalanda claims that Kaffirs were chiefly brought to Sri Lanka because they were believed to have an astounding capacity to be immune against Malaria. Brohier says that different people bought Kaffirs at sales.

They are said to have lived in Mozambique of Africa to be employed in riots created by the process of colonization. He further comments on the historical accounts dealing with Kaffir activities and claims that Dutch tactfully traded off the labour and working capacity of Kaffirs specially in the construction of Colombo Fort though they were exploited as camp assistants, soldiers and transporters.

Moreover, the extant writings by the Dutch Governor Van Goyans the Junior speak volumes for an enormous population of Kaffirs in Sri Lanka which amounted to some staggering 4,000 at that time. In a violent attempt to oppose the adminstration by Dutch governor Isaac Rumph, the Kaffir insurgents ruthlessly left the property and the city of Colombo in seriously damaged condition.

The Kaffirs assassinated Dutch official Barrant Vandor Steron and his wife in the wake of the rebellion. Yet the Dutch took tough action to bring the Kaffir rebels under brutal suppression and detained the Kaffirs who served in houses by day in a secret place called 'Kaffir Weldt' by night. This place is what we call the 'Slave Island' today.

When the intimidation and oppression by Portuguese, Dutch and English officials drew to a climax, these black people took refuge in the Kandyan Kingdom.

The Kandyan Kings welcomed the new guests to the royal service particularly to the Kandyan military service and granted them the rights to a wage for a fulltime service. ("Padikaraperuwa").

They were at the sametime, employed to train the Sinhala army and the Kaffir's representation in the Sinhala army was called Kavisipanne. There are references to Kaffirs as Dumbara Padikara Hewapanne, Kavisi Panne Lekama in a note issued by Ehelepola Adikarama 1724.

Cordinor, the historian assertively expresses that by 1807, the Kaffir population was around 700 in Colombo. However, the British administration made arrangements to abolish the slavery of Kaffirs in 1845.

A spectacular parade of black Kaffirs in tribal costumes, with feathers in their heads and with varied wet colours applied on their bodies, was marching on the Federick Fort in Trincomalee in 1981. they were brandishing spears and playing drums to the rhythm of tribal slogans uttered in a language totally unintelligible.

These were the Kaffirs of Sri Lanka. What they were doing was appearing for a scene in John Derek's Tarzan the Ape Man' and the director had selected these black Africans who had been mouled by Sri Lankan culture through the centuries. One of the cast of Tarzan the Ape Man, Francis of Pala Uttu - Trincomalee, comments on his striking cinematic experience.

"By how we were directed, and by costumes and make up, we managed to get the first impression of how the earliest of our generation lived and looked like. We do know nothing of our past. We were paid three hundred rupees per day for acting. We had shooting for almost three days ...." For the cinematic scenes, the director specifically selected Sri Lankan Kaffirs from the villages of Sirambi Adi of Puttalam and Pala Uttu of Trincomalee. Marcus Joseph Elies, a retired GS living in Puttalam said "from our appearance, we are sure that we are from Africa, yet we do not know from which province of Africa we came to Sri Lanka. Nor do we know anything about our original language and religion. We know what we were taught at church only. We know that we were brought here by Portuguese..."

Brohier, who explored the origin and the lifestyle of black Africans, claims that they are well noted for their forms of entertainment which was entwined with their peculiar culture. Brohier's analytical study shows that kaffirs were highly interested in and experts in the dance of kaffirinha and forms of music associated with it. In additional, kaffirs showed a marvellous dexterity in playing a musical instrument called "Chikoti" and were adept in quadrille dance and celinda, a form of music which displayed their cultural ingredients of the past. Furthermore, he refers to a kaffir musical band called "kaffir Bandsmen of Sluisken" and says that black Africans in Sellankandal of Puttalam are specially clever at Kaffirinha music.

But M.H. Gunathilaka's study which runs counter to that of Brohier shows that the music and dance performed by kaffirs living in Sellankandal of Puttalam is not actually kaffirinha but a variety of tribal music called "Manja". Mercelinu Alphonso who lives in Trincomalee concludes that people who can perform this type of music are very rare.

She is 85 and lives in Palauttu of Trincomalee. At present this music system is observed only in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Puttalam.

Mercelinu Alphonso, a senior member of Kaffir population in Sri Lanka looks back nostalgically on the past and comments on the good old days.

"All our previous generations lived in the village of Palauttuwa of Trincomalee. I was just thirteen when the world war broke out. I remember it very well. I worked in the Royal Navy and my duty was preparing tea for the higher officials. Those days Trincomalee was covered with a thick jungle and large groups of elephants freely roamed in it.

The area was mostly depopulated. Trincomalee began to be largely populated with the military operations. Just when the war broke out, large groups of people were brought to Trincomalee. Specially Punjabis from India, Tamils from Batticaloa and Sinhala people from Colombo were brought here..."

"Earlier, the military camp had been established in the harbour but the camp was without satisfactory protection for the weapons. Later the famous Monkey Bridge camp was established in the middle of the thick jungle. We worked there...."

"During the dark days of the world war, the current "Italy camp" of Trincomalee was the place where the outdoor prison of the Italian prisoners was situated.

A lot of interesting things took place in this prison those days. The prisoners began to make a strong liquor and sell it in the prison.

The English and Sri Lankan bought it and were soon addicted to it. It was called "Italy whisky" those days..." Alphonso recollects.

Greiz, now 84, says that her generation living in Palauttu is gradually blending into other ethnic groups in the country and expresses her optimism on the trend. "Our people have now mixed with Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims but we have blended more with tamils than any ethnic group. We do not care about ethnic barriers and what we want is to eat, drink and be happy," she says.

The black Africans in Puttalam are mostly associated with Sinhalese and have embraced the Sinhalese culture. Intermarriages between the Sinhalese people and those of Kaffirs are not uncommon and ceremonial rites are performed in accordance with Sinhala culture. A typical Kaffir youth sings this popular song to his mother-in-law.

"Singali nona - Singali nona-Iyu there kapa portha min kere, ortha nin kerefiga namasda - figa namasda none figa namasda...."(Sinhala lady - I like to marry. I do not want your house. Nor do I ask for your land and property. I want your daughter only.)