Maha Mudaliyar
The Maha Mudaliyar ( Head Mudaliyar or මහ මුදලි) was a colonial title and office in
As the native headmen system became an integral part of the administration of the island under the successive European
Following the death of Maha Mudaliyar Don Conrad Peter Dias Bandaranaike Maha Mudaliyar[3] he was succeeded by his nephew Don David De Saram. He was of the most popular and influential Maha Mudaliyars of Ceylon whose property was later donated to Rahula College, Matara. His cousin Don Juan Ilangakoon succeeded him as the Maha Mudaliyar and later the son of the latter who also happened to be the son-in-law of the former Maha Mudaliyar Don David Ilangakoon succeeded as the Maha Mudaliyar of Ceylon and was in office at the time of the British takeover from the Dutch. It was during this time, the then Govorner of Ceylon, Sir Frederick North was warned by the Dutch about the enormous influence of the De Saram-Ilangakoon-Bandaranayake-Obeyesekere family Dynasty.[4]
Following the death of Maha Mudaliyar Don David Ilangakoon , his sister's son-in-law, the then
List of Head Mudaliyars
- Don Diaz Abeysundere Samarakone Fernandez (Chevalier) - Head Mudaliyar of Portuguese Ceylon aka Samarakone Rala
- Nicholas Dias Abeyesinghe Amarasekere (1719-1794)- Head Mudaliyar of Dutch Ceylon
- Isaac Wijeyesiriwardene de Saram
- Johannes de Saram Wijayasekara Abayarathne
- Abraham de Saa Wijayasekara Bandaranaike
- Jacob Ernest Wijeyekre de Saram
- Julius Valentine de Saram
- Don Balthazar Dias Abeyesinghe
- Christoffel de Saram Wanigasekera Ekanaike
- Conrad Pieter Dias Wijewardena Bandaranaike
- Don David de Saram
- Don Juan Ilangakoon
- Don David Jayathilake Abeysiriwardhana Ilangakoon
- Don Philipz Ferdinandez Wijeratne Obeyesekere II
- Lambertus Obeyesekere
- Sir James Peter Obeyesekere I
- Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike(1895–1928)
- Sir James Peter Obeyesekere II (1928–1968)
See also
References
- De Silva, K. M. (1981). A History of Sri Lanka. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520043206.
- Peebles, Patrick (1995). Social change in nineteenth century Ceylon. Colombo: Navrang in collaboration with Lake House Bookshop. ISBN 9788170131410.