Misplaced Pages

Cekaracacekaran VII Cankili I
King of the Jaffna Kingdom
First from the right is Cankili I
Reign	1519–1561
Predecessor	Singai Pararasasegaram (Pararacacekaran VI)
Successor	Puviraja Pandaram (Pararacacekaran VII)
Born	Nallur
Died	1565 (1566) Nallur
Burial	Nallur
Issue	Puviraja Pandaram (Pararacacekaran VII)
Names Cankilian Sekarasasekaran
Tamil	சங்கிலியன்
House	Aryacakravarti dynasty
Father	Singai Pararasasegaram (Pararacacekaran VI)
Mother	Mangathammal

Cankili I (Tamil: சங்கிலியன்) (died 1565), also known as Segarasasekaram (Jaga Rajasekharam), is the most remembered Jaffna kingdom king in the Sri Lankan Tamil history. He was active in resisting Portuguese colonial inroads into Sri Lanka. He inherited his throne via palace intrigues in which a number of heirs died under mysterious circumstances. Ultimately, he was removed from power by a local uprising that led to his son Puviraja Pandaram taking nominal power from him.

Biography

His father, Singai Pararasasegaram, had two principal wives and a number of concubines. His first wife, Rajalaksmi, had two sons, Singhabahu and Pandaram. Singai Pararasasegaram second wife was Valliammal; they couple were the parents of Paranirupasingham. Cankili's mother had Cankili and a daughter named Paravai. As part of palace intrigues, Cankili was able to ascend the throne.

Rule

According to a letter by Andre de Souza, ordered Cankili I on November 1544 the murder of his eldest son for converting to Catholicism. The son was buried on the spot he was killed, where a chapel was built that later on served as the foundation for the construction of the present St. Mary's Cathedral at Jaffna.

Cankili I resisted all contacts with the Portuguese, maintained relationships with Kunjali Marakkar got assistance from and even massacred 600 – 700 Parava Catholics in the island of Mannar who were brought from India to Mannar by the Portuguese to take over the lucrative pearl fisheries from the Jaffna kings. He was removed from power due to a local uprising that led his son Puviraja Pandaram take nominal power. He wielded real power behind the throne until his death in 1565.

Notes

1. Gunasingam, Murugar (2005). Primary Sources for History of the Sri Lankan Tamils: A World-wide Search. M.V. Publications for the South Asian Studies Centre, Sydney. p. 86. ISBN 9780646454283.
2. The Ceylon Antiquary and Literary Register. The Times. 1919. p. 60.
3. Joseph, Dishan (2016-07-16). "Mannar Island of Martyrs » Nation". Nation. Archived from the original on 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2018-04-24.
4. Kurukshetra. Sri Lak-Indo Study Group. 1983. p. 68.
5. Kunarasa, K The Jaffna Dynasty, p.82-84
6. Gnanaprakasar, S A critical history of Jaffna, p.113-117

References

• Kunarasa, K (2003). The Jaffna Dynasty. Johor Bahru: Dynasty of Jaffna King’s Historical Society. p. 122. ISBN 955-8455-00-8.
• Gnanaprakasar, Swamy (2003). A Critical History of Jaffna (review of Yalpana Vaipava Malai). New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. p. 122. ISBN 81-206-1686-3.

• 1565 deaths
• Kings of Jaffna
• Sri Lankan Hindus
• Sri Lankan Tamil royalty
• Sri Lankan Tamil people
• 16th-century monarchs in Asia