Sri Lankan Malays

Contacts between Sri Lanka and Maritime Southeast Asia are attested by the 13th century, when Chandrabhanu Sridhamaraja, described in Sri Lankan chronicles as a Javaka ruler associated with Tambralinga, led an invasion of northern Sri Lanka, in 1247. The majority of present-day Sri Lankan Malays, however, trace their ancestry to later periods, particularly to soldiers, officials, and exiles brought to the island by the Dutch and, subsequently, the British colonial administrations, many of whom settled permanently in Sri Lanka. Other immigrants were convicts or members of noble houses from the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), who were exiled to Sri Lanka and who never left. The main source of a continuing Malay identity is their common Malay language, the Islamic faith, and their ancestral origin from the Malay Archipelago. Many Sri Lankan Malays have been celebrated as courageous soldiers, politicians, sportsmen, lawyers, accountants, and doctors. ==Society==

Language Depending on where they live in the country and other socio-economic factors, Sri Lankan Malays speak Sinhala, Tamil, and/or English. According to the 2012 census, 79.2%, or 28,975 Sri Lankan Malays also spoke Tamil and 66.2%, or 24,202 also spoke English. Religion Like their ancestors in present-day Indonesia and Malaysia, Sri Lankan Malays are Muslim. Mosques were erected by the local Malays along the coasts of Sri Lanka in places like Hambantota, Beruwela, and Galle. The Jawatte mosque in Colombo and Masjidul Jamiya, the military mosque on Slave Island, are renowned for their architecture and long history. The first two storeys of the Grand Mosque in Sri Lanka was built by Mohammed Balankaya, an exiled Malay noble of the royal house of Gowa (in present-day Sulawesi, Indonesia). Today, the mosque is of great significance and is a symbol of Muslims in Sri Lanka; it is the Grand Mosque of Sri Lanka, where decisions affecting the lives of the island's Muslim population are made. During Dutch rule, the religious makeup of Sri Lankan Malays was diverse and consisted not only of Muslims but also Christians and Hindus who belonged primarily to the Ambonese and Balinese communities, respectively. Due to skewed migration patterns of Ambonese and Balinese settlers to Sri Lanka, which consisted only of men, intermarriage with Sinhalese and Tamil women was common and resulted in the phasing out of the Christian and Hindu communities that existed in the community early on. Common last names include Jayah, Weerabangsa, Sinhawangsa/Sinhawansa, Jayawangsa, Singalaxana, Bangsa Jayah, and Wangsa. Malay-origin last names include Lye, Samath, Cuttilan, Chunchie, Preena, Hannan, Sallay, Doole, Kitchilan, Kutinun, Kanchil, Sainon, Bongso, Bohoran, Kuppen, and Lappen. Arabic names are also used by Sri Lankan Malays, including Saldin, Assan, Rahman, Drahaman, Bucker, Ramlan, Rajap, Jumat, and Mannan. Prefixes of Malay origin such as Tuan, Maas, and Raden for males and Gnei, Nona, Sitti Nona, and Gnonya for females are commonly used as first names among Sri Lankan Malays. ==Legacy==

Organisations • All Ceylon Malay Political Union • Colombo Malay Cricket Club • Sri Lanka Malay Association • Malay Association Kolonnawa Electorate (MAKE) • Conference of Sri Lanka Malays • Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam • Kurunegala Malay Association Malay place names in Sri Lanka Some place names in Sri Lanka have references indicating the presence of Javanese and Malay communities or their contribution to the location. • Ja Kotuwa • Thavasikulam • Hambanthota (Sampan- Thota) • Taiyiddi • Thachathopu • Jawatte • Kartel (Slave Island) • Ja-Ela • Javakachcheri (Chavakachcheri) • street names such as Malay Street, Java Lane, Jalan Padang Notable Sri Lankan Malays ==See also==