By B. A. Hussainmiya, Ph. D
The transformation of the Sri Lankan Malay community into a martial race became more complete under the British rule than under the Dutch who surrendered their coastal possessions in 1796. Strangely enough, while the soldierly capabilities of Malays in Sri Lanka came in for their praise, the British treated the Malays in the peninsular as unfit for military duties. Similarly in Sri Lanka, they considered the indigenous Sinhalese as unsuitable to bear arms and preferred to employ the Malays.
The first Governor of British Ceylon, Frederic North (1798-1805) made elaborate plans to establish the Malay Regiment, modelled on the Sepoy Regiments of India. The Malays were dressed for the first time in scarlet and white uniform of a regular regiment of infantry on line. Special military schools were founded to teach them and their children to be proficient in both Malay and English. A special library for the soldiers lent books, publications and manuscripts in Malay. The regiment also had its own Malay chaplain to perform their religious rites. In short the Malays enjoyed full facilities to practice Islam and their culture.
More Malays were encouraged to immigrate to Sri Lanka with their families and paid bounty money. Aristocratic Malay families were especially welcomed, enjoying higher ranks in service depending on the number of their followers they brought along.
Aside from the colonial army, the Malays also found employment with the local Rajas.
Several exiled Malay princes had held commissions in the Army. For example, three out of five male children of the Makassarese King of Gowa, Batara Gowa Amas Madina II, from Southern Celebes who was exiled to the island in 1767 by the Dutch, had joined the regiment. His eldest son Captain Abdullah fought valiantly and died during the British-Polygar Wars in South India in 1800. His younger brothers Princes Karaeng (a Makassarese title for nobility) Mohd. Nuruddin and Karaeng Mohd. Saifuddin were both captains in the Ceylon Malay Regiment.
Aside from the colonial army, the Malays also found employment with the local Rajas. The Malays served the Cochin Raja in the Malabar coast of India who later were recruited by the British for service in Sri Lanka in 1799. More importantly, the last independent Ruler in Kandy in the central hilly region of Sri Lanka also had his own Malay army, known as Padikara Peruwa (paid levies) originally formed by the last Sinhalese Kandyan Ruler Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747-82). In 1800, there were nearly 400 of them. They ran away from the Dutch oppression into Kandy and welcomed at the Kandyan court, some of whom became the King`s bodyguards. Their chief was decorated with the highest title of Muhandiram, (like Pehins of Brunei) reserved for local chieftains. A half brother of the Bugis Princes, known as Sangunglo, who escaped to the central hills and described as `fat tall prince` by a contemporary British account, was the Commander of the Malay Army in the Kandyan Kingdom.
During the first British-Kandyan war of 1803, British sources reveal an interesting but a heart-rending saga of sibling bravery and princely honour involving the Malay-Bugis princes. When Kapitan Nuruddin and his brother Saifuddin led the British-Malay army into the heart of Kandy to fight the Sinhalese troops, their half brother Prince Sangunglo in the enemy ranks tried to lure them to join the Kandyans, and vice versa. Both parties refused the offers but remained loyal to their masters, the British and the Kandyan kings respectively. The Malay royal brothers fought each other as enemies in the service of their kings.
The brave Sangunglo, the Kandyan Malay commander created havoc by his daring exploits against the British enemies who advanced into the heart of Kandyan capital during the first British-Kandyan war. He fought bravely, engaging in hand to hand combat with his own brothers. Sangunglo lost his life in the battle at the hands of the British commander, Major Davy. The enraged Kandyan forces massacred and annihilated the British troops and brought victory to the Kandyan King, Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe.
Following the British defeat in Kandy, their Malay commanders Princes Captain Nuruddin and Saifuddin were captured and brought before the Kandyan king. During the audience the royal brothers refused to prostrate themselves in front of the King in the manner of customary obeisance. Ignoring their temerity, the Kandyan king offered them the position as his own commanders and to become princes among his Malay subjects. The princely brothers refused the offer, explaining that they had taken an oath to the King of England, and the acceptance of such an offer was tantamount to treachery. The Kandyan king gave them time to reconsider. After three weeks in prison the Malay princes refused to budge even under torture.
The enraged king put them to death and threw their bodies into the forest to be devoured by wild boars. The ill treatment of their princes and the denial of decent Muslim burials to the Malay martyrs sent a chilling message to the King`s Malay subjects who had served and fought for him loyally. Governor North was especially aggrieved to learn about the sacrifice and martyrdom of the Nuruddin brothers, and set up a special Malay committee to compensate the widows of the slain soldiers.
The Kandyan king was becoming notoriously paranoid and engaged in cruel acts against his own people. During the second war in 1815, his discontented Malay subjects decided to turn the tables on him. The role played by the Malays in the Kandyan wars certainly did tilt the balance of power. The British could not win the first war, due to the Malay backing to the Kandyan king. During the second war he lost their support and the war. The centuries old Sri Lankan monarchic rule ended with him and the British became masters of whole of Sri Lanka in 1815. Now they had the entire Malay population in the island to serve them.
Source: http://www.rootsweb.com
