Velakkara

Velakkaras are royal guards mentioned in various historical accounts of Sri Lanka. The general prevailing notion is that they were Tamil mercenaries employed by the Sinhala and Tamil kings. They were considered to be loyal to the king, but occasionally rebelled against him as happened during the time of Vijayabahu.

Etymology

"Velam" in Tamil means "the inner court" and probably these guards were elite and guarded the king and his family. Velam also could be the Sanskrit 'aham', both meaning the inner line of defence in a royal set up.

See also

References

[1] [2] [3]

  1. ↑ Guy. "History of Jaffna". Jaffnahistory.com. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
  2. ↑ Sri Lanka: ethnic fratricide and the ... - Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah - Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
  3. ↑ Karunathilake, Halaliye (2007-05-27). "Mahavamsa -The death of the Yuvaraja". Sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2011-10-15.


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