Western 24,718 Central 2,889 | Southern 8,343 North Western 1,675 | |
Malays of Sri Lanka (also known in Sinhalese language as Ja Minissu meaning Javanese) originated in Southeast Asia. The group consists of about 40,000 people and they make up 0.20% of the Sri Lankan population. Their ancestors initially came to the country when both Sri Lanka and Indonesia were colonies of the Dutch, while a second wave (1796–1948) came from the Malay Peninsula, when both Malaya and Sri Lanka were in the British Empire.
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Significant Malay presence in Sri Lanka dated as early as 13th century, when Chandrabhanu Sridhamaraja a Malay of Tambralinga managed to occupy northern part of the island in 1247, nonetheless the followers of Chandrabhanu would mostly assimilate to the local population. Many of the ancestors of present-day Sri Lankan Malays coming from soldiers posted by the Dutch which later continued by the British for colonial administration to Sri Lanka, who decided to settle on the island. Other immigrants were convicts or members of noble houses from 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. Many Sri Lankan Malays have been celebrated as courageous soldiers, politicians, sportsmen, lawyers, accountants and doctors.
Malay place names in Sri Lanka
Some place names in Sri Lanka have references, indicating the presence of Javanese and Malay communities or contribution to the location. Some of these are:
and names of streets such as Malay Street, Java Lane, Jalan Padang
Language
See Sri Lankan Malay language
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 in Slave Island, are acclaimed mosques renowned for their architecture and long history. The first two storey mosque in Sri Lanka was built by HH 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 and is the Grand Mosque of Sri Lanka.