Inventing Kingdoms, Erasing Communities: The Myth of the Vanni Kingdom and its Political Instrumentalisation in Sri Lanka

Author: Balananthini Balasubramaniam (Nila Bala)

Independent Researcher, Small Drops.

smalldropsnila@gmail.com

15 June 2025

United Kingdom

Abstract

This article interrogates the mythologisation of the Vanni region as a centralised Tamil kingdom within Sri Lanka's contemporary political and diasporic narratives. Drawing on historical records, oral testimonies, and critical discourse analysis, it demonstrates that the notion of a "Vanni Kingdom" is a modern political construction. Historically, the Vanni was administered through decentralised chieftaincies known as vannimai parru, lacking the institutional or symbolic coherence of a kingdom. However, from the post-independence era through the civil war and into the post-2009 period, this myth has been revived and politicised by Tamil nationalist actors and diasporic cultural producers. The figure of Pandara Vanniyan, selectively interpreted from colonial sources and oral folklore, has become emblematic of this constructed past. The article also highlights how Sinhala nationalists have simultaneously appropriated and denied these narratives for their own consolidation of state power. By tracing these competing uses of the Vanni myth, the article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of myth-making, historical revisionism, and identity formation in postcolonial and post-war Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Vanni, Tamil nationalism, postcolonial myth-making, Pandara Vanniyan, Sri Lanka, ethno-politics, Sinhala-Buddhist state

1. Introduction

The reconfiguration of history into tools of legitimacy and resistance is a recurring theme in the politics of Sri Lanka. Nowhere is this more evident than in the evolving narratives around the Vanni region. Commonly mythologised as a "Tamil kingdom," the Vanni has become a contested symbol in Tamil nationalist historiography and post-war diasporic activism. This article examines how the Vanni has been framed, distorted, and politicised across different historical and ideological moments.

2. Literature Review

Benedict Anderson's notion of "imagined communities" (1983) provides a foundational lens through which nationalist myth-making can be analysed. In Sri Lankan contexts, historians like K. Indrapala and S. Pathmanathan have critiqued both Tamil and Sinhala historical essentialism. Despite the lack of archaeological or administrative evidence for a Vanni Kingdom, writers like Mullaive Mannan and dramatists during the 1980s contributed to a popular reimagining of Vanni's past as regal and sovereign, particularly in opposition to Sinhala majoritarian nationalism.

3. Methodology

This study uses a qualitative method combining archival research (colonial-era reports, administrative records), oral histories from the Vanni region, and textual analysis of Tamil nationalist literature and Sinhala state narratives. Interviews were conducted with residents and diaspora activists. Discourse analysis helps decode the ideological function of recurring tropes like "Pandara Vanniyan" and "Yazhpanam royal legacy."

4. The Historical Vanni: Between Decentralisation and Marginality

Historical records portray the Vanni not as a centralised polity, but a terrain of decentralised vannimai structures. These were clan-based, feudal arrangements with limited autonomy, often paying tribute to stronger polities like Jaffna or Kandy. No royal palaces, minting institutions, or unified legal-administrative systems have been found to support the kingdom thesis. The economy was subsistence-based, with pastoral lands rather than urban centres, suggesting the peninsula's history as a pastureland.

5. Constructing the Myth: Pandara Vanniyan and the Rise of Narrative Nationalism

The elevation of Pandara Vanniyan into a national hero—while politically potent—exemplifies myth-making detached from material evidence. Sinhala governments awarded him national hero status twice, ironically contributing to his canonisation in Tamil memory. During the 1980s and 1990s, the rise of Tamil militancy merged historical figures into liberation theology. The diaspora, particularly post-2009, revived these stories through literature, digital media, and school curricula.

6. Political Instrumentalisation and Post-War Identity Politics

Following the end of the war in 2009, narratives around the Vanni region saw a resurgence. Diaspora groups began to frame Vanni as the "last standing Tamil kingdom," with little critical examination. This myth served to unify fractured Tamil diaspora identities and justify secessionist discourse. Simultaneously, Sinhala nationalists portrayed the region as historically Sinhala-Buddhist, reinterpreting ruins and inscriptions to erase Tamil claims. In both cases, the real historical nuances of vannimai governance were ignored.

7. Critical Implications: The Dangers of Myth in Post-War Reconciliation

The Vanni myth poses serious risks for post-war reconciliation. Myths mobilise memory but can also entrench division. The reinforcement of singular, glorified histories—whether Tamil or Sinhala—obstructs inter-ethnic dialogue, historical accountability, and collective healing. This article advocates for a de-mythologised historiography, grounded in interdisciplinary research and inclusive memory practices.

8. Conclusion

This article has shown that the Vanni Kingdom is not a historical reality but a modern construction, strategically invoked for ideological purposes. Understanding this process of myth-making is essential in dismantling exclusionary nationalisms and building a reconciled, pluralist future for Sri Lanka.

References

• Anderson, B. (1983). Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso.

• Indrapala, K. (2005). The Evolution of an Ethnic Identity: The Tamils in Sri Lanka c. 300 BCE to c. 1200 CE. Vijitha Yapa.

• Pathmanathan, S. (1978). The Kingdom of Jaffna. University of Jaffna Press.

• Spencer, J. (1990). A Sinhala Village in a Time of Trouble: Politics and Change in Rural Sri Lanka. Oxford University Press.

• Tambiah, S. J. (1986). Sri Lanka: Ethnic Fratricide and the Dismantling of Democracy. University of Chicago Press.

• Thibaharan Thiagarajah MA 2020 various articles, Mayuran Ambalavanar various Articles

Author Bio:

Balananthini Balasubramaniam is an independent researcher based in the United Kingdom. Her research intersects history, identity, and post-colonial politics in Sri Lanka, with a focus on Tamil diaspora narratives and the politics of myth. She has conducted fieldwork in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, focusing on memory, marginalisation, and resistance.

(Disclaimer: Images are AI generated and are used for representational purposes only)

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