Galle / Kaali
காலி
Gālla / Kāli
Galle / Kaali
The rocks
The rocky place
Gālla / Kāli
Galle / Kaali
The rocks
The rocky place
| Kal | also Kallu: Stone, rock (Tamil, Changkam Diction and modern. It is the same in all other Dravidian languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tulu etc. Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 1298); Also means hill, hillock (Changkam Diction, Pingkalam Lexicon); Comes as a place name suffix to mean a rocky place, found in the names of hills, hillocks and in the names of places that gained their names because of such hills, hillocks etc (Changkam Tamil usage, also found in Malayalam, Kannada Telugu and Tulu place names); Gal (plural), Gala (singular): Stone, rock (Sinhala); Gala is found as a suffix in the place names of rocky places, hills, hillocks etc similar to the usage of Kal / Kallu in Dravidian languages (Sinhala, see column on Bambaragala) |
Location of Galle / Kaali [Satellte image courtesy: Google Earth]
Galle is the name of a major harbour city and a historic place of colonial importance in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka.
Even though the anglicized way of pronunciation sounds somewhat like 'goal', the place name in Sinhala is written and pronounced as 'gaalla'. In Tamil the place is called Kaali.
The earliest recorded reference to this harbour comes from the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta who visited the place in mid 14th century and he calls it Qali.
Gaalla and Gala stand for rocky places, hills and hillocks in Sinhala. The place name Ke-galle in Sabragamuwa Province and the name Pidurutala-gala for the highest mountain in the island are just two examples for citation here. There are thousands of other place names, mostly ending but also sometimes beginning with Gala, and are associated with rocks, hills and hillocks in Sinhala toponymy.
Obviously, Galle, Gala and Gal in Sinhala are of Dravidian etymology and are cognates of Kal and Kallu of Tamil and other Dravidian languages (DED1298).
Earliest references to naming rocky / hilly places with the component of Kal can be found in the Changkam Tamil literature. Kal-naadan is a common reference to a person coming from a hill-settlement in the Ku’rignchith-thi’nai (hill-tract literature) of the Changkam corpus.
Similar to the large number of place names with the Gal / Gala component in the island of Sri Lanka, thousands of place names with Kal / Kallu (sometimes pronounced as Gal / Gallu), can be found in South India, especially in the Western Ghats.
Galle (Gaalla) is a rocky promontory having a bay ideal for a natural harbour facing the Indian Ocean in the southern coast of Sri Lanka. It was a commanding harbour even before the colonial times, in the Arab – Chinese trade route.
Tamil, Persian and Chinese seem to be the lingua franca of the pre-colonial trade of this cosmopolitan harbour, as testified by a tri-lingual inscription of Chinese origin found in this harbour and is kept in the Colombo Museum at present.
The trilingual inscription in Tamil, Chinese and Persian (in Arabic script) found in Galle and now in the National Museum, Colombo.
The inner entrance of the Dutch fort of Galle, photographed in 1903 [Photo courtesy: lankapura.com]
A part of the Dutch Fort at Galle [Photo courtesy: foundinceylon.com]
In its text it was dated to 1409 to commemorate the second visit of the Chinese admiral Zheng He and was erected in Galle harbour in 1411. The fact that this stone inscription was prepared in China in the three languages before its erection in Galle suggests that there were scribes in China at that time to write in Tamil and Arabic. (The Persian part of the inscription was written in Arabic script.)
While the Chinese part of the inscription speaks of donations to the shrine of Buddha in the mountain of the island, the Tamil part mentions similar alms to the temple of ‘Thenavarai-Naayanaar’ (probably the temple of Siva at Devinuvara, the present day Dondra Head) and the Persian part in Arabic script lists equal donations to a place of worship of Muslims.
During this expedition, Zheng He took the king of Kotte (Colombo) as prisoner, along with the tooth relic, to the Ming Emperor of China in Nanjing. The king was later released on condition of paying tribute, which the rulers of Kotte paid for the next forty years.
Recognizing the strategic importance of Galle, the Portuguese and the Dutch built forts here. Galle was the first place in the island to be visited by the Portuguese in 1505 and after capturing it from the rulers of Kotte, the Portuguese started building a fort here in 1588. The Dutch who captured it from the Portuguese in 1640 made it a massive fort. The fort today is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the best-preserved colonial fortifications of the world.
The place name Gaalla and its Tamil equivalent Kaali are interesting examples how the Dravidian root that rendered the term to Sinhala, became in turn Tamilized. Because, the word Kaali directly deriving from Kal is unusual to Tamil word formation. The process is somewhat similar to the Tamilization of Sinhala place names ending with Gala as Kalai, even though originally Gala is a cognate of Kal.
Galle is today the fourth largest city in Sri Lanka and is the capital of the Southern Province.
While the Chinese part of the inscription speaks of donations to the shrine of Buddha in the mountain of the island, the Tamil part mentions similar alms to the temple of ‘Thenavarai-Naayanaar’ (probably the temple of Siva at Devinuvara, the present day Dondra Head) and the Persian part in Arabic script lists equal donations to a place of worship of Muslims.
During this expedition, Zheng He took the king of Kotte (Colombo) as prisoner, along with the tooth relic, to the Ming Emperor of China in Nanjing. The king was later released on condition of paying tribute, which the rulers of Kotte paid for the next forty years.
Recognizing the strategic importance of Galle, the Portuguese and the Dutch built forts here. Galle was the first place in the island to be visited by the Portuguese in 1505 and after capturing it from the rulers of Kotte, the Portuguese started building a fort here in 1588. The Dutch who captured it from the Portuguese in 1640 made it a massive fort. The fort today is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the best-preserved colonial fortifications of the world.
The place name Gaalla and its Tamil equivalent Kaali are interesting examples how the Dravidian root that rendered the term to Sinhala, became in turn Tamilized. Because, the word Kaali directly deriving from Kal is unusual to Tamil word formation. The process is somewhat similar to the Tamilization of Sinhala place names ending with Gala as Kalai, even though originally Gala is a cognate of Kal.
Galle is today the fourth largest city in Sri Lanka and is the capital of the Southern Province.
Details of the Dutch Fort constructed at the rocky promontory called Galle and the town inside it [Satellite image courtesy: Google Earth]
Some related place names:
Sinhala:
Ke-galle (District headquarters, Kegalle district, Sabragamuwa Province), Tan-galla (Hampantota district, Southern Province), Pidurutala-gala (Nuwara Eliya district, Central Province), Monera-gala (Moneragala district, Uva Province), Ra-galla (Nuwara Eliya district, Central Province), Gal-Hinna (Kandy district, Central Province)
Eezham Tamil:
Thoa’nik-kal (Vavuniyaa district, Northern Province); Puli-paayntha-kal (Ampaa’rai district, Eastern Province), Kaladdi (A common place name for stretches of land having rocky outcrops, Jaffna district, Northern Province)
Tamil Nadu:
Kallup-paddi (Rocky village, Sivagangai district), Hogena-kal (Smoky rocks, because of the number of waterfalls, Kannada / Tamil, Dharmapuri district), Thi’nduk-kal (Rock seat, Thi’ndukkal district)
Kannada:
Aane-kal (Elephant hill, Bangalore district), Mud-gal (Muthu-kallu, The old hill, Raichchur district), Rotti-kallu (Sakleshpur), Jeanu-kallu (Honey hill, Charmadi)
Tulu:
Karkala (Kaar-kaalaa > Kari-kallu, The dark hill, Dakshina Kannada district)
Malayalam:
Eda-kallu-guddaa ( Kodagu / Malayalam, Kerala, bordering Goorg district of Karnataka), Paa’ndiyan-kallu (Kasaragode district), Illikkal-kallu, Man-kallu, Mudi-kallu, Koonu-kallu (Kottayam district),
Telugu:
Waran-gal (Waarang-gal > Woru-kallu, The single rock / hill, Warangal district)
Appendix: translated text of the trilingual inscription
[Courtesy: www.lankalibrary.com]
The inscription was found in 1911 by the Public Works Department, near the turn to the Cripps Road in Galle. It had been used as a slab for a culvert, with its face downwards. (JRAS (CB) No. 64, 1911, pp. 129-130). The first attempt at its reading was published by E W Perera in the Spolia Zeylanica, Vol. 8, 1912. pp.l22-132.
It was thereafter published by S. Paranavitana, (later Prof.), in the Epigraphia Zeylanica Vol. III 1933, pp.331-341.
The translations given here are from the latter publication.
Tamil Version
(Lines 1-6) " Hail! ..The great king of Cina, the supreme overlord of kings, the full-orbed moon in splendour, having heard of the fame of the Lord, presents [the following] as offerings, in the hands of the envoys Cimvo and Uvincuvin to the sacred presence of the Lord Tenavarai Nayanar in the kingdom of Ilanga.
(6-13) (And he also) causes this utterance to be heard. ‘All living beings who exist in this world are being protected, in happiness, by the compassion of the Lord. Men, whencesoever they come thither, have their obstacles [to happiness] removed through the divine grace of the Lord of Tenavarai. So, [the following] are presented as offerings to the Lord of Tenavarai; to wit, gold, silver, tulukki, silk, sandalwood and oil for anointing.
[13-22] The various offerings in detail, are:- one thousand kalancus of gold, five thousand kalancus of silver, fifty pieces of tulukki of different colours, four pairs of banners embroidered with gold thread and (adorned with crystal?) two pairs of the same red in colour, five copper vessels of antique copper for keeping incense, five black stands, ten copper vases for holding flowers, ten black stands, five wick-holders for standing brass lamps, five black stands, six pairs of lotus flowers made of wood and gilt, five gilt caskets for putting agil in, ten pairs of wax candles, two thousand five hundred katti of oil and ten pieces of sandalwood.
[22-24] These included in the list as enumerated are given as offerings to the sacred presence of the Lord Tenavarai Nayanar.
The second month of the seventh year of Yunlo."
[Paranavitana at p.334 : Tenavarai is the Tamil form of the Sinhalese Devinuvara; fn. 4, p.336: Ilanga: Lanka, i.e. Ceylon]
Chinese version. C. Translation by Mr. Edmund Backhouse of Pekin, as published in the Spolia Zeylanica, 1912.]
His Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Ming dynasty has despatched the eunuchs Ching-Ho, Wang Ching-Lien, and others to set forth his utterance before Buddha, the World Honoured one, as follows:
’Deeply do we reverence you, Merciful and Honoured One, whose bright perfection is wide-embracing, and whose way of virtue passes all understanding, whose law enters into all human relations, and the years of whose great Kalpa (period) are like the sand of the river in number, you whose controlling influence ennobles and converts, whose kindness quickens, and whose strength discerns, whose mysterious efficacy is beyond compare!
Whereas Ceylon’s mountainous isle lies in the south of the ocean, and its Buddhist temples are sanctuaries of your gospel, where your miraculous responsive power imbues and enlightens. Of late, we have dispatched missions to announce our mandate to foreign nations, and during their journey over the ocean they have been favoured with the blessing of your beneficient protection. They escaped disaster or misfortune and journeyed in safety to and fro. In everlasting recognition of your supreme virtue, we, therefore, bestow offerings in recompense, and do now reverently present before Buddha, the Honoured One, oblations of gold and silver, gold embroidered jewelled banners of variegated silk, incense burners, and flower vases, silks of many colours in lining and exterior, lamps and candles with other gifts, in order to manifest the high honour of our worship. Do you, Lord Buddha, bestow on them, your regard!"
List of Alms bestowed at the shrine of the Buddhist temple in the Mountain of Ceylon as offerings.
1000 pieces of gold; 5000 pieces of silver; fifty rolls of embroidered silk in many colours; fifty rolls of silk taffeta in many colours; four pairs of jewelled banners, gold embroidered, and of variegated silk; two pairs of the same picked in red; one pair of the same in yellow; one pair in black; five antique brass incense burners; five pairs of antique brass flower vases picked in gold on lacquer, with gold stands; five pairs of yellow brass candle-sticks, picked in gold on lacquer, with gold stand; five yellow brass lamps picked in gold on lacquer, with gold stands; five incense vessels in vermilion red, lacquered gold picked on lacquer, with gold stands; six pairs of golden lotus flowers; 2500 catties of scented oil; ten pairs of wax candles; ten sticks of fragrant incense.
The date being the seventh year of Yung-Lo marked Chich’ou in the sixty years cycle, on Chia Hsu day of the sixty days cycle in the second moon being the first day of the month. A reverent oblation".
The Persian version [Translation by Mr. Ghulam Yazdani, MA, Director of the Archaeological Department of H E H the Nizam’s Dominions of Hyderabad.] [MB. Dots... indicate worn out and undecipherable letters]
[Lines] 1)... 2) The great king... by royal order... Ming 3).. has been sent to pay homage .. 4) .. to seek help and ... 5) ... 6) ... it is known ... 7) ... for ... 8) and these miracles ... 9) ... has been sent ... 10) ... is known ... to pay his respects 11) ...embroidered cloth, incense burners, flower baskets ... and lamp oil 12) ... for kind favours has sent these presents, so that 13) ... Light of Islam. 14) ... the presents are as detailed below. 15) Gold one thousand ’Misqal" ... Silver five thousand ’Misqal’... embroidered articles fifty in number. 16) ... fifty in number ... embroidered articles four ... altogether two pairs. 17) one pair yellow ... one pair ... incense burners of copper, five in number. 18) stand of copper, five in number ... five pairs ...red stands with gold work. 19) antique lamp stands five in numbe
First published: Tuesday, 30 June 2009, 04:31
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