What is "radala"

Radala refers to a small minority caste in the Kandyan Kingdom of Sri Lanka. They were the aristocracy of the Kingdom of Kandy. The term Radala is coming from the combination of words Radh (meaning, "Royal") and Kola or Kula (meaning, "caste"), which literally means the royal caste. The word "Radala" came into existence after the throne of the Kingdom of Kandy went to the Nayak Dynasty. Higher officials in the court of Vira Narendra Sinha were offered this state and Nayakkara prince was selected as king over king's son by a local queen. After capturing the Kandyan provinces in 1815 with the aid of locals from both maritime and Kandyan provinces, the British created an extensive class of loyal 'New Radalas' in the Kandyan territory to assist them in the administration of that province.

Traditionally, Radala was not a common term used for all officials of the state. In the Sinhala version of the Kandyan Convention of 1815, only the Adigars, Dissavas and a few others are called Radalas. The 19th century British rulers who created an extensive class of 'New Radalas' in the Kandyan territory were keen to call them an aristocracy to assist them with its administration. However Sri Lankan history shows that many Kandyan Radalas were civil and military officials of the court and considered aristocratic but not as direct heirs to the Kandyan throne.