Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave was widely known simply as Tennekoon during the second half of the seventeenth century. His prominence within the Kandyan administration under King Rajasinghe II, together with his later association with the Dutch East India Company, ensured that his name appears frequently in contemporary documentary sources. Dutch records in particular, as well as later historical studies, provide abundant evidence for his activities and status.
In the centuries following his lifetime, several identifiable branches of his descendants continued to use the surname Tennekoon, and families bearing that name remain present in several regions of Sri Lanka to the present day. At the same time, the surname appears in connection with other individuals whose precise genealogical relationship to Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave is uncertain. The name therefore became more widely distributed after the seventeenth century, making it difficult to determine which later bearers of the surname belong to his direct lineage.
Evidence for the use of the name Tennekoon prior to the lifetime of Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave, however, is extremely limited. Only a small number of historical references can be identified before the mid-seventeenth century. Among these, the earliest and most authoritative reference to the name appears in the Paḍākada copper-plate grant (පඩාකඩ සන්නස), an important document associated with the political history of the Kingdom of Kotte.
The problem of identifying the earliest bearers of the name Tennekoon is therefore closely connected with the broader question of how the lineage associated with Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave emerged within the political landscape of late medieval Sri Lanka. While seventeenth-century sources document the career of Tennekoon Dissave with considerable clarity, earlier generations must be reconstructed through a combination of inscriptions, chronicles, and genealogical manuscripts preserved within family traditions. These materials vary in reliability and chronological precision, yet when read together they allow the outlines of an earlier historical context to emerge.
Among these sources, the Paḍākada copper-plate grant occupies a particularly significant position. Not only does it provide the earliest known epigraphic reference to the name Tennekoon, but it also situates that name within the administrative and political world of the Kingdom of Kotte during the fifteenth century. When interpreted alongside the Tudugala Vidagama Pevathi Bandaravaliya and the chronicle traditions preserved in the Rājāvaliya, the inscription offers an important starting point for tracing the deeper historical background of the lineage later represented by Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave.
The Discovery of the Paḍākada Copper Plate
The Paḍākada copper-plate grant first came to modern scholarly attention in the early twentieth century. The plate was reportedly discovered at a curio dealer’s shop in Colombo around 1935 by the historian and civil servant Paul E. Pieris, who recognized its historical significance. Pieris subsequently acquired the plate and entrusted it to Senarat Paranavitana, then Archaeological Commissioner of Ceylon, for scholarly examination.
Paranavitana carefully read, transcribed, and interpreted the inscription, publishing his findings in the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Although the copper plate had suffered considerable damage—a portion of it having been destroyed by fire—the surviving text still preserved valuable historical information.
The Paḍākada copper plate records a royal land grant issued by Emperor Sirimath Siri Sangabo Sri Parakramabahu (ශ්රීමත් සිරිසඟබෝ ශ්රී පරාක්රමබාහු චක්රවර්තති), who ruled from Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte (ජයවර්ධන කෝට්ට). The grant was made to a figure named:
Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal (තෙන්නකෝන් නිතත්ත මුඩිත්ත පෙරුමාල්).
The language of the inscription is remarkably close to modern Sinhala, a feature commonly observed in documentary sources from the Kotte period. As a result, the text is comparatively accessible to modern readers, unlike earlier medieval inscriptions that employ archaic grammatical forms.
The Problem of Identifying the Granting King
One of the principal difficulties in interpreting the Paḍākada copper plate arises from the absence of the exact regnal or calendar year in the surviving inscription. Only the month and date are preserved, while the year itself has been lost due to damage. This omission complicates the identification of the exact monarch who issued the grant.
The difficulty arises because five rulers named Parakramabahu reigned from Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte during the relevant period:
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Parakramabahu VI (1411–1466)
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Jayavira Parakramabahu (1466–1469)
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Pandita Parakramabahu VII (1477)
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Vira Parakramabahu VIII (1477–1489)
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Dharma Parakramabahu IX (1489–1513)
Without the year, the inscription alone does not immediately reveal which of these rulers issued the grant. In this case, however, another source—the Tudugala Vidagama Pevathi Bandaravaliya—helps to clarify the matter.
The Tudugala Vidagama Pevathi Bandaravaliya and the Memory of the Grant
The Tudugala Vidagama Pevathi Bandaravaliya, a genealogical ola manuscript associated with the Tudugala lineage, contains an important reference to the Paḍākada grant. The manuscript was revised on 20 September 1897 by the Buddhist monk Rev. Thudugala Dhammajothi, who identifies himself within the text as a descendant of Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave.
In his compilation, the monk records that a copper-plate grant relating to Padakada village in Pasyodun Korale had once been preserved among the family’s ancestral documents but was later damaged by fire. The Bandaravaliya therefore preserves a textual memory of the same grant that was later rediscovered by Paul E. Pieris.
The manuscript identifies the recipient of the grant as Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal, whom it presents as an ancestor both of Vidiya Bandara and of Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave.
Identification of King “Rukula Parakramabahu”
According to the Bandaravaliya, the grant of Padakada village was issued by a king identified as Rukula Parakramabahu. Scholars such as Paul E. Pieris and J. H. O. Paulusz have argued that this ruler corresponds to King Parakramabahu VI, the most powerful monarch of the Kotte kingdom.
Several factors support this identification.
First, the Bandaravaliya states that the grant was issued during the time when Alakeshwara exercised authority in Kotte, a circumstance consistent with the political environment of the fifteenth century.
Second, the Paḍākada copper plate refers to the granting monarch using the imperial title:
චක්රවර්තති (Chakravarti / Emperor).
Among the possible candidates, Parakramabahu VI is the only ruler whose authority extended across most of the island and who plausibly bore such an imperial designation.
Taken together, these factors strongly suggest that the grant was issued during the reign of Parakramabahu VI in the mid-fifteenth century.
The Migration of Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal
The Bandaravaliya describes Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal as a ruler originating from the Chola country of South India. According to the manuscript, he migrated to Sri Lanka after losing his kingdom in a conflict with another South Indian ruler.
The text further states that King Rukula Parakramabahu himself was also of South Indian origin and was related to Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal as a cousin. Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, Tennekoon is said to have landed at Maradana beach, where he was ceremonially received by the royal court.
The Bandaravaliya records that he was welcomed by Sannas Wickremesinghe, the king’s prime minister, together with five ministers of the royal council.
The name Sanhas Thiruvarangan Wickremesinghe also appears in the Dedigama inscription, erected during the reign of Bhuvanekabahu VI (1469–1477), the son of Parakramabahu VI. Prior to his coronation, Bhuvanekabahu VI was known as Prince Sapumal (Chembagapperumal). The appearance of this ministerial name in both contexts further reinforces the fifteenth-century dating of the events described in the Bandaravaliya.
The Land Grants in Pasyodun Korale
The village of Padakada in Pasyodun Korale, located in what is now the Kalutara District, was only one among several estates granted to Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal.
According to the Bandaravaliya, the following lands were granted to him:
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Padakada
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Visidagama
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Thudugala
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Madugama
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Henegama
All of these villages lay within Pasyodun Korale, an administrative division of considerable importance during the Kotte period. In addition to these estates, the text also states that Tennekoon received authority over a province within the Dissavany of Matota.
The Bandaravaliya records that he first settled in Visidagama and later established his residence at Thudugala, which subsequently became associated with the lineage that preserved the manuscript.
Interpreting the Name “Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal”
The name Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal clearly reflects South Indian linguistic influences.
The title Perumal is widely attested in South Indian royal traditions and often denotes a leader, prince, or person of high rank.
The word Tennekoon literally means “King of the South.”
The remaining components of the name require closer linguistic interpretation.
The term Nithaththa appears to derive from the Sanskrit निदत्त (nidatta), meaning “given a name” or “bestowed with a title.” In Sinhala this sense corresponds to “නාමලාභී” or “නම් ලද.”
The Tamil word முடி (mudi) means “crown.” The form Mudiththa may therefore represent a corrupted or vernacular form meaning “crowned.”
Taken together, the name may be interpreted as meaning:
“The crowned prince who was given the name Tennekoon, the King of the South.”
This interpretation accords well with the Bandaravaliya’s portrayal of Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal as a displaced South Indian ruler who was received with honour at the court of Parakramabahu VI.
Mudaliyar Tennekoon of Thotagamuwa
Between the lifetime of Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal in the fifteenth century and that of Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave in the seventeenth century, historical references to individuals bearing the name Tennekoon are extremely scarce.
One important intermediate reference appears in the Rājāvaliya, which records a figure named Tennekoon Mudaliyar of Thotagamuwa.
The chronicle records the following passage:
"Ekanayaka Mudali and Amarakon Arachchila of Kalutota went to Denepitiya and lent their assistance. They pursued Manamperi Mudaliyar, cut off his head, took and killed Disanayaka Arachchi, younger brother of Tennakon Mudaliya of Totagamuwa, and the Portuguese warrior named Juan Perera, and a great many of the Portuguese force. Vikramasinha Mudali delivered the Matara District to Ekanayaka Mudali, and having returned to Sitawaka presented himself before king Mayadunne."
"ඒකනායක මුදලියාත් කළුතොට අමරකෝන් ආරච්චිලත් දෙණේපිටියට ගොසින් උදව්ව මනම්පේරි මුදලියා පාරේ එලවාගෙනගෙන ගොස් මනම්පේරි මුදලියාගේ තරමත් ගෙන තොටගමුවේ තෙන්නකෝන් මුදලියාගේ මල් දිසානායක ආරච්චියත් ජුවන් ප්රේරා කියන ප්රතිකාල් මලවරත් ප්රතිකාණු බොහෝ හමුදාවකුත් අල්වා මරාදමා ඒකනායක මුදලින්ට මාතොට දිසාව භාරකරදී සිටුවා වික්රමසිංහ මුදලියා හීතාවකට අවුත් මායාදුන්නේ රජ්ජුරුවන් දැක්කේය"
This passage places Mudaliyar Tennekoon of Thotagamuwa during the reign of King Mayadunne of Sitawaka (1521–1581). His younger brother, Disanayaka Arachchi, is described as serving in Matara at the time of his death.
Chronological Position of Mudaliyar Tennekoon
The evidence suggests that Mudaliyar Tennekoon of Thotagamuwa lived approximately one century after Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal and roughly one century before Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave.
This places him squarely in the sixteenth century, making him chronologically intermediate between the two better-known figures.
His residence at Thotagamuwa in Kalutara and the presence of his brother in Matara correspond closely with the regions granted to Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal in the fifteenth century. This geographical continuity strengthens the possibility that Mudaliyar Tennekoon belonged to the same lineage.
One plausible hypothesis is that he may be identical with Suriya Bandara, identified in the Tudugala Vidagama Pevathi Bandaravaliya as a descendant of Vidiya Bandara. The designation Suriya Bandara may have functioned less as a personal name than as a title signifying membership in a royal clan.
The absence of his younger brother from the Bandaravaliya genealogy could be explained by the latter’s death at a relatively young age without surviving heirs.
Conclusion
At present, only two historical figures bearing the name Tennekoon can be securely identified prior to the lifetime of Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave:
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Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal, the fifteenth-century grantee of the Paḍākada copper plate.
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Mudaliyar Tennekoon of Thotagamuwa, recorded in the Rājāvaliya during the sixteenth century.
Although these references are few, they provide valuable insight into the early history of the name. By the time of Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave in the seventeenth century, the surname had already acquired sufficient prominence to be associated with one of the most powerful chieftains of the Kandyan kingdom. After his lifetime, references to individuals bearing the name Tennekoon become considerably more numerous, reflecting the continued expansion of the lineage.
Although the surviving references to the name Tennekoon prior to the seventeenth century remain limited, the Paḍākada copper-plate grant, the genealogical tradition preserved in the Tudugala Vidagama Pevathi Bandaravaliya, and the chronicle evidence of the Rājāvaliya together suggest the presence of a lineage extending back at least to the fifteenth century. The figure of Tennekoon Nithaththa Mudiththa Perumal, followed by the sixteenth-century Mudaliyar Tennekoon of Thotagamuwa, provides a plausible historical bridge between the political world of the Kotte kingdom and the later prominence of the Tennekoon family in the Kandyan state. By the time of Maha Senadhipathi Tennekoon Dissave, this lineage had already accumulated generations of regional authority and service under successive administrations, forming the historical background against which his own remarkable career in the seventeenth century must be understood.
References
Primary Sources
රාජාවලිය [Rājāvaliya]. Edited by B. Gunasekara. Colombo: Government Printer, 1891. (Sinhala).
Gunasekara, B. (Trans.). The Rajavaliya: A Historical Narrative of Ceylon. Colombo: Government Printer, 1900.
Tudugala Vidagama Pevathi Bandaravaliya (family ola manuscript). Text and discussion in:
Paulusz, J. H. O. (1970). The Tudugala family: Some notes on the Tudugalas in the reign of Rajasinha II. The Ceylon Historical Journal, Vol. 17. Tisara Prakasakayo.
Paranavitana, S. (1933). Dädigama slab-inscription of Bhuveneka-Bāhu VI. Epigraphia Zeylanica, Vol. 3, pp. 278–286.
Paranavitana, Senarat. (1945). “The Paḍākada Sannasa.” Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 36, pp. 130–133.
Secondary Sources
Pieris, P. E. (1902). Notes on Some Sinhalese Families in Ceylon: Navaratne–Tennekoon. Vol. 1.
Pieris, P. E. (1903). Notes on Some Sinhalese Families in Ceylon: Navaratne–Tennekoon. Vol. 2.
Paulusz, J. H. O. (1970). The Tudugala family: Some notes on the Tudugalas in the reign of Rajasinha II. The Ceylon Historical Journal, Vol. 17. Tisara Prakasakayo.
de Silva, K. M. (1981). A History of Sri Lanka. University of California Press.