Govigama

Govigama, Goigama, Goyigama is the most numerous caste in Sri lanka. The few families that control Sri lanka’s post-independence politics belong to this caste

The traditional occupation of this caste is agriculture, and most members are still peasant farmers in villages throughout Sri lanka. They were at the bottom of the caste hierarchy in traditional Sinhalese society, as the sub-continent’s four fold caste model was practiced in Sri lanka as Raja 1, Bamunu 2, Velenda 3 and Govi 4. Literary and inscriptional evidence show that the above hierarchy prevailed throughout the feudal period until the collapse of Sri lankan kingdoms under the onslaught of Europian colonialism.

Ancient texts such as the Pujavaliya, Sadharmaratnavaliya and Yogaratnakaraya list the four caste categories as Raja, Bamunu, Velanda & Govi in descending order, where the Govi caste is the lowest. The Pújavaliya also says that Buddhas will never be born in the Govi caste as it is a low caste. The 10th century Dampiyaatuvagetapadaya and the 12th century Darmapradeepikava go even further and state that the Govi caste is a ‘Neecha’ caste. (Dampiyaatuvagetapadaya D. B. Jayathilaka edition, 1933, pg 217. Darmapradeepikava Sri Dharmarama edition, 1951, pg 190)

Other ancient texts such as the Gavaratnakaraya and Sarpothpaththiya (Sarpavedakama Col. Museum publication, 1956, pgs vi, 5 & 123) respectively classify even Sri Lankan cattle and snakes into the four caste categories as Raja, Bamunu, Velanda & Govi, where again the Govi is the lowest form. Ballads sung to-date at ancient Gammmaduva rituals also refer to the above four castes in the same sequence and also describes the limits of their privileges (Gammaduwa, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, page 13).

Although modern Govigama writers have attempted to dismiss the above four-fold division as a mere classical division unconnected with realities, the repetition of the same caste hierarchy even as recently as the 18th century, in the British/Kandyan period Kadayimpoth - Boundry books (Kadaim Poth Vimarshanaya, H. A. P. Abhayawardena, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, pages 163 – 168) as well, indicates the continuation of the tradition right up to the end of Sri Lanka’s monarchy.

The 15th century literary composition, the Ummagga Játhaka uses the term Govi throughout the text as an insult (Ummagga Játhakaya, Educational Pub. Dept, 1978 edition). The astrology text Mánasagari (Sloka 2201, page 596) says that a debilitated moon in the horoscope destines a man to be a cultivator.

The Govis are referred to as Kudin(Epigraphia Zeylanica (EZ) V pg 293, EZ I, pgs 246, 53 fn 7 etc.) and Väriyan (EZ III pages 139, 141 etc. ) in ancient Sri Lankan inscriptions and as Bälayan, Galayan, Valayan, Gonvayan and Gatara in literature (Kadaim Poth Vimarshanaya, pages 167 & 217. Dambadeni Asna saha Kandavuru Siritha, page 91). These terms show that the Govis in Sri Lanka’s history were serfs and agricultural slaves. They were considered to be chattels attached to the land and were treated as such (EZ II pgs 140 & 142. Ancient Land Tenure, Codrington, pg 34). The low esteem in which the goviyas were held is illustrated by inscriptions such as the 10th century Kataragama pillar inscription (EZ III page 223), 14th century Niyamgampaya inscription (Sahithyaya, Department of Cultural Affairs, 1972, page 130) and 15th century Saman Devala Sannasa (Ancient Land Tenure, Codrington, page 27) which groups the Govis together with buffaloes and pack bulls.

The North Gate inscription in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa depicts the Govi Kula in its comparative rhetoric as the lowest extreme (EZ II, page 164) Comparing a fire-fly to the Sun, a crow to a swan etc. etc. The same concept of low status is echoed in the literary works, 13th century Dambadeni Asna (Dambadeni Asna saha Kandavuru Siritha, page 135) and the 15th century Parevi Sandésa(Parevi Sandeshaya, Kumaratunga Munidasa Ed.1958, verse 188) as well.

However with the rise of the Govi caste in the 19th century under British rule, Govi caste history has been rewritten to bolster and complement the present elevated status of the caste. The caste that previously belonged to the land and was gifted, bought and sold with it is now described as the traditional land holding class.