Grand daughter remembers the Maha Mudaliyar

by Chantal Hiranthi Obeyesekere de Saram

My grandfather, Sir James Peter Obeyesekere, was a benevolent man who believed in giving to the society/community in which he lived. He was a linguist and a scholar who made great attempts to facilitate education throughout the Island. He had no interest in politics and was more focused on carrying out social activities to develop education, religion and society as a whole. He was a member of the colonial government service and was appointed to the post of Chief Mudaliyar. He was regarded as one of the most powerful personalities in British Colonial rule.

Family Background and Parents

His mother was Mrs. Cornelia Henrietta Dias Bandaranaike Obeyesekere. She was possibly one of Ceylon’s largest landowners and a leading philanthropist. She was married to Hon. James Peter Obeyesekere, a member of the Legislative Council. Her husband met with a tragic accident, leaving her a pregnant young widow of 26 years, with three very small children, Hilda, James and Donald. At the same time she lost her beloved mother. A devout Christian lady, she relied on her Saviour to overcome the tragedies in her life.

Cornelia Obeyesekere managed her estates of tea, rubber, coconut and rice very well. From Kankesanturai, Jaffna to Kataluwa, Galle, she owned more than 20,000 acres. She introduced rambuttan from Malaysia to Ceylon and planted rambuttan on her estates at Malwana. She gifted 1,000 acres of her Muthurajawela land to the Government to conserve the wetlands. She loved her children and grandchildren.

Her three sons James, Donald and Stanley attended Cambridge University. She accompanied them to England. Queen Victoria sent a special train to London to bring her to Windsor Castle. Queen Victoria was very impressed with her ability to speak good English and her style of dress. They enjoyed a close friendship.

St. Mary’s Veyangoda Church, St. Mary’s Veyangoda School, Wathupitiwela Hospital are all gifts made to the country by this noble lady. She built many schools, clinics to combat malaria and helped the temples of Attanagalle, Warana and the Saman Devale in Ratnapura. The Hirdramani family, a business family of repute, owe their beginnings to Mrs. Obeyesekere. She gave them the money to start their shop in Chatham Street. A large population of people in Siyane Korale live on lands gifted to them by Mrs. Obeyesekere and her son.

After her death in 1935, her assets passed on to her daughter Lady Hilda Obeyesekere and her sons, James, Donald and Stanley.

My grandfather was born in Mutwal in 1879. He had three siblings. His eldest sister Lady Hilda Obeyesekere was a well-educated lady. She helped the arts develop in this country. “The Lady Hilda Obeyesekere Hall” in Peradeniya was gifted by her to the University of Peradeniya. Her son Justin Deraniyagala, an old boy of S. Thomas’ College, was an artist of repute. Her grandchildren, Druvi and Rohan de Saram are world famous musicians.

Donald Obeyesekere was my grandfather’s younger brother. He was educated at Royal College. He was a historian and an authority on ayurvedic medicine. His sons boxed for Cambridge University and Ceylon.

My grandfather’s youngest brother, Stanley Obeyesekere, was also educated at Royal College. Stanley Obeyesekere was the country’s first Ceylonese Solicitor General. His grandson Dijen de Saram played cricket for S. Thomas’ College. His great grandson Julian Bolling was a Sri Lankan Olympic swimmer.

My grandfather studied at S. Thomas’ College Mutwal. He was a good scholar and excelled in athletics. He was involved in the Scout Movement and was a Cadet. He was a good horse rider and played Polo. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge University in the UK as did his two brothers. His father Hon. J.P. Obeyesekere also attended Trinity College, Cambridge. After graduating from Cambridge, he and his brothers who all studied Law were called to the Bar. He was an Advocate of the Supreme Court, Justice of the Peace. M.R.A.S., C.B. District Commissioner, Henaratgoda Boy Scouts Association. He went on to become President of the Boy Scouts Association.

He also showed a keen interest in Geology. His mother had owned plumbago mines. He and his brothers after graduation from Cambridge University studied agriculture at the Royal Agriculture University in Cirencseter Gloucestershire, UK.

Contributions Made Towards Nation Building

My grandfather was not fond of politics. He was the last Chief of all Chieftains of Ceylon or Maha Mudaliyar, in which capacity he also served as the Chief Interpreter and Extra A.D.C. to his Excellency the Governor. He served under Sir Andrew Caldecott and Sir Henry Monk-Mason Moore. King George VI was the British Sovereign at that time. He was the conduit that bounded the local citizenry and the British. He had a very difficult diplomatic role to play.

After graduating from Cambridge, he and his brothers who all studied Law, were called to the Bar. He became an advocate to the Supreme Court on his return to Sri Lanka. He initially joined the Colonial Government service as a district commissioner and was later appointed ‘Maha Mudaliyar’ or Head Mudaliyar in the year 1928. This post was an important one in the British Government of Ceylon. Having served as a Governor’s Chief Interpreter, native representative, adviser and aide-de-camp he came to be known as one of the most powerful personalities in British Colonial Ceylon. It is significant that he was the last to hold the position under the British.

He served in the Colonial government in such a capacity because he had no desire to enter the political arena in Ceylon. He was not power hungry and on the contrary played the role of a mediator between the British Government and the citizenry. He mediated through diplomacy and although this was not an easy task he was able to gain the trust of both the British Government and the Ceylonese people.

My grandfather was a social worker, a suitable role for a benevolent man. He believed that the down trodden and dis-empowered should be empowered and given a voice. He laid the foundation to this through his generosity. He extended a hand as well by listening to the grievances of the villagers in the Attanagalle area and taking steps to solve them. There was even a place in his home separated just for the purpose of meeting villagers to redress their grievances. At our home in Nittambuwa, there were people from all walks of life coming to meet him. He enjoyed the company of those who were interested in science.

Furthermore he witnessed the historic moment when Ceylon gained independence in 1948 with satisfaction, as he had played a role in ensuring Ceylon gained her independence.

Later on in his career he was appointed a Justice of Peace by the Governor and also a Knights Bachelor for public service in Ceylon in the 1936 New Year Honours by King George V.

His Contribution To Education

My grandfather owned land in Mt. Lavinia which extended from the Galle Road to de Saram Road. His sister Lady Hilda Obeyesekere owned the land which extended from de Saram Road to the sea. Sir J.P. Obeyesekere donated the land which extended from Galle Road to Hotel Road to S. Thomas’ College. He served on the Board of Governors for many years and helped set up a lot of the buildings of the school. He provided good jak timber taken from his estates and also provided labour necessary to build these buildings. All the school furniture was donated by him.

There were many schools in Alawala, Walpola, Bauddha Vidyalaya, Anura Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Kamburugalle Maha Vidyalaya, Udammitta Indrasara Vidyalaya in Attanagalle that were gifted by him. He donated buildings, desks, chairs, books, cupboards to these schools. He also provided scholarships to needy children.

He also contributed to the development of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the Nittambuwa Buddhist Pirivana, the Muttune Buddhist Pirivana, the Attanagalle Raja Maha Viharaya and the Warana Raja Maha Viharaya all benefited from his generosity.

He was a linguist and scholar. He was well versed in English, French, Sinhalese, Pali and Sanskrit. He studied Astronomy. He had a very powerful telescope with which he would study the night sky. He was always a student, reading voraciously. He was interested in new scientific discoveries. He would constantly impart this knowledge to the less privileged.

In all these gifts, the family followed the principal of “the left hand not knowing what the right hand give.” My father Deshamanya Senator J.P. Obeyesekere a Royalist and Cambridge graduate gave to S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia 250 perches and made a further donation of eight perches to the school. I made available to S. Thomas’ College 50 perches and a purpose built Montessori and Day Care Centre. This building cost 40,000,000/- as it was a purpose built for pre scholars, thus enabling S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia to now extend their facilities to early learning. It is interesting to note that most of the school buildings, land holding worth over a billion rupees belonging to my family now belongs to the school. This is possibly the largest gift any family has made to this particular School. All his employees children’s text books and school books were gifted to them every year.

Health

He gifted five acres to the Mrs. J.P. Obeyesekere Wathupitiwela Hospital. He built many wards in this Hospital and gifted the necessary equipment. Many clinics in Gampaha were constructed by him. A total of 20 acres and buildings have been gifted by him, his mother and his son to this hospital.

Contribution to the Anglican Church

A deeply committed Christian he maintained St. Mary’s Church Veyangoda and St. Peter’s Church Mirigama. He contributed generously to All Saints Church, Hultsdrop, the family church. Each day like his mother, he would start the day in prayer in a little chapel in his home, Batadola Walauwa in Nittambuwa. He also administered the “C.H. Obeyesekere Trust” in the Diocese of Colombo.

Social Services

He gifted eight acres and helped build the Siyane Korale East Social Service Home for the Elders’ and Children. This was on a request made by daughter-in-law, my mother Deshamanya Mrs. Siva Obeyesekere.

Scout Movement

He was very involved in the Scout Movement. His wife Lady Amy Estelle Obeyesekere was the first Ceylonese President of the Girl Guides.

Gifts to the Nation

His gifts of land and houses were legendary. The present Pradeshiya Sabhawa is located on 2.5 acres gifted by him.

Growing up with my grandfather was a magical experience. He was a very disciplined person. He kept fit by riding twice daily his favourite horse, a very feisty animal, a polo pony. At a very early age he taught me to ride. I was three years old when I received my first pony. It was selected by his friend who was the V.C. Chairman of Delft Island. Patiently and slowly I was taught to ride. Then we would get up early morning and ride through his estates to Mahibulkande. He had gifted his lands to the villagers there. We were given two stools to sit on and they would welcome us with kurumba water. It was lovely listening to folk songs and stories, My grandfather loved entertaining my friends. We were very young but he knew how to amuse us. He was so witty.

In the night he would show us the night sky through his powerful telescope. Our home was always vibrant with people of different walks of life sharing their knowledge with us. In particular he was interested in natural history and geology. I would spend hours in his company and never tire of listening to his stories. He would read children’s books to me. I would go for long walks with him. I was very privilege to share my childhood with him.

Death

At the age of 89 he passed away at Batadola Walauwa, Nittmabuwa. My father and I were by his bedside. He was given a grand funeral complete with Lascarine guards and was laid to rest at the Borella Kanatte Cemetery Anglican section in September 1968. He lived by the noble saying “it is not what you have but what you give that brings you happiness.”

(This article follows last week’s excerpt from DIG Edward Gunawardane’s memoirs of his meetings, as a young ASP, with the Maha Mudaliyar)