Karava
Karava (Sinhala: කරාවා, romanized: Karāvā) is a Sinhalese speaking ethnic group of Sri Lanka, whose ancestors migrated throughout history from the Coromandel coast, claiming lineage to the Kaurava royalty of the old Kingdom of Kuru in Northern India. The Tamil equivalent is Karaiyar. Both groups are also known as the Kurukula (Kuru clan).
The Karava Maha Kodiya of the Karava Community. | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka, | |
| Languages | |
| Sinhala (Tamil also spoken by bilingual Karavas north of Negombo.) | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Protestantism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sinhalese, Tamils, Karaiyar, Pattanavar |
The last mass migration to Sri Lanka happened in the 15th century from Tamil Nadu to fight against the Mukkuvar confederation as mentioned in the Mukkara Hatana. They have also given great importance to trade and commerce. The elite families are involved in entrepreneurial activities including the development of plantation agriculture such as coconut, tea and rubber. They also played leading role in the emergence of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism in post-independent Sri Lanka. It is estimated that they form 10% of the Sinhalese population.