JAFFNA CENTRAL COLLEGE : an Evolutionary Account Published Date: 25/09/2015 (Friday) By: K
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JAFFNA CENTRAL COLLEGE : An Evolutionary Account Published Date: 25/09/2015 (Friday) By: K. Manickavasagar, Retired Librarian JCC The oldest permanent school founded in the area of the Kingdom of Jaffna of the Portuguese Period, Jaffna Central College is to celebrate the Bicentenary of its founding, on the First of August 2016. It was founded by the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in England. The Christianity of the day was evolved from the Roman Catholic Church. In due course, Rev. Martin Luther could not agree with certain practices of the Pope protested to such practices. Protestant Church was founded. Methodism is one of the major denominations in Protestant Christianity. Christians who adopted a methodical Christianity were called Methodists. English Education in Jaffna owes its obligation and debt to Protestant Christianity. On the other hand, Portugal with its extensive coastline has always been a seafaring nation. As late as mid-1900 they continued to live in small fishing villages and 97% of them were Roman Catholic Christians. Although it is said that Portuguese landed in Ceylon in 1505; that too on the invitation of the King of Kotte to help him in their infighting, regular missionary work of the Franciscans Friars began only in 1543. CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY IN THE KINGDOM OF JAFFNA Roman Catholic historians maintain that Franciscan Missionaries evangelized the northern districts of Ceylon as early as 1520, but they did not have a smooth sailing due to the opposition of King Segarasasekaram known as Sangily Mannan and ruled the Kingdom of Jaffna from 1519 to 1561. Later, however, they managed to have their way in their territories. One of the factors that contributed to this development was that the Portuguese arrived, married Ceylonese, had families and practiced Roman Catholic Christianity here itself. The primary objective of the Roman Catholic Mission was to convert the people to their Religion. Schools were absolutely auxiliary to their cause. Hence a regular documentation of the Catholic schools is rare. DUTCH RULE IN CEYLON In 1638 the Kandyan Sinhalese ruler Rajasinghe ll sought the assistance of the Portuguese rivals, the Dutch, and he was pleased to accept the military help of the Dutch to wipe out the Portuguese. Both sides hoped to use the other for their own ends. For Rajasinghe, the sole objective was the expulsion of Portuguese and he was willing to pay a heavy price for it. Monopolizing the cinnamon trade was the objective of the Dutch. Expansion of the Dutch and their conquest of Ceylon in 1602 was a great obstacle to practice Catholicism. This was partly due to the fact that Dutch maintained an attitude of rivalry towards the Catholics and had its origin in their own countries in Europe. Due to the bitter experiences of the Spanish Catholic rule in their country, Dutch wanted to oust the Portuguese and take necessary steps to wipe out Catholicism completely from Ceylon. The Treaty came into effect immediately, and almost at once it led to misunderstandings and bickering between the allies. Ousting of the Portuguese by the Dutch began with Batticaloa, followed by Trincomalee, Negombo, Galle, the port of Colombo and Jaffna, the last Portuguese stronghold, gave the final finishing stroke in 1658. PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY OF THE DUTCH In the first few decades of the administration of the Dutch East India Company [ VOC ], Dutch Reformed Church embarked enthusiastically on a policy of hostility to Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholic Churches were taken over and converted into chapels. The introduction of the Roman Dutch Law is the significant contribution of the Dutch, and for uniformity and judgement on standard norms Dutch compiled the rules and customs of the Tamils called Thesavalamai. Dutch ruled an area much smaller than what the Portuguese had governed in the North: Jaffna peninsula and the coastal areas of Mannar and Mullaitivu. The northern Kingdom of Jaffna with its capital at Nallur had successfully reasserted its independence soon after the death of Parakramabhahu Vl. The new ruler Pararajasakaram [1478—1519] was content with control over the Jaffna peninsula and the neighbouring coastlands, and not inclined to challenge the authority of Kotte, south of Matota. The Kingdom of Jaffna became small and weak, though it received the allegiance of a few chieftains who ruled the Wanni. PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY AND EDUCATION IN JAFFNA The introduction of the Western form of education in Jaffna was due the influence of the Portuguese missionaries; among them are the Jesuit Fathers who came with the definite purpose of educating the people as an important means of evangelizing them. The Dutch Reformed Church Minister Philip Baldaeus who served in the Jaffna Peninsula for three and a half years immediately after the expulsion of the Portuguese from Ceylon confessed that he himself followed the Jesuit methods in reorganizing schools and churches in Mannar and Jaffna. Dutch improved the education and increased the number of schools by establishing them near their churches. The steps taken by the very energetic and untiring Dutch General Adrian Van Rheede brought in many favourable consequences to the DRC: Two Seminaries were established, one in Jaffna in 1690 and the other in Colombo for higher education. He was a Botanist as well. BRITISH CEYLON AND EDUCATION IN JAFFNA Ceylon and its possessions were ceded to the British at the Peace Treaty of Amiens signed on 25th March 1802 between French Republic and Great Britain. The irony of the situation is that the Peace Treaty lasted only one year. It could be said that the prayers of Rev. Dr. Thomas Coke LL.D who brought here Rev. James Lynch, Founder of Jaffna Central College, were answered by this Treaty !! But for this Treaty, we wouldn’t have had our own Jaffna Central, Vembadi Girls, Jaffna College, Uduvil Girls, St John’s, Chundikuli Girls and other schools of the Methodist Mission [1814], American Mission [1816] and of the Anglican Mission [1818]. Rev. Dr.Coke of the Wesleyan Methodist Mission was earnest to serve God in India and Ceylon. But the East India Company stood in the way and obstructed Dr. Coke’s ambition. Ceylon having been ceded to the British Crown, the Chief Justice in the island Sir Alexander Johnston, having heard of the good work done by the WMMS sent them an invitation. On the 23rd of 1813 British India also opened its gates for the Missionaries. After the preliminaries, Dr. Coke disposed all his assets and funded the journey. A band of six missionaries set sail to Ceylon in two ships. They left the shores of England on 29th December 1814, but it was the Will of God that the spirit of Mrs. Ault and that of Rev. Dr. Coke rest with Him and the rest to continue their mission. The ships reached Weligama near Galle on the 29th of June 1814, which day thereafter has become the Methodist Day in Sri Lanka. Sir Robert Brownrigg, the Governor of Ceylon extended welcome and suggested that they should open English schools in some of the Principal places to serve both as a method of teaching the people of the land and also as a means of learning their language. “ The proposal was unexpected but welcome; and when the Governor was informed of the acceptability of the proposal he wrote back offering a sum of 50 Rix Dollars per month to each school which they might establish, and asking that they should elect to start work in Jaffna, Mannar, Batticaloa, Galle and Matara”, writes the Central Centenary The Missionaries met in conference on Monday the 11th of July 1814 for the first time, discussed the matter, and humbled themselves for the selection of the location and its Missionaries. Rev. James Lynch and Rev.Thomas Squance were selected for Jaffna, and Rev. William Ault for Batticaloa. They left Galle on the 14th of July, proceeded to Colombo, thanked the Governor and stayed with Rev. and Mrs.Twisleton and were on their way to Jaffna, starting their journey on August 1st, travelling through villages and jungles and reached Jaffna on the 10th of August 1814. The sub-collector in Jaffna, James N Mooyart received them and was their host. Rev. Christian David, a Tamil preacher and Colonial Chaplain also visited them and offered his help. Although Lynch and Squance proposed to open schools forthwith there was inevitable delay due to the want of a suitable building large enough to serve as a dwelling house and as a school. Rev. William Ault left for Battticaloa by sea which was expected to take three days, but it took eight strenuous days. He started an English School in Batticaloa in 1814 and it has blossomed into Batticaloa Central College. Later he founded seven other schools, but they didn’t survive. On the 1st of April 1815 Rev.William Ault reached his Master, and the next most senior Missionary Rev. James Lynch had to be in the position of Chairman of the entire Ceylon District. FOUNDING OF JAFFNA CENTRAL COLLEGE “The work during the period [1814—1816] was largely preliminary” writes the ‘Central Centenary’ p.10. It continues: “On the 1st August, 1816, the old Orphan House and Lutheran Church opposite the Esplanade were purchased by James Lynch from the Government for a sum of 640 Rix Dollars. It was the first property acquired by the Mission in Jaffna and marked the beginning of a new phase.” “ The newly acquired building opposite the Esplanade was turned into an English School and Chapel.” [CME p.12] It is the founding of the English School, forerunner of Jaffna Central College. The English School was renamed Jaffna Wesleyan English School in 1817. Rev. T Squance and Rev.