Kilinochchi District

Kilinochchi District கிளிநொச்சி மாவட்டம் Sri Lankan Administrative District
Created	February 1984
District Secretary
Province	Northern
Capital	Kilinochchi
Statistics
Divisional Secretary's Divisions	4
Grama Niladhari Divisions	95
Local Government -Municipal Councils -Urban Councils -Pradeishiya Sabhas	0 0 3
Area -Land -Inland Water	1,279 km2 1,205 km2 74 km2 [1]
Population	195,812[2]
Ethnic Groups -Sinhalese -Sri Lankan Tamil -Sri Lankan Moor -Indian Tamil -Burgher -Sri Lankan Malay -Other	2 (0.00%) 195,386 (99.78%) 424 (0.22%) 0 (0.00%) 0 (0.00%) 0 (0.00%) 0 (0.00%) [2]
Religions -Buddhism -Hinduism -Islam -Christianity -Other
Official Website http://www.ds.gov.lk/dist_kilinochchi/english/

Kilinochchi district (Tamil: கிளிநொச்சி மாவட்டம்) is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary (previously known as a Government Agent) appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town. The district was carved out of the southern part of Jaffna district in February 1984.

History

Pre-History

Kilinochchi has red-yellow latosol (soil rich in aluminum, silica, or iron that is commonly found in tropical forests).This district occupies the land that constituted the pre-colonial Jaffna kingdom. Tamils continued to be the inhabitants of this region from pre-historical time.

The indigenous Veddhas are physically related to Dravidian-speaking tribal people in South India and early populations of Southeast Asia. They no longer speak their native languages.^[3] It is believed that cultural diffusion, rather than migration of people, spread the Prakrit and Tamil languages from peninsular India into an existing Mesolithic population, centuries before the common era.^[4] Settlements of people culturally similar to those of present-day Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu in modern India were excavated at megalithic burial sites at Pomparippu on the west coast and in Kathiraveli on the east coast of the island. These villages were established between the 5th century BCE and 2nd century CE.^[5][6] Cultural similarities in burial practices in South India and Sri Lanka were dated by archeologists to 10th century BCE. However, Indian history and archaeology have pushed the date back to 15th century BCE. In Sri Lanka, there is radiometric evidence from Anuradhapura that the non-Brahmi symbol-bearing black and red ware occur in the 10th century BCE.^[7] The first settlers were Nagas and Yakshas[1]. It was the largest and most important port in the Indian Ocean. Traders from East Asia and Mediterranean were regular visitors to this great port.

Early history

The soil and thus the river are of red colour. Tamira means red. Varni means colour in Tamil. Thus the name Vanni or Varni and it is a mutated name from Tamiravarni, Tambravarni, Tambapanni or Tammanna. Another river called Tamirabharani is located in Tuticorin area and there was a connection of land which kept both countries together during ancient times. The name Tamil is derived from Tamir. Ptolemy may have named both sides of the sea with the same name in his Greek map. Ramayana refers to Mannar in epic terms. Adam's bridge connected Tamilnadu with Mannar district. According to an epic called "Ramayana", Rama built the temples of Ketheeswaram and Rameshwaram. India and Sri Lanka remained as one piece without separation during ice age.

It is part of Ancient Kingdoms of Sri Lanka. It was part of Naga rulers who ruled from Jaffna. Later it was part of Dweepa rajas who ruled Uttaradesa.

Elara (235 BC - 161 BC), also known as Elalan, or Élaezha Chola, was a Tamil king who ruled Sri Lanka from 205 BC to 161 BC from the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. By the 9th century, under Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the Cholas rose as a notable power in south Asia. The Chola Empire stretched as far as Bengal. At its peak, the empire spanned almost 250 million acres (1,000,000 km²). Rajaraja Chola conquered all of peninsular South India and parts of the Sri Lanka. Rajendra Chola's navies went even further, occupying coasts from Burma (now Myanmar) to Vietnam,^[8] the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Sumatra, Java, Malaya in South East Asia and Pegu islands. He defeated Mahipala, the king of the Bengal, and to commemorate his victory he built a new capital and named it Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

Medieval History

It was part of the Jaffna kingdom (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு) (1215-1619 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka came into existence after the invasion of Magha. It eventually became a tribute paying feudatory of the Pandyan Empire in modern South India in 1258, gaining independence later with the fragmentation of the Pandyan control. After the arrival of Colonial rulers such as Portuguese captured this region and then subsequently by Dutch and British

Modern history

Most of the district was under the control of LTTE up till October 2008.^{[citation needed]}. The Pooneryn peninsula in the Northwest of the district was the venue for a large number of conflicts during the civil war (See Battle of Pooneryn.) Sri Lankan Army 15 November 2008 re-captured Pooneryn from LTTE. Two of the three most important Forward Defence Lines of the Civil War used to be situated in Kilinochchi district. The Nagarcoil FDL separated Northeastern Kilinochchi from Southestern Jaffna. Muhamalai FDL was situated near Elephant Pass, separating North Central Kilinochchi from South Central Jaffna. These two heavily fortified positions were the most important conflict locations in Northern Lanka. Present Positions Older position

By January 2, 2009, the SLA captured the Kilinochchi town and has control over a large part of the district. [2]

Geography

Kilinochchi district is located in the north of Sri Lanka in the Northern Province. It has an area of 1,279 square kilometers (493.8 sq mi)^[1].

Demographics

Kilinochchi district's population was 195,812 in 2007^[2]. The population of the district is almost exclusively Sri Lankan Tamil.

The population of the district, like the rest of the North and East, has been heavily affected by the civil war. The war has killed an estimated 70,000 people^[9]. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as 400,000^[10], have emigrated to the West since the start of the war. There are a further 800,000 internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka, many of them living in refugee camps in the North and East and depending on aid provided by NGOs^[11]. There are approximately 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees is India^[12]. Many Sri Lankan Tamils have also moved to the relative safety of Colombo. The war has also caused most of the Sri Lankan Moors and Sinhalese who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka.

Population of Kilinochchi District by ethnic group 1981 to 2007

¹ Kilinochchi district was a part of Jaffna district until February 1984.

Administrative Units

Kilinochchi district is divided into 4 Divisional Secretary's (DS) Divisions, each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent)^[13]. The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 95 Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions (villages).

Local government

Kilinochchi district has three local authorities all of which are Pradeshya Sabhas^[15].

External links

• Centre for Information Resources Management - Administrative map of Kilinochchi

References

Coordinates: 9°30′N 80°15′E / 9.5°N 80.25°E / 9.5; 80.25

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