Cultural amalgamation: headgears of the kings and elite of the kingdom of Kandy of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Many foreign cultural influences shaped the tradition of Sri Lanka throughout the history. Traditional customs, norms, values, believes were mixed with different foreign cultural values and norms and came to practice then made our own tradition, original agent of influence is hardly evident. Sri Lankan tradition is a hybrid formation of multicultural values which have been experienced and learnt throughout the history of Sri Lanka. The Kandyan era(1464-1815 AD) during which most foreign influences came to Sri Lanka within a short period of time, namely South Indian, Western (Portuguese, Dutch, British), Siamese. These influences have caused a huge impact on Sri Lankan society in every aspect. The changes that occurred in Sri Lankan dress from these influences were considerable. The foreign influences reflected in the royal and elite headgear, was a result of association and adaptation of foreign sources. The objective of the paper is to discuss how foreign cultural influences affected and showcase a unique identity in headgears of the Kings and elite of the Kingdom of Kandy of Sri Lanka. The research was carried out by studying wall paintings, sculptures, inscriptions of the period and reviewing ancient literature. Reliability of the data was confirmed by cross checking data.