Tikiri Bandara Panabokke
Encyclopedia
Sir
Tikiri Bandara Panabokke Adigar
(28 March 1883 - 2 September 1963) was a Ceylonese
, prominent colonial
era legislator, lawyer and diplomat. He was the first Minister of Health in the State Council
and second representative of the Government of Ceylon to India.
, a Police Magistrate for Kandy and acting Diyawadana Nilame
. He had begun his carrier as a police officer and was later appointed as an Inspector of Police in Nawalapitiya. Panabokke Snr, together with L.T.R. Le Mesurier, of the Ceylon Civil Service translated into English the code of Kandyan Law. According to Le Mesurier a Committee of Kandyan Chiefs under the direction of Sawers, the Judicial Commissioner, prepared a code of Kandyan Law. This was arranged in a systematic manner by the Secretary, who was a priest attached to the Malwatte Buddhist Monastery in Kandy. This was later not traced, and Le Mesurier had made a search for it. A copy was found with Panabokke and, based on this the first English translation was made by Le Mesurier. The topics cover persons and property, marriage and inheritance, and land tenures.
Panabokke Jnr received his primary education at the Walala Village School, and went to Trinity College, Kandy
and Royal College Colombo
, where he played cricket for his college team. His class mates at Royal College where A Padmanadan (son of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam
), B.F. de Silva and Stanley Obeysekara. For higher studies he entered Colombo Law College and passed out as a Proctor
in 1905. He practiced law at the Magistrate Courts of Gampola
and the District Courts of Kandy.
along with Adigar Meedeniya. He was appointed as Magistrate
of Gampola for six months in 1928 and was appointed Crown Proctor. With
With the introduction of universal adult franchise he was elected Member for Gampola to the Legislature. In 1931, he was elected to the State Council of Ceylon
which had been created after reforms of the Legislature. There he was elected as the first Minister of Health to head the State Council Committee on Health and was a member of the first Board of Ministers. During his tenor as Minister, he built a new hospital in Gampola and played a key role in controlling the Malaria
epidemic
of 1933.
In 1935 he was appointed as Chairman of the Kandyan Law Commission and he became the first Ceylonese to be elected Chairman of the Board of the Tea Research Institute Talawakele, where he served from 1943 to 1945.
In 1940 he was appointed to the honorary post of First Adigar
in 1940 and Knighted in June 1944. He retained the post of Adigar till his death in 1963 apron which it was dispensed and his full regalia was donated to the National Museum Kandy by his son. In 1945 he succeeded Sir
Baron Jayatilake as Ceylon Representative in India.
to indicate any prominence at the time. Panabokke's form the "new radala" created by the British to help administer their Kandyan territories and rose to prominence under the colonial administration. The title "adigar" was conferred by the British and is in no way connected to the administration or aristocrats of the Kandyan monarchy. The rise to prominence under the colonial administration, and being classified as Kandyans, resulted in members of the Panabokke family marrying into the Kandyan "radala's", descendants of the aristocrats of the Kandyan Monarchy. The above is a measure of success of British strategy in Sri Lanka, of placing loyalists within the Kandyan aristocracy to aide and enhance colonial governance.http://www.medlibrary.org/medwiki/Radala
was one the primary achievements of this society. He funded the construction of the Panabokke Clinic in Gampola.
He established the Gamini Panabokke Trust Fund under section 47 of the Ceylon University ordinance, providing funds to Medical Students of the University of Peradeniya
in need of financial assistance. One of the trustees of the fund is the Mahanayaka Thero of Malwatte Vihare.
He died on 2 September 1963 at his ancestral Walauwa
, in Elpitiya Village, Weligalle Gampola.
became a Deputy Minister of Justice & Agriculture, Member of Parliament
and Ceylon's High Commissioner
to India
.
Sir T.B.Panabokke was married To xxx Keppetipola [Aunt of Upali Keppetipola of Maha walawwe, Hulangamuwe, Matale]
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Tikiri Bandara Panabokke Adigar
Adigar
Adigar, known as Adikarm in Sinhala, was a feudal title associated with high office during the existence of the Kingdom of Kandy. Persons were appointed to the title and office by the King, these appointees made up the King's council of ministers...
(28 March 1883 - 2 September 1963) was a Ceylonese
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, prominent colonial
British Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
era legislator, lawyer and diplomat. He was the first Minister of Health in the State Council
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
and second representative of the Government of Ceylon to India.
Early life and education
Born Walala, Patha Dumbara on 28 March 1883 to Tikiri Bandara Panabokke Snr and his second wife Halangoda. His father was a member of the Legislative Council of CeylonLegislative Council of Ceylon
The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of representative government in the island...
, a Police Magistrate for Kandy and acting Diyawadana Nilame
Diyawadana Nilame
Diyawadana Nilame is the office of chief lay custodian of Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Formerly an office of the Royal household, today it remains a prestigious position, enriched with over two thousand years of history to safeguard and carry out ancient rituals for the most sacred Relic...
. He had begun his carrier as a police officer and was later appointed as an Inspector of Police in Nawalapitiya. Panabokke Snr, together with L.T.R. Le Mesurier, of the Ceylon Civil Service translated into English the code of Kandyan Law. According to Le Mesurier a Committee of Kandyan Chiefs under the direction of Sawers, the Judicial Commissioner, prepared a code of Kandyan Law. This was arranged in a systematic manner by the Secretary, who was a priest attached to the Malwatte Buddhist Monastery in Kandy. This was later not traced, and Le Mesurier had made a search for it. A copy was found with Panabokke and, based on this the first English translation was made by Le Mesurier. The topics cover persons and property, marriage and inheritance, and land tenures.
Panabokke Jnr received his primary education at the Walala Village School, and went to Trinity College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy founded in 1872 by Anglican missionaries, is an Independent elite private boys’ school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
and Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
, where he played cricket for his college team. His class mates at Royal College where A Padmanadan (son of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam
Ponnambalam Arunachalam
Sir Ponnambalam Arunachchalam, CCS was a Tamil political leader in Ceylon and a member of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council.-Early life:...
), B.F. de Silva and Stanley Obeysekara. For higher studies he entered Colombo Law College and passed out as a Proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
in 1905. He practiced law at the Magistrate Courts of Gampola
Gampola
Gampola is a town located near Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Gampola was made the capital city of the island by King Buwanekabahu IV, who ruled for four years in the mid fourteenth century. The last king of Gampola was King Buwanekabahu V. He ruled the island for 29 years. A separate...
and the District Courts of Kandy.
Political career
In 1907 he was elected a member of the Local Board , Gampola and was reelected every two years until he resigned his seat in 1924. In 1921 he was nominated as the Kandiyan member to a Legislative Council of CeylonLegislative Council of Ceylon
The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of representative government in the island...
along with Adigar Meedeniya. He was appointed as Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
of Gampola for six months in 1928 and was appointed Crown Proctor. With
With the introduction of universal adult franchise he was elected Member for Gampola to the Legislature. In 1931, he was elected to the State Council of Ceylon
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
which had been created after reforms of the Legislature. There he was elected as the first Minister of Health to head the State Council Committee on Health and was a member of the first Board of Ministers. During his tenor as Minister, he built a new hospital in Gampola and played a key role in controlling the Malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
of 1933.
In 1935 he was appointed as Chairman of the Kandyan Law Commission and he became the first Ceylonese to be elected Chairman of the Board of the Tea Research Institute Talawakele, where he served from 1943 to 1945.
In 1940 he was appointed to the honorary post of First Adigar
Adigar
Adigar, known as Adikarm in Sinhala, was a feudal title associated with high office during the existence of the Kingdom of Kandy. Persons were appointed to the title and office by the King, these appointees made up the King's council of ministers...
in 1940 and Knighted in June 1944. He retained the post of Adigar till his death in 1963 apron which it was dispensed and his full regalia was donated to the National Museum Kandy by his son. In 1945 he succeeded Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Baron Jayatilake as Ceylon Representative in India.
Criticizum
The Panabokke's do not form a part of the aristocratic "radala" of the Kandyan Monarchy, and did not hold any prominent positions under the last king of Kandy. The name does not appear in the Kandyan ConventionKandyan Convention
The Kandyan Convention was an agreement in 1815 between the British and the Chiefs of the Kandyan Kingdom, in Sri Lanka for the deposition of rule King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The king who was of Telugu ancestry faced powerful opposition from the Sinhalese chieftains who sought to reduce his power...
to indicate any prominence at the time. Panabokke's form the "new radala" created by the British to help administer their Kandyan territories and rose to prominence under the colonial administration. The title "adigar" was conferred by the British and is in no way connected to the administration or aristocrats of the Kandyan monarchy. The rise to prominence under the colonial administration, and being classified as Kandyans, resulted in members of the Panabokke family marrying into the Kandyan "radala's", descendants of the aristocrats of the Kandyan Monarchy. The above is a measure of success of British strategy in Sri Lanka, of placing loyalists within the Kandyan aristocracy to aide and enhance colonial governance.http://www.medlibrary.org/medwiki/Radala
Philanthropy
A devout Buddhist, he was responsible for the construction of the Sangaraja Pirivena Kandy and closely associated Anunanayake Thero of Malwatte, Amunugama Vipassi Thero who later was the Maha Nayaka of Malwatte Vihare. He was the founder of the Vidyartha Society, established in 1937, its main objective being to provide educational facilities for children in the Kandyan rural areas. The Vidyartha CollegeVidyartha College
Vidyartha College is a leading boys' school in Sri Lanka. Located in The Kandy District - Sri Lanka's Central-most District, if you look at a Map of Sri Lanka - of The Central Province....
was one the primary achievements of this society. He funded the construction of the Panabokke Clinic in Gampola.
He established the Gamini Panabokke Trust Fund under section 47 of the Ceylon University ordinance, providing funds to Medical Students of the University of Peradeniya
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya is a world renowned state university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission...
in need of financial assistance. One of the trustees of the fund is the Mahanayaka Thero of Malwatte Vihare.
He died on 2 September 1963 at his ancestral Walauwa
Walauwa
Walauwa is the name given to a feudal/colonial manor house in Ceylon built by native headmen. It is also reference to the feudal social systems that existed during the colonial era.-Kandyan Walauwas:...
, in Elpitiya Village, Weligalle Gampola.
Family
His eldest son Theodore Braybrooke PanabokkeTheodore Braybrooke Panabokke
Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke was Sri Lankan politician, lawyer and diplomat. He was a former Deputy Minister of Justice & Agriculture, Member of Parliament and Ceylon's High Commissioner to India. He was the Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya.Born to Adigar Sir Tikiri Bandara Panabokke...
became a Deputy Minister of Justice & Agriculture, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and Ceylon's High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
See also
- Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats
Sir T.B.Panabokke was married To xxx Keppetipola [Aunt of Upali Keppetipola of Maha walawwe, Hulangamuwe, Matale]