Nayaks of Kandy

The Nayaks of Kandy (also referred to as the Kandyan Nayak Dynasty, මහනුවර නායක්කාරවරු Mahanuwara Nayakkarawaru, கண்டி நாயக்கர்) were the rulers of the Kingdom of Kandy between 1739 and 1815, and the last dynasty to rule on the island. The term Nayak is derived from the Sanskrit word Nāyaka (meaning "leader, governor"). Their rise to power came about as a result of the death of Vira Narendrasinha, who left no legitimate heir- the throne passed to his brother-in-law, who was crowned as Sri Vijaya Rajasinha in 1739. They were of Telugu origin, spoke Telugu and Tamil, and used Sinhala and Tamil as their court languages. They are also credited for building various Vishnu temples in Sri Lanka dedicated to their clan deity Vishnu, known as Upulvan in Sinhala. A prominent one of them was the Kandy Vishnu Temple established at their capital Kandy. A cadet branch of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, the Kandyan Nayaks were related to the Thanjavur Nayaks as well. In total, four Nayak monarchs ruled in Kandy, the last of whom, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, was deposed as a result of the Kandyan nobility's collusion with the British and exiled to Vellore Fort in India. The Nayaks of Kandy were notable for re-establishing the long-dormant tradition among the Sinhalese monarchs of marrying from South Indian nobility, and for their childless marriages resulting in non-linear succession. The Kandy Nayaks were practicing Vaishnavite Hindus, however were also patrons of Theravada Buddhism and paid tribute to the Buddhist sanghas. The stability and power of the Kandyan Nayaks were heavily reliant on the support from the Madurai and Thanjavur branches of the House, particularly in the form of military assistance against the Portuguese and Dutch with alliances cemented by intermarriage between Kandy and South India. Thus, intermarriage across the Palk Strait became a matter of policy for Kandy in 17th and 18th centuries. The Telugu-led dynasty of Kandy was the last dynasty of the island before being fully colonized by the British Crown in 1815.