THE SENANAYAKE, RAJAKARUNA AND KARUNARATNA FAMILY

Don Bartholomew Senanayake son of First Mudaliyar Benjamin Senanayake of Botale and nephew of First Mudaliyar of Negombo Alfonzo Wijesekera Rajakaruna of the Historic Dodangas Manson in Negombo where the last King of Ceylon Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe was held prisoner of state for four days before deportation to India. This home was selected by the British as it was the home of the most respected family in Ceylon at that time and of the Royal family of England) indecently the 7th Duke of Argyll (1777-1847) George Douglas Campbell first cousin of Queen Victoria married Mudaliyar Rajakurana’s daughter Emily Mary aunt of A.P. Karunaratna (Grand Son of Mudaliyar Rajakaruna also of Senanayake decent) who was a famous coco-nut estate tycoon and Asia’s richest Proprietor Planter all of the same clan.The Senanayake, Rajakaruna and Karunaratna family belonged to the Sri Lankan aristocracy from the time of the British Colonial rule in Ceylon. A. P. Karunaratna of Negombo is remembered as the “father” of coconut in Sri Lanka.

Don Spater Senanayake (son of Don Bartholomew Senanayake about whom little is known) was born at Botale in the Hapitigam Korale (Negombo District), and is said to have started graphite mining at the age of 18 and become very successful in this line of business, investing the profits in coconut plantations, arrack renting and urban property. Senanayake owned mines in Ambepussa, Mirigama, and Pusseheva in the Kegalle District. The Ambepussa mines alone, which had steam pumping equipment, employed about 3,000 workers in 1907. He also had offices and curing stores in Colombo. Among his plantations holdings were four large coconut estates in the Negombo District, covering 2,000 acres and five estates in the Kurunegala District. According to Wright, he was also the proprietor of other plantations in various parts of the NorthWesternProvince and the owner of valuable residential properties in Colombo and Kandy (1907: 611 & 614).

Whereas the majority of renters had made their first profits in arrack farming and then ventured into graphite and plantation crops, Senanayake entered into arrack and toll renting after his success in graphite. In the 1890 Senanayake was a toll renter, having for example the road toll rents in 1897 for both the Negombo-Giriulla and Pasyala-Giriulla roads. But more lucrative was his partnership with N.D.P. Silva in the arrack rents of Negombo in 1893 for 19,500 Sterling Pounds and again in 1894 for 22,000 pounds. Don Spatter Senanayake continued to have an interest in the arrack business up to 1907 and, as a leading renter of the period, formed a part of the cartel of arrack renters, known as the Colombo Arrack Farm Syndicate.

The family was best known for its activating part in politics in the 20th century. Senanayake three sons, Don Charles Senanayake, F.R. Senanayake, and Don Stephen Senanayake, made their mark in the country temperance and political movements. The three brothers were jailed in 1915 for 46 days along with other temperance leaders, for allegedly organizing anti-Muslim rioting in 1915.

This propelled them into national prominence, leading S.C. Obeysekere to denounce them as Nobodies trying to be Somebody’s. Rohan Karunaratna Grand son of A.P. Karunaratna and who is also the Great Great grand son of Mudaliyar Benjamin Senanayake and descendent of Prince Sapumal says that who ever thinks Senanayake’ S are ’Nobodies’ should think again.

[Nobodies to Some bodies by Kumari Jayawardena, pp 191-192] Mudaliyar Don Spatter Senanayake 1848-1907 + Catherine Elizabeth Perera Gunasekera b:1848 at Botale. Entrepreneur, Graphite Mine Owner, Social Worker. D: 7-Nov-1907 Don Charles Senanayake, b:2-Jan-1878, d: 7-Jul-1931 + Euphemia Grace Millicent Fredrick Richard Senanayake, b:20-Oct-1882 at Botale, Hapitigam Korale, d:1-Jan-1926 + Ellen Attygalle Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake, b:4-Nov-1911, d:22-Dec-1970, MP Dambadeniya 1952, 1956 (& Kelaniya),1960, 1965, Minister Commerce & Trade 1952-56 + Erine Subasinghe Tissa Senanayake Chandra, Senanayake Upali Senanayake, b:28-Aug-1918, d:14-Oct-1983 Needra Senanayake Rupavathi Senanayake Neeta Senanayake Swarna Senanayake Don Stephen Senanayake, Rt. Hon., b:20-Oct-1884 at Botale, d:22-Mar-1952, first Prime Minister of Ceylon 24-Sep-1947 to 22-Feb-1952 + Molly Dunuwila (d/o R.R. Dunuwille from a famous Kandyan family)Dudley Shelton Senanayake, b:19-Jun-1911, d:13-Apr-1973, Prime Minister of Ceylon 22:Mar-1952 to 1953, 1960 to 1973 Robert Parakrama Senanayake, b:8-Apr-1913, d:26-Apr-1986 Devinda Senanayake Ranjani Senanayake Rukman Senanayake Yasmin Senanayake Maria Frances Senanayake + F.H. Dias Bandaranaike

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