Record groups of Department of Nationa Archives

Matara Kachcheri

Identity area

Type of entity

Corporate body

Authorized form of name

Matara Kachcheri

Parallel form(s) of name

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Other form(s) of name

Identifiers for corporate bodies

Description area

Dates of existence

1802-1961

History

Matara one of the Districts of the Southern Province, came under the control of' the British East India company in 1796. Its Revenue administration was carried out through Revenue Superintendents (Mudliyars), As a result of the Rebellion of 1797 the Revenue Superintendent's Office was abolished on the 28th of October and the revenue administration was carried out through a collector.
In 1799 the Revenue Superintendents were reappointed and in 1802 Matara became one of the Revenue Agencies.
In 1821 Matara Revenue Agency was abolished and it came under collectorship of Tangalle and remained upto 1833. On the recommendations of the Colebrooke Commission in 1833, Matara became one, of the Assistant Government Agency under the principal station of the Southern Province. This administrative structure remained unchanged upto 1955.
The military and civil duties exercised by the Disawa were separated. Accordingly, the collection of revenue the maintenance of law and order through headmen systems the enforcement of the cast service, and extraction of the customary service were entrusted to the collector. All the regulations of the government were published and enforced through the kachcheri.
The kachcheri was made the coordinating office and tile collector functioned as the contacting officer between the British government and the natives.
By the end of the 19th century there were separate sections in the kachcheri for the general administration, revenue, land matters, native affairs, irrigation, local government social service health etc.
Tile administrative regulation No.22 of 1955 placed Matara District under a Government Agent. This administration remained unchanged upto 1990.

Places

Legal status

Functions, occupations and activities

Mandates/sources of authority

Internal structures/genealogy

General context

Relationships area

Control area

Description identifier

LK-NA/KACH/MT

Institution identifier

LK-NA

Rules and/or conventions used

ISAAR

Status

Final

Level of detail

Minimal

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

  • Latin

Sources

Maintenance notes