Meezan Hadjiar: Matale’s visionary merchant remembered

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO BUSINESS MAGNATE, HIS LEGACY SHAPES GENERATIONS

- By Sarath Amunugama

Meezan Hadjiar, born Sathkorale Muhamdiramlagedara Segu Abdul Cader Hajiar Mohamed Mohideen, rose from a small village in Akurana to become Matale’s foremost entrepreneur. Beginning as a young apprentice in 1925, he transformed a failing shop into Meezan Estates Ltd, owning thousands of acres of tea and rubber plantations. His influence extended beyond commerce to civic service, philanthropy, and politics, funding water schemes, mosques, and supporting the UNP. Remembered for his foresight and generosity, Meezan's life illuminates the growth of Matale’s commercial and social fabric during a transformative era.

which is yet to be described fully as forming a part of the modern history of our country.

Coincidentally this book also marks the centenary of Meezan Hadjiars beginning of employment in Matale town which began in 1925.

Matale which was an outlier in the Kandyan Kingdom came into prominence with the growth of plantations for Coffee and, after the collapse of the Coffee plantations due to the’Coffee blight’, for other tree crops.

Coffee was followed by the introduction of Tea by the early British investors who faced bankruptcy and ruin if they could not quickly find a substitute beverage for coffee. They turned to tea.

The rapid opening of tea plantations in the hill country demanded a large and hardworking labour force which could not be found domestically. This led to the indenturing of Tamil labour from South India on a large scale.

These helpless workers were virtually kidnapped from their native villages in India through the Kangani system and they were compelled to migrate to our hill country by the British administration.

The route of these indentured workers to the higher elevations of the hill country lay through Matale and the new plantation industry developed in that region thereby dragging it into a new commercial culture and a cash economy.