Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Nayaks of Kandy" in English language version.
They are popularly classed as kota balijas, who are military in origin and claim kinship with the Emperors and Viceroys of Vijayanagar and the Kandyan Dynasty.
They spoke Telugu or Tamil rather than Sinhala; they were by origin Vaishnavite Hindus rather than Buddhists, though they fulfilled their key responsibilities as defenders of the Buddhist faith.
The Nayak kings of Madura and Tanjore were Balijas , traders by caste
All four worshipped at Buddhist and Hindu shrines, used Sinhala and Tamil as court languages (though they spoke Telugu), and encouraged their courtiers to take wives from Madurai and Thanjavur.
Sri Vikrama Rajasinha's royal standard, a yellow lion holding a sword against a red background, is the main feature of the Sri Lankan flag!
All four worshipped at Buddhist and Hindu shrines, used Sinhala and Tamil as court languages (though they spoke Telugu), and encouraged their courtiers to take wives from Madurai and Thanjavur.
Sri Vikrama Rajasinha's royal standard, a yellow lion holding a sword against a red background, is the main feature of the Sri Lankan flag!