British Ceylon
British Ceylon (Sinhala: බ්රිතාන්ය ලංකාව, romanized: Britānya Laṃkāva; Tamil: பிரித்தானிய இலங்கை, romanized: Biritthāṉiya Ilaṅkai), officially British Settlements and Territories in the Island of Ceylon with its Dependencies from 1802 to 1833,[3] then the Island of Ceylon and its Territories and Dependencies from 1833 to 1931[4] and finally the Island of Ceylon and its Dependencies from 1931 to 1948,[5] was the British Crown colony of present-day Sri Lanka between 1796 and 4 February 1948. Initially, the area it covered did not include the Kingdom of Kandy, which was a protectorate, but from 1817 to 1948 the British possessions included the whole island of Ceylon, now the nation of Sri Lanka.
British Settlements and Territories in the Island of Ceylon with its Dependencies
(1802–1833)
Island of Ceylon and its Territories and Dependencies
(1833–1931)
Island of Ceylon and its Dependencies
(1931–1948)
(1802–1833)
Island of Ceylon and its Territories and Dependencies
(1833–1931)
Island of Ceylon and its Dependencies
(1931–1948)
- Company rule
(1795 – 12 October 1798)[a] - Crown & Company dual control
(12 October 1798 – 1 January 1802)[b] - Crown Colony of the United Kingdom
(25 March 1802 – 4 February 1948)
Monarchy
George III (first)
George VI (last)
Frederick North (first)
Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (last)
- Legislative Council (1833–1931)
- State Council (1931–47)
- Parliament (1947—48)
5 March 1796
12 October 1798
25 March 1802
2 March 1815
4 February 1948
65,993 km2 (25,480 sq mi)
889,584[c]
3,565,954
6,657,339
- Ceylonese rixdollar (1815–28)
- British pound (1825–71)
- Ceylonese rupee (1872–1948)