Katana VentraIP

History of Sri Lanka

The history of Sri Lanka is unique because its relevance and richness extend beyond the areas of South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. The early human remains which were found on the island of Sri Lanka date back to about 38,000 years ago (Balangoda Man).

The historical period roughly begins in the 3rd century BCE, based on Pali chronicles like the Mahavamsa, the Deepavamsa, and the Culavamsa.[1] They describe the history of Sri Lanka since the arrival of Prince Vijaya who was from Northern India[2][3][4][5] The earliest documents of settlement in the Island are found in these chronicles. These chronicles cover the period since the establishment of the Kingdom of Tambapanni in the 6th century BCE by the earliest ancestors of the Sinhalese. The first Sri Lankan ruler of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, Pandukabhaya, is recorded for the 4th century BCE. Buddhism was introduced in the 3rd century BCE by Arhath Mahinda (son of the Indian emperor Ashoka).


The island was divided into numerous kingdoms over the following centuries, intermittently (between CE 993–1077) united under Chola rule. Sri Lanka was ruled by 181 monarchs from the Anuradhapura to Kandy periods.[6] From the 16th century, some coastal areas of the country were also controlled by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. Between 1597 and 1658, a substantial part of the island was under Portuguese rule. The Portuguese lost their possessions in Ceylon due to Dutch intervention in the Eighty Years' War. Following the Kandyan Wars, the island was united under British rule in 1815. Armed uprisings against the British took place in 1818 Uva Rebellion and 1848 Matale Rebellion. Independence was finally granted in 1948 but the country remained a Dominion of the British Empire until 1972.


In 1972, Sri Lanka assumed the status of a Republic. A constitution was introduced in 1978 which made the Executive President the head of state. The Sri Lankan Civil War began in 1983, including Insurrections in 1971 and 1987, with the 25-year-long civil war ending in 2009. There was an attempted coup in 1962 against the government under Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

Arsecularatne, S. N, Sinhalese immigrants in Malaysia & Singapore, 1860–1990: History through recollections, (Colombo, KVG de Silva & Sons, 1991)

Bandarage, Asoka. The separatist conflict in Sri Lanka: Terrorism, ethnicity, political economy (Routledge, 2008).

(1905). "Ceylon" . The Empire and the century. London: John Murray. pp. 707–15.

Blake, Henry A.

Brohier, R. L, The Golden Age of Military Adventure in Ceylon: an account of the Uva Rebellion 1817–1818. (Colombo: 1933)

Cheran, Rudhramoorthy, ed. Pathways of dissent: Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka;; (Sage Publications India, 2009).

Nearly 1200 links on Sri Lanka

The Virtual Motherland of Sri Lankans

– World War II Movie Clip

Sri Lanka in 1942

Library of Congress Country Study: Sri Lanka

The Netherlands – Ceylon Heritage

Colombo in Dutch Times

Jacob Haafner. Travels Through The Island of Ceylon in 1783

The Dutch in Ceylon glimpse of their life and times

The Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon

A Baptism of Fire: The Van Goens Mission to Ceylon and India, 1653–54

1694 Census in Jaffnapatnam City and Castle

Dutch and Portuguese Buildings in Sri Lanka

Tourist Board of Sri Lanka

hWeb – Sri Lanka's recent history of ethnic conflict originates from its colonial legacy

Books on Sri Lanka History

Maritime Heritage in Sri Lanka

The Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka

The Mahavamsa History of Sri Lanka

Peace and Conflict Timeline (PACT) – interactive timeline of the Sri Lankan conflict

1956 – A Year of National and Religious Awakening

Repression of Buddhism in Sri Lanka by the Portuguese (1505–1658)

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