The history of Sri Lanka saw first signs around 500 AD when a people called the Sinhalese migrated there from India. According to legend the first settlers were led by a man named Vijaya. According to tradition Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in 260 BC by a man named Mahinda. It soon became an integral part of Sinhalese culture. Some 300 years later, the early Anuradhapura Period was initiated, with King Devanampiya Tissa as the first ruler.
It was during this period that a small plantlet of the sacred Bo Tree, under which the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, was brought to Sri Lanka. The late Anuradhapura Period, which began in the year 459, saw the reign of King Kasyapa, and the construction of Sigiriya. The Polonnaruwa period, witnessed the transfer of the capital from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa in 1073. Famed explorer, Marco Polo, arrived in Sri Lanka in the period between 1254 and 1324, and, in 1505, the Portuguese landed, and occupied the island’s coastal regions.
Portuguese colonialism in history of Sri Lanka
During this period Sri Lanka history had three main kingdoms – the Kingdom of Jaffna in the north, the Kingdom of Kandy in the central highlands and Kotte, the most powerful, in the south-west. In 1505 the Portuguese, under Lorennco de Almeida established friendly relations with the king of Kotte and gained, for Portugal, a monopoly on the spice and cinnamon trade, which soon became of enormous importance in Europe. Attempts by Kotte to utilize the strength and protection of the Portuguese only resulted in Portugal taking over and ruling not only their regions, but the rest of the island, apart form the central highlands around Kandy.
Dutch colonialism in history Sri Lanka
Attempts by Kandy to sign up Dutch help in driving out the Portuguese only resulted in the replacement of one European power for another. By 1658, 153 years after the first Portuguese contact, the Dutch had taken control over the costal areas of the Island. During their 140-year-rule the Dutch, like Portuguese, were involved in repeated unsuccessful attempts to bring Kandy under their control. The Dutch were much more interested in trade and profits than the Portuguese, who spent a lot of efforts spreading their religion and extending their physical control.
British Colonialism In history of Sri Lanka
In 1796 the Dutch were replaced by the British, who in 1815 also managed to win control of the kingdom of Kandy becoming the first European power to rule the whole island. But in 1802, Sri Lanka became a Crown Colony and in 1818 a unified administration for the island was set up. Soon the country was dotted with coffee, cinnamon and coconut plantations and a network of roads and railways was built to handle this new economic activity. English became the official language, and is still widely spoken.
Coffee was the main crop and the backbone of the colonial economy, but leaf blight virtually wiped it out in the 1870s and the plantations quickly switched over to tea or rubber. Today Sri Lanka is the world’s second largest tea exporter. The British were unable to persuade the Sinhalese to work cheaply and willingly on the plantations, so they imported large number of South Indian laborers from South India. Sinhalese peasants in the hill country lost land to the estates.
Modern Sri Lanka History
The first prime minister was Dr Stephen Senanayake. After the party fell in 1956 from power the next government was led by S W R D Bandaranaike. He promoted Sinhalese culture and extended state control of the economy. However he was assassinated in 1959. He was replaced by his widow Sirima Bandaranaike. She was prime minister until 1965. She continued the policy of nationalization. From the 1950s tension between Tamils and Sinhalese grew. In 1956 Sinhalese was made the only official language. Mrs. Bandaranaike also deported many Indian Tamil laborers.
In 1972 Sri Lanka was given a new constitution. This one stated that Buddhism had 'foremost place' among Sri Lankan religions. In 1976 the Tamil United Liberation Front was formed who demanded a separate Tamil state. In 1983 civil war broke out between Tamils and Sinhalese. On 23 July 1983 Tamil separatists ambushed and killed 13 Sinhalese soldiers. The result was rioting in which hundreds of people died. In 1993 President Premadasa was assassinated. From the mid 1990s efforts were made to end the fighting. A temporary ceasefire was made in December 2001, which was replaced by a 'permanent' cease fire in February 2002, and talks began. Despite the bloodshed some progress was made in Sri Lanka.
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