Burgher people

Burgher is the name of a Eurasian people and, less commonly, a Creole language based on Portuguese. In Sri Lanka the term is used to identify people of this community. English is the mother tongue of the Burghers of Sri Lanka. See Portuguese Creole.

Related Topics:
Eurasia - Creole language - Portuguese - Sri Lanka - English - Portuguese Creole

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For the most part, the Burgher people of Sri Lanka are the Eurasian descendents of Portuguese, Dutch and British colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries. Burghers were legally defined by law in 1883, by the then Chief Justice of Ceylon, Sir Richard Ottley, given before the Commission which was appointed in connection with the establishment of a legislative Council in Ceylon.

Related Topics:
Eurasian - British - 1883 - Sir Richard Ottley - Ceylon

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It was decided that in order to be defined as a Burgher, one's father had to have been born in Sri Lanka, with at least one European ancestor on one's direct paternal side, regardless of the ethnic origin of one's mother, or what other ethnic groups may be found on the father's side.

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Most Burghers are Christian, the majority being Catholics or Presbyterians. Because of how a Burgher is legally defined, Burghers always have European surnames (mostly of Portuguese, Dutch and British origin, although it is not uncommon to also find German, French, or even Flemish surnames).

Related Topics:
Catholic - Presbyterian

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Burghers are not physically homogeneous. It is possible to have a blond, fair-skinned Burgher, as well as a Burgher with a very dark complexion and black hair. Fair-skinned and dark-skinned children can even appear as brother and sister in the same family of the same parents. Burghers share a common culture rather than a common ethnicity. While the older generations of Burghers tried to dismiss the obvious Asian side of their ancestry, many younger Burghers today highly value this variety in their heritage.

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In the census of 1981, the Burgher population of Sri Lanka was enumerated at 39,374 persons. The current percentage of Burghers in the Sri Lankan population is less than 1%. The highest concentration of Burghers is in Colombo (0.72%) and Gampaha (0.5%). There are also similar, significant communities in Trincomalee and Batticaloa, but due to conflict in those areas during the 2001 census, figures are not available. The world population (mostly in Sri Lanka, Australia, the USA and the UK) is probably no more than 100,000.

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