Sri Lanka

History

Most historians believe that the prince Vijaya came to Sri Lanka from Orissa, in north-eastern India, during the 6th century BC (some historians trace the origins back some 25,000 years) and started to rule the native people in Sri Lanka. A nearly continuous written history exists in the book "Mahavamsa" from this point on and it describes the Sinhalese kingdom started from king Vijaya and his followers. It also describes a minister of Vijaya, Anuradha, who establishes the village of Anuradhagamma which later becomes Anuradhapura and becomes the capital of Sri Lanka a few centuries later. Archeological evidence is somewhat contradictory to this account, showing continuous settlement in the Anuradhapura area from the 10th century BC onwards with people living in the area having knowledge of agriculture, metallurgy, and livestock breeding.

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Buddhism arrived from the subcontinent 300 years after Vijaya of Orissa at the hands of Mahinda Thero and spread rapidly. Buddhism and a sophisticated system of irrigation became the pillars of classical Sinhalese civilization (200 BC-1200 AD) that flourished in the north-central part of the island, with capitals at Anuradhapura (from c. 200 BC to c. 1000 AD) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 to 1200).

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The origins of Tamil presence on the island are unclear. Given the island's close proximity to the South India, it is very likely that people have traveled back and forth throughout human history.

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South Indian rulers attacked Sri Lanka on a number of occasions. Occasionally, such invasions resulted in Tamil rule of the island for extended periods. Several Sinhala kings are noted for driving back the Tamil invasions and retaking the capital.

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After the Polonnaruwa kingdom, the Sinhalese capital moved between several cities over the next centuries, partially to circumvent foreign invasion. The capital has settled in Sri Jayewardenepura (Kotte) when coastal regions were occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The Portuguese were followed by the Dutch in the 17th century. During both Portuguese and Dutch rule of the coastal areas, the interior, hilly region of the island remained independent, with its capital, the city of Kandy. Great Britain replaced the Dutch in 1796, and the coastal areas became a crown colony in 1802. The entire island became part of the British Empire in 1815.

Related Topics:
Polonnaruwa - Sri Jayewardenepura - Portuguese - 16th century - Dutch - 17th century - Kandy - Great Britain - 1796 - 1802 - British Empire - 1815

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During the World War II the Japanese forces bombed Sri Lanka, but there were only few casualties.

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As Ceylon http://www.glue.umd.edu/~pkd/sl/facts/name_origin.html, it became independent in 1948. In 1972, its name was changed to Sri Lanka, and in 1978 the legislative and judicial capital was moved from Colombo to nearby Sri Jayewardanapura Kotte. The flag was also changed as orange and green vertical bars were added, representing the Tamil and Muslim minority populations.

Related Topics:
1948 - 1972 - Sri Jayewardanapura Kotte

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Post independence governments implemented a series of pro-Sinhalese measures in order to support the majority community who were disadvantaged compared to the minorities due to the policies of European colonialists. This was seen as discriminatory by the Tamils and lead to tensions between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil politial/military groups which erupted in violence in 1983 following the killing of 13 soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army in Jaffna. This led to communal riots throughout the country and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Tamils over a three-day period; many more became refugees. Sinhalese were driven away from the North by militants and the Tamils in the South continue to face severe difficulties in their daily lives. Tens of thousands have died on both sides in the subsequent ethnic war that continues to fester.

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After two decades of fighting, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the government began a ceasefire in December 2001. Norway is mediating the peace process. The international anti-terrorism focus may have influenced the main Tamil rebel group to seek the ceasefire, as the LTTE was declared a terrorist organization by the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Canada and Sri Lanka.

Related Topics:
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - December - 2001 - Norway - United States of America - United Kingdom - Australia - India - Canada

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On December 26 2004, one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history, the Indian Ocean earthquake, struck off the western coast of Sumatra. The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis reportedly killed over 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean. The impact on Sri Lanka was severe. The south and east coasts were devastated by the 10-metre high tsunami, and tens of thousands died.

Related Topics:
December 26 - 2004 - Indian Ocean earthquake - Sumatra - Earthquake - Tsunami - Indian Ocean - Impact on Sri Lanka

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