2. 2
Location of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (SL) is an island nation located off the southern coast of India in South Asia.
It is bordered by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar in the Laccadive Sea, and the Palk Strait.
This separates Sri Lanka from India.
SL is situated to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal.
The Island has maritime borders with India.
The latitude and longitude for the country are 7.5653° N, 80.4303° E.
3. 3
Demography
PROFILE
Capital | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Largest City | Colombo
Official Languages | English & Tamil
Government | Unitary
Administration | 09 Provinces | 25 Districts
Legislature | Parliament
Area | 65,610 Sq.Km
Population | 21 Million
Literacy Rate (15 Up) | 93.3%
ETHNICITY
Sinhalese | 74.9%
Sri Lankan Tamil | 15.4%
Moor | 9.2%
Others | 0.5%
RELIGION
Buddhist | 70.2%
Hindu | 12.6%
Islam | 9.7%
Christian | 7.6%
Other | 0.1%
4. 4
The Journey
The
Classical
Age
Decline
of the
Kingdoms
Coming
of
Independence
Sinhala &
Tamil
Nationalism
Economic
Liberalization
Internal
Conflict
Peace &
Growth
Future
Direction
500
B.C.
1200
A.D.
The
Colonial
Era
1500 1948 1956 1978 1983 2009 2015
Independence
from Britain
Portuguese
1505 - 1658
The Dutch
1640 - 1796
The British
1815 - 1948
Elam War 1
1983 - 1987
Elam War 2
1990 - 1995
Elam War 3
1995 - 2002
Elam War 4
2006 - 2009
Election of
New President
and Parliament
Official
Language Act
Passed
End of
Conflict
Office of
Executive
President
Created
Ceylon
renamed as
Sri Lanka
543 B.C.
Prince Vijaya
arrives in
Sri Lanka from
India (Bengal)
Indian Peace
Keeping Forces
in Sri Lanka
(IPKF)
5. 5
Sri Lanka 3000 B.C.
• The first major legendary reference to the island is found in the great Indian historical text,
Ramayana (Sacred Deeds of Rama), thought to have been written around 500 B.C.
• The Ramayana tells of the conquest of Lanka in 3000 B.C. by Rama, an incarnation of the
Hindu god Vishnu. Rama's quest to save his abducted wife, Sita, from Ravanna, the fierce
god of Lanka, and his armies, is, according to some scholars, a poetic account of the early
southward expansion of Brahmanic civilization.
6. 6
Sri Lanka 543 B.C. – Arrival of Prince Vijaya
• The most valuable source of
knowledge for scholars probing
historical heritage of Sri Lanka is The
Mahavamsa (Great Genealogy), a
chronicle compiled in Pali in the sixth
century.
• The Mahavamsa, relates the arrival of
Prince Vijaya, the legendary colonizer
of Sri Lanka and primogenitor of the
Sinhalese people.
• Along with 700 followers, Vijaya
arrived in Lanka and established
himself as ruler with the help of
Kuveni, a local princess.
• Kuveni, was later banished and a
marriage was arranged with a princess
from Madurai in south-eastern India.
7. 7
Kingdom of Thambapanni 543 - 505 B.C.
• The Kingdom of Thambapanni, was the first kingdom in ancient
Sri Lanka established by King Vijaya. It existed between 543
B.C. and 505 B.C.
• Within Sri Lanka, the legend of Vijaya is a common political
rhetoric used to explain the origin of the Sinhalese, and is
often treated as a factual account of historical events.
• Sinhalese scholars use the legend to propose an Indo-Aryan
origin for the Sinhalese, thus distinguishing them from the
Dravidian Tamils.
• At the same time, certain Sinhalese authors have used the
myth to oppose Tamil secessionism, arguing that the
Sinhalese and the Tamils are one race, because their
ancestors included the maidens sent by the Pandyan king of
Madurai in India for the followers of Vijaya.
• Some Tamil nationalists, on the other hand, have claimed that
their ancestors were the locals eradicated by Vijaya on his
arrival.
8. 8
First Known Map of Sri Lanka - Taprobane
• The earliest map of Lanka is that
of Greek writer Claudius Ptolemy
(100 A.D. – 170 A.D.) in the first
century after Christ.
• The royal city of Anurogrammon
(Anuradhapura) and the metropolis
of Maagrammon (Mahagrama) are
noteworthy mentions on the map.
• The map is a part of Ptolemy’s
manuscript on Geography
written in 150 A.D.
9. 9
Introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka 250 B.C.
• Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in 250
B.C. after the Third Buddhist council by
Mahinda Bhikkhu, son of Indian Emperor
Ashoka, during the reign of King
Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura.
• During this time, a sapling of the Bodhi Tree
was brought to Sri Lanka and the first
monasteries and Buddhist monuments were
established.
• Theravada Buddhism is the main religion of
approx. 70% of the population of Sri Lanka.
• During the 19th century, a modern Buddhist
revival took place on the island which
promoted Buddhist education and learning.
There are over 6,000 Buddhist monasteries
in Sri Lanka with approx. 15,000 monks.
11. 11
Rise of Sinhala and Tamil Ethnic Differences
• The island was divided into numerous kingdoms between 1200 A.D. – 1815. Sri Lanka was
ruled by 181 monarchs from the Anuradhapura to Kandy periods.
• There is a debate among historians as to whether settlement by Indo-Aryan speakers
preceded Dravidian-speaking Tamils. But there is no dispute over the fact that Sri Lanka, from
its earliest recorded history, was a multi-ethnic society.
• Ethnic peace of the island was first significantly affected in 237 B.C. when two adventurers
from southern India, Sena and Guttika, usurped the Sinhalese throne at Anuradhapura.
Their combined 22 year rule marked the first time Sri Lanka was ruled by Tamil people.
• In 145 B.C., the Tamil general Elara, of the Indian Chola dynasty (which ruled much of India
from the 9th to 12th centuries A.D.), took over the throne at Anuradhapura and ruled for 44
years.
• The Sinhalese king, Duttugemunu, waged a fifteen-year campaign against the Tamil
monarch and finally deposed him. As a result of this victory, Anuradhapura became the locus of
power. The conflict became a symbol for Sinhalese nationalism and is commonly interpreted
as confirmation that the island was a preserve for the Sinhalese and Buddhism.
12. 12
Rise of Sinhala and Tamil Ethnic Differences
• Tamil invaders from India had become a very real threat to Sinhala Buddhist kingdoms in
the 5th and 6th centuries A.D.. This was from the Hindu empires of southern India-the Pandya,
Pallava, and Chola.
• By the middle of the 9th century, the Pandyans had risen to a position of ascendancy in
southern India, and invaded northern Sri Lanka, and sacked Anuradhapura.
• In the 10th century, The Chola, dynasty, initially under King Rajaraja the Great (A.D 985-1018),
sacked Anuradhapura in A.D. 993 and annexed Rajarata-the heartland of the Sinhalese
kingdom to the Chola Empire. For 75 years, Sri Lanka was ruled directly as a Chola province.
• During this period, Hinduism flourished, and Buddhism received a serious setback. After
the destruction of Anuradhapura, the Chola set up their capital farther to the southeast, at
Polonnaruwa.
• King Vijayabahu I drove the Chola out of Sri Lanka in A.D. 1070. Considered by many as the
author of Sinhalese freedom, the king recaptured Anuradhapura but ruled from Polonnaruwa.
13. 13
Portuguese Ceylon (1505 – 1658)
• Portuguese occupation of Sri Lanka lasted from 1505 to 1658. Their objectives were to
control commerce and spread the religion of Roman Catholicism. They sought to
establish control over the lucrative Cinnamon trade as well.
• Direct Portuguese rule inside the island did not begin until after the death of King
Dharmapala of Kotte, who died without an heir and who in 1580 bequeathed the
Kingdom of Kotte to the Portuguese monarch.
• This allowed the Portuguese sufficient claim to the Kingdom of Kotte upon Dharmapala's
death in 1597. Portuguese rule began with much resistance by the local population.
• Eventually, the Kingdom of Kandy sought help from the Dutch Empire to rid the island
of the Portuguese. The Dutch Empire initially entered into agreement with the Kingdom of
Kandy.
• After the collapse of the Iberian economy in 1627, the Dutch–Portuguese War saw the
Dutch conquest most of Portugal's Asian colonies. Eventually, Portugal's Ceylonese
territories were ceded to the Netherlands.
15. 15
Dutch Ceylon (1640 – 1796)
• In 1636 King Rajasinha of Kandy turned to the Dutch for help (the power of Portugal was
declining while Dutch power was increasing). In 1637 he received Dutch envoys. In 1638 the
Portuguese invaded again but were crushed at the battle of Gannoruwa. Afterwards the Dutch
agreed to capture Portuguese held ports on the Sri Lankan coast in return for their expenses.
• Between 1638 and 1640 the Dutch captured certain ports but they held onto them instead
of giving them to Kandy, claiming their expenses had not been paid. The Dutch and
Portuguese made peace in 1640 but war resumed in 1652. Once again the kingdom of Kandy
formed an alliance with the Dutch.
• The Dutch attacked Colombo and they captured it in 1656. However they refused to hand
it over to Kandy. Instead they pushed inland. In 1658 they captured Jaffna. That was the end
of Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka. The Dutch extended their rule and in 1665 - they captured
Tincomalee on the east coast.
• Kandy remained independent and continued to exist uneasily beside the Dutch colony until
1760 when war broke out between them. The Dutch won the war and they forced Kandy to
accept a humiliating treaty.
17. 17
British Ceylon (1815 – 1948)
• The Kandyans’ approached the British in 1762, 1782, and 1795 for assistance to be
liberated from the Dutch. In 1795, British emissaries offered a draft treaty that would extend
military aid in return for control of the seacoast and a monopoly of the cinnamon trade. The
Dutch without significant help in 1796.
• After the Dutch formally ceded the island to the British in the ‘1801 Peace of Amiens’,
Sri Lanka became Britain's first crown colony.
• The British were keen to conquer Kandy. They gained their opportunity in 1815.
• Kandy was ruled by Sri Wickrama Rajasinha (1798-1815). He was a disliked king and
was deeply unpopular with his subjects. Some of his nobles conspired with the British to get
rid of him. The British army invaded Kandy and met little resistance. The king fled abroad.
• Kandyan headmen and the British signed a treaty known as the Kandyan Convention in
March 1815. The treaty decreed that the Kandyan provinces be brought under British
sovereignty and that all the traditional privileges of the chiefs be maintained.
18. 18
British Style of Governance – Divide & Conquer
• The British chose to identify people with social categories and to control those people
through their use of those categories. They considered the Sinhalese, Tamils, Burghers, Moors,
Kandyans and others to be distinct ‘races’, and governed each separately.
• Each race was divided into ranked subcategories. The British considered these castes, or
caste-like units, to be the building blocks of Lankan society.
• Castes were further divided internally into ranked grades, and the highest grades of the
highest caste-the ‘First-class’ govigamas (from the Sinhalese people) and vellalas (from the
Tamil people) - were chosen as collaborators in colonial rule. As they did in India, the British
viewed the structure they created as a ‘caste system' among the Sinhalese and the Tamils.
• Educational opportunities and high ranking positions of leadership were given to such
people.
• Most notably the British used Tamil people of high social status to govern areas populated
by Sinhala majority. This set the foundation for later day Sinhala-Tamil ethnic differences in
post independence politics.
19. 19
British Ceylon: Contribution & Independence
• Trial by jury was introduced in 1811 and the British built a network of roads. Then in 1833
they introduced wide-ranging reforms. English was made the official language. Slavery was
abolished in 1844. The late 19th century saw both Hinduism and Buddhism revived in Ceylon.
• In the early 19th century the British created large plantations for growing coffee. Exports
of Ceylonese coffee boomed and large numbers of labourers from India were brought to work
on the plantations. However in the 1870s the coffee crop was devastated by the slow spread of
a fungus. In the late 19th century tea replaced coffee as the main Ceylonese crop.
• Early 20th century Sri Lankan nationalism grew. The Ceylon National Congress was formed
in 1919. In 1910 the Ceylonese were allowed to elect one member of the legislative council and
in 1924 the British made further concessions. However the Ceylonese were not satisfied.
• In 1931 Ceylon was granted a new constitution. However the Ceylonese demanded complete
independence. Yet another constitution was introduced in 1946 but in 1947 the British
announced that India was to become independent. The Ceylonese now demanded their
independence and in June 1947 the British agreed to make Sri Lanka a dominion. Sri Lanka
became independent on 4th of February 1948.
20. 20
Sri Lanka Ethnic Conflict (1983 – 2009)
• Sri Lanka was ravaged by a long running conflict which was between the Sinhalese majority
Government and the terrorist organisation LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam). The
conflict took place from 1983 to 2009.
• The LTTE acted as the self appointed representative of the Tamil minority of Sri Lanka, who
they believed have been marginalized by policy of the majority. The conflict cost the lives
of approx. 100,000 citizens and hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced.
• The conflict ended in May 2009.
• Root Cause: Prior to independence in 1948, the Sinhalese felt discriminated against by their
British rulers (as a result of their divide and conquer policy), leading to the development
of Sinhalese political nationalism. With independence and the establishment of an electoral
system, much of the power was placed in the hands of Sinhalese governments.
• These governments brought in legislation which was perceived to cause marginalisation of
the Tamil people, including the 1956 Official Language Act, which made the Sinhala the
official language. Such scenarios led to increasingly strained relations between the two
groups and numerous violent riots.
21. 21
Sri Lanka Ethnic Conflict – Indian Intervention (1987 – 1990)
• Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict was the deployment of the Indian
Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka intended to perform a peacekeeping role. The
deployment followed the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord between India & Sri Lanka of 1987 which
was intended to end the Sri Lankan Civil War between the LTTE and Sri Lankan military.
• The original intention was for the IPKF to be not involved in large scale military operations.
However, after a few months, the IPKF engaged the LTTE in a series of battles. Nationalist
sentiment led many Sinhalese to oppose continued Indian presence in Sri Lanka.
• These led to the Sri Lankan government's call for India to quit the island. But the LTTE
and IPKF continued to have frequent hostilities - casualties among the IPKF mounted, and
calls for the withdrawal of the IPKF from both sides of the Sri Lankan conflict grew, Rajiv
Gandhi (Prime Minister of India) refused to remove the IPKF from Sri Lanka.
• Following his defeat in Indian parliamentary elections in December 1989, the new Prime
Minister of India V. P. Singh ordered the withdrawal of the IPKF, and their last ship left Sri
Lanka on 24 March 1990. The 32-month presence of the IPKF in Sri Lanka resulted in the
deaths of 1200 Indian soldiers and over 5000 Sri Lankans. The cost for the Indian
government was estimated at over INR 10.3 billion.
22. 22
Sri Lanka Ethnic Conflict – Last Stages of the War
The Battle Of Puthukkudiyirippu was a land battle
fought between the Sri Lankan Military, 58 Division, 53
Division and Task Force 8 and the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the control of the last stronghold
held by the LTTE. This battle is a part of the Northern
Theatre of Eelam War IV.
23. 23
Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka
There have been 14 Prime Ministers (PM) of Sri Lanka since the creation of the position in 1947. The
PM of Ceylon was the head of the government until 1978. In 1978, PM J.R. Jayewardene introduced
new constitutional changes. Position of the Executive President was introduced, resulting in the
powers of the PM being reduced. Under the current constitution of Sri Lanka, the PM is the leader of the
Cabinet business and also functions as a deputy to the President.
On 28 April 2015, the Parliament approved the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of which
gives the power of the Government to the Prime Minister, while the President remains the head of
state, head of the cabinet, and Commander-in-chief.
24. 24
Presidents of Sri Lanka
(First Executive President)
The President of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The
President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1972, as more of
a ceremonial position. It was empowered with executive powers by the 1978 Constitution
introduced by J. R. Jayewardene. The current President is Maithripala Sirisena, elected on
January 8, 2015.
Web address of the President: http://www.president.gov.lk/
25. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION JAN 2015
- President Sirisena won with a Majority of 51.28%
- President Sirisena is from the Blue Party (UPFA)
- But Contested as the Common Candidate
- Green Party (UNP) Backed the Common Candidate
- Green Party was the Opposition at the Time
- Former President Rajapaksa was the Leader of Blue Party
GENERAL ELECTION AUG 2015 (15TH PARLIAMENT)
- Neither UPFA [SLFP] or UNP Secured a Majority of Seats
- SLFP and UNP Decided to form a Unity Government
- Cabinet Portfolios Given to Members of Both Parties
- First Time a Unity Government was Formed
- PM was Appointed from the Green Party as a Result
- Supporters of Former President formed Alternative
Opposition
25
President
Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Former President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
DYNAMICS WITHIN THE UNITY GOVERNMENT
- The Two Parties have Divergent Ideologies
- UNP Promotes Capitalism /Free Market | SLFP Champions Principals of Socialism
- SLFP Promotes PPP (Private Public Partnership) | UNP Focuses on Privatization
GEO-POLITICAL STANCE OF THE UNITY GOVERNMENT
- Government Policy Supports China | India | USA & the West in Unison
- Interest in Key Sectors; Power & Transportation by both India and China
- Projects Started by Previous Regime with China being Continued
Political Outlook
26. ENTERPRISE REFORMS
- All Loss | Minimal Profit-Making | Debt Burdened State-Owned Enterprises - Evaluated
- Goal: Privatize Such Entities in Full, Partially or by way of Management/Operation
- Process to be Transparent with Participation of Key Stakeholders
- Contrasts Against Policy of Previous Regime which Empowered SOEs
THE WESTERN REGION MEGAPOLIS PLANNING PROJECT (WRMPP)
- Urban Infrastructure Development Master Plan with Cabinet Approval
- Designed Surbana Jurong of Singapore
- Objective - Uplift the Western Region of Sri Lanka
- Sectors: Transport | Energy | Water | Township | Aero/Maritime | Waste Management
- WRMPP has Mapped Out 172 Projects till 2030 | Estimated Value of US $ 62.8 Billion
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) & FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
- Focus on Relaxation of Exchange Control Regulations | Land Ownership by Foreigners
- Avoidance of Policy Inconsistencies | Tackling Uncertainty in Legislation with Emphasis on Taxes
- FTAs being Discussed & Negotiated - China, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, Malaysia and Bangladesh
- New Economic Partnership Agreement with India Underway
26
Government Policy
28. 28
References
• Brief History of Sri Lanka. Web Link: http://www.localhistories.org/srilanka.html
• Russell R. Ross and Andrea Matles Savada, editors. Sri Lanka: A Country Study. Web Link:
http://countrystudies.us/sri-lanka/
• Independence to Freedom PPT. Web Link: http://www.slideshare.net/samanga/post-colonial-
ethnic-seperatism-in-sri-lanka?qid=5f65d1ca-0ea9-4de0-adbc-
d67c66fe3093&v=&b=&from_search=26
• Humphry William Codrington. A Short History of Lanka. Web Link: http://lakdiva.org/codrington/
• Indo-Sri Lanka Relation between 1950 – 1990. Web Link:
http://www.slideshare.net/neelnagendra/political-33918304
• H.R. Perera. Buddhism in Sri Lanka - A Short History. Web Link:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/perera/wheel100.html
• Colonial Voyage. Web Link: http://www.colonialvoyage.com/portuguese-ceylon-portuguese-sri-
lanka-before-war-dutch/#
• K.M.A. de Silva, K.M. A History of Sri Lanka. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1981.
• Patrick Peebles. The History of Sri Lanka (Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations) Kindle
Edition.
