A History of Sri LankaSri Lanka is an ancient civilization, shaped and thrust into the modern globalizing world by its colonial experience. With its own unique problems, many of them historical legacies, it is a nation trying to maintain a democratic, pluralistic state structure while struggling to come to terms with separatist aspirations. This is a complex story, and there is perhaps no better person to present it in reasoned, scholarly terms than K.M. de Silva, Sri Lanka s most distinguished and prolific historian. A History of Sri Lanka, first published in 1981, has established itself as the standard work on the subject. This fully revised edition, in light of the most recent research, brings the story right up to the early years of the twenty-first century. The book provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of Sri Lanka s development from a classical Buddhist society and irrigation economy, to its emergence as a tropical colony producing some of the world s most important cash crops, such as cinnamon, tea, rubber and coconut, and finally as an Asian democracy. |
Contents
THE ANURADHAPURA KINGDOM | 13 |
An Irrigation Civilization | 32 |
A Buddhist Civilization | 60 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
A History of Sri Lanka K. M. De Silva,Kingsley Muthumuni de Silva,Professor K M De Silva Limited preview - 1981 |
Common terms and phrases
achieved activity administration agriculture Anuradhapura appeared areas attempt authority became British Buddhist caste century Ceylon chapter chief cinnamon civil coffee Colombo Colonial communal Congress constitutional continued Council cultivation decade decision dominant Dutch early East economic effect elections elite especially established evidence fact forces foreign Gampola governor greater groups important increase independence India influence initiative interests irrigation island Jaffna Kandyan kingdom king Kotte labour land language latter leadership Legislative less major Ministers movement nineteenth century officials once opposition organization Party peasant period plantation political population Portuguese position pressure problem production Province reform regard regions relations religion religious response result rule ruler schools Senanayake significant Sinhalese social society Sri Lanka status structure success Tamil took trade traditional village zone