History of Sri Lanka

Note: The anteriority of the arrival of the Singhaleses or Tamouls in the island is a point discussed within the framework of the ethnic conflict which involved the civil war of the Années 1980 and 1990. (see LTTE)

First inhabitants

The inhabitants originating in the island are Wanniyala-Aetto, more commonly known under the name of Veddas. Indigenous close to those of India, their lifestyle of hunters-gatherers becomes increasingly difficult to them to maintain and the government wants the sédentariser. Forming less than one percent of the total population, they live mainly in the south-east of the island, in the park of Maduru Oya.

The indianisation

The chronicles of Singhalais - of language Singhalais E Indo-European - do not report that those are originating in the north of the India, close to the Bengal, perhaps of the Orissa, arrived in the island towards -600. The Bouddhisme settled three centuries later, traditionally because of action missionary initiated by the emperor Ashoka, at the same time as a system of irrigation sophisticated in particular in the center and north.

Contrary to the India where the historical tradition is spread little, Sri Lanka has several historical chronicles. These chronicles, mixing certain legendary episodes with the historical facts, nevertheless are regarded by the researchers as a relatively reliable source, although less rigorous than the Chinese chronicles, because of many elements could be confirmed by stepping with foreign sources and the archaeological excavations. Even sometimes they make it possible to light the Histoire of India. Three chronicles cover the history of the island:

the Dīpavamśa or Dipavamsa (" genealogy of the île"),
the Mahavamśa or Mahavamsa (" large généalogie"), compiled by Mahanama,
the Cūlavamśa or Culavamsa (" last généalogie"), taking again the history of the island in IVe century, date where stopped the preceding chronicles, until the British conquest.

The island knew kingdoms unified with like capitals Anuradhapura of -200 towards 1070, then Polonnaruva until in 1200. The invasions Tamoul be since the south of India with internal conflicts pushed the kingdoms singhalais in the south. The island, around the year millet, was completely integrated into the kingdom tamoul of the Chola. It preserved besides a kingdom tamoul with Jaffna like capital, of 1200 until the catch of the city by the Dutchmen in 1619.

The seniority of the establishment of Tamouls in the island is not well-known. Being given the proximity with the continent, the little of depth of the strait of Park and the existence of the Pont of Adam facilitating the passage, it is probable that there were many exchanges. The Singhalese history reports that the first men took hundred women of India of the South. There were even Singhaleses as monarchs of the kingdoms tamouls and vice versa.

External influences

The situation of the island in the middle of the Indian Ocean made of it a center of very important trade during the History. The sailors of the ancient Rome name it “Taprobane”.

The tradesmen Arab S, who take over and control the exchanges between the the Mediterranean and the Indian world until the arrival of the Portuguese, know it as “Serendip” - derived since the name Sanskrit Sinhala-dweepa - which is the root of the word in English “serendipity”, substantive French unknown meaning happy discovery made by chance . It is of this establishment and its descent that the Muslim population (7%) comes.

The navigators Portuguese with the research of spices seize in 1505 the coastal regions and introduce Catholicism. The Dutch supplant them in 1658.

Although the Britanniques take control in 1796, the Dutch laws remain the pivot of jurisprudence. In 1815, the British obtain a victory over the king of Kandy named Vicramaraja Singa, which completes their domination and they create the royal colony of Ceylon. They establish an economy based on the The, the attempt to make use of the Café being revealed unfruitful, and to a lesser extent on the rubber and the Coconut, and support a new emigration tamoule in the center and the south of the island to work in the plantations.

In 1931, the British grant a certain autonomy, then independence the February 4th 1948 within the framework of the the Commonwealth.

After independence

The July 20th 1960, Ceylon elects Sirimavo Bandaranaike like Prime Minister. It is the first woman to occupy this station in the world.

The May 22nd 1972, the country adopts a new constitution which changes its name into Sri Lanka , moves the capital of Colombo to Kotte, defines a new flag and mark a discrimination in favor of the Singhalese majority in the detriment of the minority tamoule.

The latter react by requiring a decentralization of the federation and even an independence of the Eelam Tamoul. The civil war bursts with an attempt at interposition of India; it causes the death of 60.000 people in twenty years. There are also risings gauchists singhalais, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, repressed in blood.

December 26th 2004: the earthquake of magnitude 9 which took place off the islands of Sumatra because important a Tsunami which resulted in the death of 31.000 victims in Sri Lanka.
August 12th 2005: the president of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Kumaratunga, issued the state of emergency after the assassination of the Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. The authorities implied that the authors are separatists members of the Tamil Tigers of Eelam tamoul.
November 17th 2005: presidential election after three years of truce enters the government and the Tamil Tigers of Eelam tamoul. The current president not being able to represent for one 3rd mandate, are in competition 13 candidates including two principal favorites:

Prime Minister in exercise, Mahinda Rajapakse, which was combined to the Buddhist ultranationalists who want the defeat military of the LTTE, and to the Marxists of the popular Front of release (JVP), hostile with any concession. Its program preaches a wide Dirigisme in unified Sri Lanka.
its predecessor Ranil Wikramasinghe favorable to peaces and which want to take again the negotiation started in 2003 and to open the economy of the island.

June 15th 2006: an attack with the mine in a bus makes 61 dead and 45 blessésdans the province of Anuradapura. The government shows the rebels tamouls and orders the bombardment of their camps.

See too

Report of Anne Poiret: MASSACRE MUTTUR a CRIME AGAINST the HUMANITARIAN

PARTIE.1 PARTIE.2 PARTIE.3 PARTIE.4 PARTIE.5 PARTIE.6 PARTIE.7 PARTIE.8 PARTIE.9 PARTIE.10 PARTIE.11 PARTIE.12 PARTIE.13

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