Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka

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History

Before kingdom of Rajarata

The earliest archaeological evidence of human colonization in Sri Lanka appears at the site of Balangoda. Balangoda Man arrived on the island about 34,000 years ago and have been identified as Mesolithic hunter gatherers who lived in caves. Several of these caves, including the well known Batadombalena and the Fa-Hien Rock cave, have yielded many artifacts from these people who are currently the first known inhabitants of the island.

Ramayana, Mahabaratha, Mahavamsa revealed about early civilization of Sri Lanka. According to Ramayana and Mahavamsa Sri Lanka had 4 tribes.

• Raksha - Ravana, Indrajit
• Yaksha - Kubera, Kuveni
• Naga - Indrajit's wife, Chulodara and Mahodara, Naga King in Kelaniya who invited Lord Buddha to visit Kelaniya
• Deva - Ravana is also describe as a god worshiper, Sumana Saman

Archaeological evidence for the beginnings of the Iron Age in Sri Lanka is found at Anuradhapura, where a large city–settlement was founded before 900 BC. The settlement was about 15 hectares in 900 BC, but by 700 BC it had expanded to 50 hectares.[5] A similar site from the same period has also been discovered near Aligala in Sigiriya

Kingdom of Rajarata

Establishment of kingdom of Rajarata

It was centered around the ancient cities of Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara,Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa. First Kingdom in the Rajarata was established by Prince Vijaya in 543 BC from Sinha tribe in India. At that time Sri Lanka was ruled by several regional leaders. After killing local regional rulers with the help of local princess Kuveni, he was able to take the power of Rajarata. But administration was again come to the hand of natives when king Pandukabhaya, a price of Yaksha and Sinha tribes defeated and killed Sinha rulers and became king in 377 BC. He was able to unified Sri Lanka and unified all the tribes (Yaksha,Naga,Raksha,Deva,Sinha) from whole Island to one administrative center.

Era of Rajarata

The genesis myth and early recorded history of the Sinhalese is chronicled in two documents, the Mahavamsa, written in Pali around the 4th century CE, and the much later Chulavamsa (probably penned in the 13 century CE by the Buddhist monk Dhammakitti). These records describes Kings ruled Sri Lanka, developments by the kings(reservoirs,stupas), invasions faced by the country and other significant history events. Tamil groups came to Sri Lanka during this period as wives to the King. These Tamils from royal families were powerful and they were offered higher ranks in kings court. Hindu Temples in Pollonnaruwa shows these Tamils lived within the kingdom as powerful group. At the present thre are ruins of 3 ancient Shiva Temples within the castle of Pollonnaruwa. It seems they are not related to Tamils who came with Magha in 1215. Tamil came during Kingdom of Rajarata era were lived with Sinhala community. Adopted son of king Parâkramabâhu VI , Sapumal Kumaraya was a Tamil who lived with Sinhala kingdoms.

Falling of Rajarata

In 1215 Kalinga Magha invaded Rajarata with a huge Pandyan army. Magha was a minister to Pandyan empire. Magha ruled Pollonnaruwa for several years but later drawback to Vanni and Jaffna. During next 100 years many battle occurred to take the control of Rajarata between Sinhala Kingdoms and different invaders from South India. But after the last Pandyan ruler of Madurai, was defeated and expelled in 1323 by Malik Kafur, the army general of the Muslim empire of Delhi Sultanate; Tamil power in Sri Lanka started to weaken . Rajarata area was divided into 3 areas. Jaffna kingdom (Jaffna peninsula) was controlled by Tamils, neutralized Vanni forest and Sinhala controlled later Rajarata.

Kingdoms from Dambadeniya to Kandy

• Kingdom of Dambadeniya
• Kingdom of Yapahuwa
• Kingdom of Kurunegala
• Kingdom of Gampola
• Kingdom of Kotte
• Kingdom of Sitawaka
• Kingdom of Kandy

Kalinga Magha invade made Sinhalese to move toward south. Magha invaded Rajarata and Malaya-rata. During the rise of Kingdom of Dambadeniya under the king Vijayabahu III (1220- 1224 AC), Magha lost the control of south to Vanni forest. Parakramabahu II extended power to Vanni. With the strong repulse, Polonnaruwa, the capital of Rajarata was again selected as administrative center. But endless Tamil invasions from South India lead to move the Sinhala kingdom towards South East. In 1323 Sinhalese kingdoms started to dominate Island after Pandyan defeated by Delhi Sultane. In 1450 Jaffna was annexed by the Kingdom of Kotte . Death of king Parâkramabâhu VI lead to divide the Sinhala kingdom into three parts. Kotte, Sitawaka, Kandy. Sinhala power was weaken in the Island. This made a series of internal wars among 3 Sinhala kingdoms. Also Portuguese came to Sri Lanka in 1505. Since the beginning, Kandy rulers made strong links with Jaffna kingdom and aided military support against Portuguese. But Kandy fell to Sitawaka ( See the The growth picture of the kingdom of Sitawaka, in Kingdom of Sitawaka). Sitawaka dominated other kingdoms and annexed most part of them by the powerful king Rajasinghe I. Between 1591 and 1594 Vimaladharmasuriya I established a kingdom in Kandy after the death of Rajasinha I of Sitawaka. Kandy dominated as most powerful kingdom in Sri Lanka after falling of Sitawaka. In 1628 king Senerat of Kandy invaded Jaffna to terminate Portuguese administration in Jaffna. Time to Time kingdom of Kandy annexed Jaffna kingdom.

Jaffna Kingdom

Jaffna Kingdom was established in 1323 when it was freed from Pandyan empire. Sinhalese were expelled from the Kingdom of Rajarata which ruled the North part of Sri Lanka and Tamil expanded colonies to the boundaries of Malaya rata. It was restricted to Jaffna peninsula after Tamils were withdrawn from Vanni in 1323 . In 1450, king Parâkramabâhu VI's adopted son annexed Jaffna to Sinhala kingdom of Kotte . That was the last battle between Sinhala and Tamil kingdoms. After the death of king Parâkramabâhu, Jaffna kingdom was reestablished. Also Portuguese came to the Island in 1505. They tried to take the control of coastline areas in the Island. With less help from South India, Jaffna kings tried to cooperate with Kandy rulers against Portuguese. Kandy rulers provide aids for battles in 1560. Ports under Tamil power were provided to Kandyan rulers with out a restrictions. No more fight erupted between Sinhalese and Tamils and it was apparent that they had common alliance against power of Portuguese. But Kandy was fell to the Sitawaka in 1582. In 1591, André Furtado de Mendonça invaded isolate Jaffna, killed king Puvirasa Pandaram and installed his son Ethirimanna Cinkam as client king. Vimaladharmasuriya I established a kingdom in Kandy in 1594. Yet again Jaffna started to cooperate with kingdom of Kandy and Portuguese influence in Jaffna was neutralized. Marriages between two royal families started to occur. Princesses of Jaffna had been married to Senarat's stepsons, Kumarasingha and Vijayapala. In 1619 Portuguese defeated the last rulers of Jaffna kingdom, Cankili II with a help from Portuguese Indian unit in Goa. Later in 1628 King Senerath invaded Jaffna with his two step sons Vijayapala and Kumarasingha. In 1658 Dutch invaded the Jaffna which was belonged to king Wimaladharmasuria I of Senkadagala. However when the Kandyan convention was signed with British, Jaffna was a part of a Kandyan kingdom.

Under and after British

British administration in later stages

Most of the administration positions in the government were filled by the Tamils since Most of the Sinhalese people didn't like to serve under British rule. But British tried to bring Sinhalese to the administration since at that time Sinhalese was the majority of the country with more than 75% of the total population of Sri Lanka. The reformed legislative council, introduced in 1921 by the British to was based on principles of communal representation. Tamils rejected the proposal and demand 50% for Tamils proposing Soulbury Commission .Political tension between Sinhalese and Tamils were increased due to determining constitution of the future parliament. This inter ethnic and political stress led to the first Sinhala-Tamil riot in 1939. Some words exchanged between Mr Solomon Bandaranaike and Mr G. G. Ponnambalam. British started Colonies in dry zones. Before 1900 Tamils were restricted to Jaffna Peninsula and area under Kingdom of Kandy in 1815. In 1936 British started Tamil colonies south to Paranthan.

Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism

Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact , Dudey-Chelvanayakam pact was proposed to reduce tension between Sinhalese and Tamils but it was rejected by Sinhalese saying Tamils trying to divide the country. During this era there was a strong Tamil nationalism in India and Sri Lanka. There was a plan to divide Tamil Nadu and North East of Sri Lanka from two countries to create a Pure Tamil country which consist of Tamil territories in both India and Sri Lanka.

Existence of armed groups

With the idea of creating a Pure Tamil country in divided India and Sri Lanka , it saw emergence of more than 30 Tamil militant groups in Sri Lanka in 1970s. Later Tamil Militant groups tried to take control of Northern province. Time to Time they attacked army solders. In 1983, 15 Sri Lankan army solders were severely killed by these groups.

Pure Tamilism in North and East

All the nations except Tamil Hindus were ordered to leave from North within 24 hours. Muslims, Tamil speaking non Hindus who stayed in North and East were massacred by LTTE.

Sri Lankan Civil War

Sri Lanka Civil war was came to exist in major scale since 1983. It was happened mainly between Sri Lankan Armies and LTTE. Indian Peace Keeping Force (1987–90) also fight against LTTE. Civil war was ended on 17 May 2009 when LTTE was defeated by Sri Lankan forces.

Assassinations

Political figures were assassinated

Position/Status	Number
President of Sri Lanka	1
Prime Minister of India	1
Presidential candidate	1
Leaders of political parties	10
Cabinet Ministers	7
Members of Parliament	37
Members of Provincial Councils	6
Members of Pradeshiya Sabha	22
Political Party Organisers	17
Mayors	4