Asoka Bandarage

Colonialism in Sri Lanka Asoka Bandarage

The classic work on the history of British colonialism in Sri Lanka, originally published by Mouton/De Gruyter in 1983, focusing on the impact of the British plantation economy and colonial political authority on the Kandyan Highlands in the 19th century. Unlike most studies of this subject, Dr. Bandarage meticulously documents and examines the broader effects of colonialism on Ceylon and its context in the global political economy. This case study of a key period of British empire-building in Sri Lanka is also used to address the modern debate on development and underdevelopment. This book was written to fill these gaps in the literature of Sri Lankan history and developmental theory and provides a theoretically informed interpretation of the British colonial impact on Kandyan Ceylon during the 19th century. This second expanded edition includes a significant new chapter assessing the beleaguered state of Sri Lankan sovereignty in the midst of 2020, under the powerful forces of U. S., Chinese and Indian expansion in the region. The impacts of 19th century colonialism are still felt today and must be understood to move towards a sovereign, peaceful and unified Sri Lanka.