Sri Lanka not a Sinhala country’ —a reply by Ven.Dr,Medagama Dhammananda Thero

Apropos the article, ” Sri Lanka not a Sinhala country ” The Island of Oct. 13, let me say, that Ven. Ellawala Thero and General Fonseka are not the first persons to declare that Sri Lanka is a Sinhalese country. Of course, now it is necessary to inform the likes of Mr. Ranetunga to read, “An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon, in the East Indian” (Published in 1681) by Robert Knox, almost 327 years ago, which declared then that the language, people, customs, tradition and everything else were Sinhalese.

There are other books written and published in the early years of British rule that declare Ceylon a Sinhalese country. One such book is “An Account of the Island of Ceylon” (1803 London). Then there is a book “History of Ceylon from the Earliest Period to 1815″ by Philathes (1815, London). I like to quote the following paragraph from the “Recollection of Ceylon” by Rev. James Selkirk (1844, Re-published in 1993).

” It is called Lanka or Lanka Dwipa (the island of Lanka) by the Singhalese, who are the inhabitants of the interior and of the southern parts of the island and “lLangei ” by the Tamulians who are the inhabitants of the north. In the native histories, it is called Sinhala Dwipa. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans under the name of Taprobane.” (Page.1)

Also read the following paragraph from “Ancient Ceylon” by H. Parker – page 29.

” The tradition of the origin of the name is given as follows in the Mahawansa 1 pp.33, 34. “By reason of the king Sinhabahu (the father of Wijaya) having slain the lion (Siha), his sons and descendants been conquered by a ‘Sihala’, from the circumstance of its having been colonized by a Sinhala, it obtained the name of Sinhala. At a much later date it became the fashion to adopt Sanskrit forms of words in writing, and instead of the Pali word ‘Siha’ the Sanskrit expression ‘Sinha’ was used. The word meaning the country and people thus became ‘Sinhala’ (pronounced with a nasal n, but no g sound). The Vaeddas have retained the old name of the country.”

Then also read the page 242. The Vaeddas still use this expression to designate the districts occupied by Sinhalese. The Sinhalese expression for the island is Lanka or Lankawa. Please note Rev. Selkirk’s book was written 164 yers ago and the book by H. Parker written 99 years ago. In Codrington’s ‘A Short History of Ceylon’, the island was called Sinhaladveepa –( isxy,oajSm ) in Sanskrit and Sinhaladeepa (isxy,oSm ) in Pali.

Chinese in the pre-Christian era name this island as Sen tia Lu ( fix;shd – ,q ) meaning ‘ Lion Country or the ‘Kingdom of Sinhala’. They have used the name ‘Seih-lan’ also. In the Allahabad inscription (4 B.C) the name Sainhalika (ffYxy,sl) is found. In classical Sanskrit literature, present Sri Lanka was named as Sinhaladveepa – isxy,oSm and in the ancient Sinhala language, ‘Elu’ the name Heladiva is present.

Marco Polo (1293 A.D) has used the name Zeilan. And in 1330 AD, an Italian Franciscan friar, Beatus Odorius, has also used the name ‘Seilan’. In the following south Indian writings the name ‘Sinhala’ is to be found 1. Ariyur wrshQ¾ copper plate (1390 A.D) 2. Narayana Vilasam (14 A.D) 3. Seehaladeepa Katha – isxy, oSm l;d (16 AD) in Telegu. The above evidence amply demonstrates that ‘Ceylon’, coined by the Dutch, was a derivation from the word “Zeilan, Ceilao, Sylan”

Let me say something about the word ‘Eelam’ too. The ‘Tamil lexicon’ published by the Madras University (page 382), the following derivation is given ILam n, <Sinhala<Simhalai<Ceylon. This clearly shows that the word given is derived from Pali and Sinhala. Nobody denies that Sri Lanka now since 1972 in the same way. Sri Lanka was Ceylon during the days of Robert Knox. Before that, for centuries our country was Sinhala and Sinhaladwipa.

Now let me say something about the presence of Tamil and Tamil language in Sri Lanka. Even Indian historians accept the truthfulness of the episode relating to the King Gajaba. He ruled the whole island for 22 years (114-136 A.D). South Indians brought by him was settled down in all parts of the country. Then in 1215 A.D Kalinga Maga brought an army of 24,000. Though he was not a Tamil, his army consisted of south Indians.

There is ample archaeological and other evidence to show that the Sinhalese lived in the North and East. Thousands of archaeological sites, place names, social evidence such as names, customs and language are proof of the presence of Sinhalese in whole of the north and east. It was the Dutch who brought thousands of South Indians for tobacco cultivation to Sri Lanka. That was in 1700 AD. Later south Indians were brought for tea and rubber cultivation by the British, not because the Sinhalese were lazy, but because south Indian labour was cheap and, more importantly, for their imperial expansionist policy of ‘divide and rule’.

When the British set up provincial administrations in 1833, Anuradhapura was included in the Northern Province. After the 1848 rebellion, the policy of the British was amply demonstrated in the sessional paper of Count Torrington. The relevant paragraph is a follows:

“…The expediency on political grounds of separating the old Kandyan provinces from one another and breaking up their political unity.” (Page 568, 27)

There is no dispute regarding the equality of all citizens in today’s Sri Lanka, but history should not be set aside, ignored or misinterpreted. The present day name of the country is a different matter.

However, it should be accepted that Sri Lanka, by and large, was peopled mainly by inhabitants speaking a language called Sinhala with its connected cultural baggage for nearly 2,500 years or more.

Courtesy: The Island