Sri Lanka celebrates 58 years as a free nation today. The island gained independence on Feb. 4, 1948 after being under foreign rule for about 450 years. The wealth of our country attracted the colonial powers of Europe; colonial rule started in Ceylon with the arrival of the first Portuguese fleet headed by Lorenco d’Almeida in 1505.

The Dutch outsmarted the Portuguese in 1656, when they captured Colombo after a six-month siege. The kingdom in Kandy continued to be independent. Although both colonial powers tried on many occasions to capture the city, it continued to evade them due to a combination of mountain landscape and tropical climate. Although the Portuguese and the Dutch failed to capture the whole country, the British, who arrived in the country in 1795, succeeded on Feb. 18, 1815, ending 2,357 years of local rule.

In 1818, a unified administration for the island was set up. The first British governor appointed to Ceylon was Frederick North (later Earl of Guildford). He displaced Brig. Gen. Pierre Frederic de Meuron, who was the military governor at the time. The last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Wickrema Rajasingha, was taken prisoner and was deported to Vellore, south India, where he died in 1832. Ceylon continued to be a colony of the British Empire until independence was finally granted on the Wednesday, Feb. 4 in 1948.

Independence however, wasn’t handed to us on a platter. Ceylonese of every race and religion had to fight hard for this freedom. One of the very earliest struggles against the colonial powers was the 1818 Uva-Wellassa rebellion.

This was crushed by the British Gov. Brownrigg, who was afterward recalled to Britain. Keppetipola, Monarawila was beheaded as a result of this rebellion. Another rebellion took place in Kandy in 1848, where its leaders Puran Appu and Gongalegoda Banda were captured and shot.

Some of the more modern leaders in the struggle for independence were, D.S. Senanayake, F.R. Senanayake, D.B. Jayatilleke, Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Ponnambalam Ramanathan, T.B. Jayah, Razik Fareed and D.R. Wijewardene. People such as Anagarika Dharmapala and Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera awakened the locals against colonialism and were supported in their actions by others like Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera.

Events Leading Up to Independence

1931 — Elections held for the State Council, through universal franchise — June 13-20.

1943 — The grant to Ceylon of full responsible government under the crown, in all matters of internal civil administration, is stated in a message from His Majesty’s Government to the Board of Ministers, to be the end to which the post-war re-examination of the reform of Ceylon’s Constitution will be directed. The speaker reads the message to the State Council — May 26.

1944 — Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore, new governor of Ceylon and Lady Monck-Mason Moore arrive — Dec. 4.

Reforms Commissioner Lord Soulbury, chairman and other members arrive in Ceylon — Dec. 22.

1945 — Adm. Sir Geoffrey Layton relinquishes the post of Commander-in-Chief of Ceylon — Jan. 8.

Dominion Status Bill passed in Parliament — March.

1947 — After the Soulbury Commissioners complete their report, Sri Lanka’s Independence Act of 1947 is passed in the House of Commons in England.

The first Parliamentary elections in Ceylon begin on Aug. 15 and end on Sept. 20. D.S. Senanayake is invited to form a Cabinet.

The inaugural meeting of Parliament takes place — Nov. 25.

D.S. Senanayake delivers the convocation address at the University of Ceylon — Oct. 17.

First meeting of the Second Chamber and election of President and Deputy President — Dec. 1.

Independence Motion is passed in the House of Representatives — Dec. 3.

1948 — Formal announcement that Feb. 4 would be “Appointed Day” under the Ceylon Independence Act.

Ceylon’s new Gov. Gen. Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore G.C.M.G. sworn in at Queen’s House, Colombo — Feb. 4.

Pageantry marks the colorful opening of Parliament in the Assembly Hall in Torrington Square — Feb. 10.

Ceremonial hoisting of the Lion Flag over the Paththirippuwa (octagon) of the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy — Feb. 11.

— Courtesy: Ferguson’s Directory