British Ceylon: Map & History
British Ceylon refers to the imperial possessions of the United Kingdom in the island of Ceylon, present-day Sri Lanka, between 1796 and 4 February 1948.
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British Ceylon refers to the imperial possessions of the United Kingdom in the island of Ceylon, present-day Sri Lanka, between 1796 and 4 February 1948. Initially, the area it covered did not include the Kingdom of Kandy, which was a protectorate, but from 1817 to 1948 the British possessions included the whole island. The British Ceylon period is the history of Sri Lanka between 1815 and 1948. It follows the fall of the Kandyan Kingdom into the hands of the British Empire, ending over 2300 years of Sinhalese monarchy. The British rule on the island lasted until 1948 when the country regained independence following the Sri Lankan independence movement.
Modern Countries Once Part of British Ceylon
At its mapped extent, British Ceylon covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside British Ceylon's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
British Ceylon in Depth
History
The first Europeans to visit Ceylon in modern times were the Portuguese: Lourenço de Almeida arrived in 1505, finding the island divided into seven warring kingdoms and unable to fend off intruders. The Portuguese founded a fort at the port city of Colombo in 1517 and gradually extended their control over the coastal areas. In 1592 the Sinhalese moved their capital to the inland city of Kandy, a location more secure against attack from invaders. Intermittent warfare continued through the 16th century. Many Lowland Ceylonese were forced to convert to Christianity while the coastal Moors were religiously persecuted and forced to retreat to the Central highlands while some of them desired to leave the country.
Government and military
Between 1796 and 1948, Ceylon was a British Crown colony. Although the British monarch was the head of state, in practice his or her functions were exercised in the colony by the colonial Governor, who acted on instructions from the British government in London.
On the approach to self-government and independence, the Donoughmore Commission recommended the Donoughmore Constitution of 1931–1947, one of a series of attempts to create a workable solution that would allow for inter-communal differences. This was replaced by the Soulbury Commission proposals that led to the Dominion of Ceylon of 1948–1972, after which the Free, Sovereign and the Independent Republic of Sri Lanka was established.
The Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was the military of British Ceylon.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: British Ceylon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
British Ceylon: Key Facts
| Capital | Colombo |
|---|---|
| Founded | 10 March 1815 |
| Dissolved | 4 February 1948 |
Preceded by
- Kingdom of Kandy
Succeeded by
- Dominion of Ceylon
Facts from Wikidata Q918153 (CC0).
British Ceylon Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which British Ceylon appears, with the other states of the time.
British Ceylon: Frequently Asked Questions
When did British Ceylon exist?
British Ceylon is dated to 1796 CE – 1814 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of British Ceylon?
The capital of British Ceylon was Colombo.
How large was British Ceylon at its peak?
At its peak in 1814 British Ceylon covered about 28,908 km².
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