The History of Sri Lanka

by Patrick Peebles, Frank W. Thackeray, John E. Findling

Overview

Sri Lanka—an island nation located in the Indian Ocean— has a population of approximately 19 million. Despite its diminuative size, however, Sri Lanka has a long and complex history. The diversity of its people has led to ethnic, religious, and political conflicts that continue to exist. Peebles describes the experiences of the country, from its earliest settlers, to civil war, to its current state, allowing readers to better understand this often misunderstood country.

With an emphasis on the 20th century, chapters discuss the economy, religion, culture, and government of Sri Lanka. A timeline outlines key events in Sri Lankan history, as well as biographies of notable people, and a bibliographic essay.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313332050
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/30/2006
Series:	The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Patrick Peebles is Professor of History at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Table of Contents

Maps Series Foreword Frank W. Thackeray and John E. Findling Preface Acronyms Timeline of Historical Events 1 The Settings 2 Ancient Civilization to 1200 3 Abandonment of the Dry Zone and the Kandyan Kingdom 4 Portuguese, Dutch, and British Colonialism 5 A Colonial Society 6 A Plantation Economy 7 Sinhalese and Tamil Nationalism 8 The Coming of Independence 9 Triumph of Sinhalese Nationalism 10 Authoritarianism and Ethnic Conflict 11 Economic Liberalization and the Quality of Life 12 Civil War 13 Searching for Peace Notable People in the History of Sri Lanka Appendix: Sri Lankan Sovereigns, Dutch and British Governors, Prime Ministers, and Presidents Glossary Bibliographic Essay Index MapsPhysical Map of Sri Lanka Ancient Sri Lanka Colonial Sri Lanka Provinces and Districts Modern Sri Lanka

Editorial Reviews

Peebles presents the history of Sri Lanka in this volume that is part of a series aimed at students and general readers. Along the way, he integrates geography, economics, culture, colonialism, and Sinhalese and Tamil nationalism into the discussion, and describes the country's independence from Britain, ethnic conflicts, quality of life, the recent civil war and quest for peace, and the 2004 tsunami. Brief biographies of key figures are appended.” —Reference & Research Book News

“[D]esigned for students in middle school through college and public libraries, will give the reader a better understanding of the world….[o]ffers a well-organized format and clear, concise writing.” —Multicultural Review

From the Publisher