More than 2,000 years of continuous human habitation can be found in Sri Lanka, and the Indian subcontinent’s civilisation has had a significant influence on Sri Lankan culture. The two main ethnic groups on the island, the Sinhalese and the Tamils, as well as its two main religions, Buddhism and Hinduism, all immigrated to the island from India. Indian culture is also strongly present in a variety of fields, including astronomy, art, architecture, literature, and music.
When a group known as the Sinhalese came there from India in 500 BC. The original settlers were allegedly led by a guy by the name of Vijaya. According to legend, a man by the name of Mahinda brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka in 260 BC. It quickly assimilated into Sinhalese culture. However, Sri Lanka was initially split up into various states. Dutthagamani (161–137 BC) brought them all together into a single kingdom. In addition to being a strong leader, Dutthagamani was an excellent builder who built temples and palaces. Anuradhapura served as the site of the first Sri Lankan kingdom’s capital.
Sri Lanka developed into a prosperous kingdom throughout the second, third, and fourth century AD. She conducted business with Ethiopia, Persia, China, and India. But beginning in the fifth century, Indian invasions caused problems for Sri Lanka. The Chola monarchy rose to power in southern India in the tenth century. The Cholas took control of northern Sri Lanka in 993 and established Polonnaruwa as their capital. They took control of the South in 1017. The Cholas withdrew from Rohana in the Southeast in 1030 as a result of the Sinhalese’s persistent resistance. The north was retaken by the Sinhalese king Vijayabahu in 1070.
When the Portuguese landed in Sri Lanka in 1505, a new period in its history began. Portugal looked for cinnamon (a very valuable spice). They launched an expedition to Colombo in 1517 to request authorization to erect a fort. Vijayabahu, the king of Kotte, agreed grudgingly.
But the Portuguese later demanded that the king sell them his cinnamon at a price they had set. The Portuguese employed force when the king objected. The monarch of Kotte was coerced into agreeing to pay the Portuguese an annual tribute of cinnamon in 1518. A battle that the Portuguese won in 1520–1521 was caused by rising Portuguese demands. The king lost the support of his subjects, and his three sons overthrew him.
Between 1638 and 1640, the Dutch took control of a number of ports, but they refused to turn them up to Kandy on the grounds that their expenses had not been covered. The war between the Dutch and Portuguese ended in 1640 but started up again in 1652. The Kandyan kingdom joined forces once more with the Dutch. Colombo was assaulted by the Dutch this time, and they took it in 1656. They would not, however, give it to Kandy. They moved inland instead. They took control of Jaffna in 1658. The Portuguese occupation of Sri Lanka came to an end then.
However, British rule replaced Dutch rule in 1796. In that year, Colombo and Jaffna were annexed by the British, and Dutch sovereignty was abolished. The British wanted to take over Kandy. In 1815, they had their chance. Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe ruled over Kandy (1798–1815). He was a brutal ruler who greatly alienated his subjects. Some of his nobles engaged in a plot with the British to remove him. Little resistance was encountered when the British force invaded Kandy. The king left the country.
