The Sri Lanka Reader

The Sri Lanka Reader is unprecedented. Never before has there been a book so synoptic in its treatment of Sri Lankan history, politics, and culture. The overall organization, the selections chosen for inclusion, and the introductions to the individual pieces are all of the highest order. This book will be welcomed by specialists in Sri Lankan studies, as well as the more general, educated reader.Roger R. Jackson, John W. Nason Professor of Asian Studies and Religion, Carleton College John Holts The Sri Lanka Reader gives many insights into contemporary Sri Lanka while providing an in-depth picture of its rich history. Holt effectively weaves together documents, analytical accounts, photographs, and poetic works to produce a balanced work that is consistent in quality and readability despite accommodating many viewpoints. It is a book that you will return to time and again. It will undoubtedly become the standard collection of documents on Sri Lanka and its history.Chandra R. de Silva, author of Sri Lanka: A History [A] superb anthology edited by that most perceptive and shrewd observer of Sri Lanka and its complex social, economic and political history, John Clifford Holt. . . . John Holts Reader is a stellar collection of wide-ranging essays both scholarly and popular, folklore, poetry and reportage that run into a mammoth 700 plus pages. Nor is this all. The Reader contains 54 images of paintings, sculptures and architecture together with its editors suggestions for further reading and, a comprehensive index. -- Tissa Jayatilaka * Sunday Times (Colombo) * . . . the ideal source book for analytical study of Sri Lankas history enlightening the reader as to what caused the present ills. -- Rajitha Weerakoon * Sunday Times (Colombo) * The Sri Lanka Reader is an ambitious volume compiled with dexterity. Holt communicates with captivating force the islands geopolitical, strategic and historical significance, offering the reader a nuanced introduction to the intrigue and diverse scholarship of this tiny island. -- Nayana Bibile * Asian Studies Review * The Sri Lanka Reader will make a valued gift to those Sri Lankans and others whose interest in the Island is intelligent and thoughtful; going deeper than beautiful tropical pictures (see the books cover); description of delicious dishes, and friendly inhabitants. It will be the standard Reader on Sri Lanka for many years to come; a work not to be read once and put aside but to be kept, referred to, reflected upon, and used as a starting point for further reading according to ones (different) interest. -- Charles Ponnuthurai Sarvan * Sunday Leader (Columbo) * [This is a must-have book for all Sri Lankan scholars. -- Victor C. De Munck * Journal of World History * The Sri Lanka Reader helps one in coming to terms with the countrys present, given that its past has, in a very large way, continually cast a shadow on the social and political trails it has followed. Reading the work makes for a clearer comprehension of Sri Lanka, warts and all. -- Syed Badrul Ahsan * Asian Affairs *

John Clifford Holt is William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of the Humanities in Religion and Asian Studies at Bowdoin College. He has written many books, including Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture, The Buddhist Visnu: Religious Transformation, Politics and Culture, and The Religious World of Kirti Sri: Buddhism, Art and Politics in Late Medieval Sri Lanka. He has also been awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka.

List of Illustrations xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction 1 I. From Ancient to Early Modern 9 II. The Colonial Encounter 133 Sri Lanka: National Identity and the Impact of Colonialism / K. M. da Silva 135 The Portuguese: An Introduction / Jorge Flores 152 The Dutch: An Introduction 189 The British: An Introduction 230 Kandyan Culture in the Colonial Era: An Introduction 295 Colonial Postscript: The Other Eden / Richard de Zoysa 328 III. Emerging Identities 331 Buddhist Identities: An Introduction 334 Muslim Identities: An Introduction 409 Tamil Identities: An Introduction 458 Christians and Burghers: An Introduction 559 Emergent Perspectives in Modern Art: the '43 GroupFormation of a Sri Lankan Avant-Garde / Larry D. Lutchmansingh 574 IV. Independence, Insurrections, and Social Change 589 V. Political Epilogue 713 Acknowledgment of Copyrights and Sources 735 Suggestions for Further Reading 745 Index 753