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History

Early inhabitants

The earliest inhabitants with any living descendants on the island are the Wanniyala-Aetto (more commonly known as Veddahs, although it is a derogatory term). Most Wanniyala-Aetto have lived as villagers for some time. A few tribes have until recently continued to live the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, but although attitudes are in flux, the government has made this increasingly difficult.
Most historians believe that the Sinhalese came to Sri Lanka from northern India, near Bengal, during the 6th century BC (some historians trace the origins back some 25,000 years). Buddhism arrived from the subcontinent 300 years later and spread rapidly. Buddhism and a sophisticated system of irrigation became the pillars of classical Sinhalese civilization (200 BC-1200 AD) that flourished in the north-central part of the island, with capitals at Anuradhapura (from c. 200 BC to c. 1000 AD) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 to 1200).
The origins of Tamil presence on the island are also unclear. Given the island's close proximity to the mainland, it is very likely that people have travelled back and forth throughout human history. The Sinhalese origin story describes their first men taking 100 wives from south India. Tamil and Sinhalese kingdoms fought occasionally, but also had a great deal of peaceful exchange.

Outside influences

The island's location in the middle of the Indian Ocean has made it a popular trading stop through the ages. Roman sailors called the island "Taprobane." Arab traders knew it as "Serendip" (derived from the Sanskrit name Sinhala-dweepa), which became the root of the word "serendipity." It is from this contact that the island's mostly-converted Muslim population comes.
Beginning in 1505, Portuguese traders, in search of cinnamon and other spices, seized the island's coastal areas and introduced Catholicism. The Dutch supplanted the Portuguese in 1658. Although the British ejected the Dutch in 1796, Dutch law remains an important part of Sri Lankan jurisprudence. In 1815, the British defeated the king of Kandy, last of the native rulers, and created the Crown Colony of Ceylon. They established a plantation economy based on tea, rubber, and coconuts. In 1931, the British granted Ceylon limited self-rule and a universal franchise. Ceylon became independent on February 4, 1948 as a Commonwealth realm.

Post-independence

On July 20, 1960 Ceylon elected Sirimavo Bandaranaike Prime Minister which made her the world's first female Prime Minister.
The country changed its name to Sri Lanka (from Ceylon) on May 22, 1972 and a new republican constitution was adopted. The legislative capital was moved from Colombo to Kotte and the flag was changed.
Concerns about minority representation were expressed and given some attention during the independence struggle, but nothing was incorporated into the new governmental structure. Official and unofficial governmental preference for Sinhalese became a sore spot with Tamils as they lost employment and educational opportunities. Tamil support for a federal system grew, and eventually even for a completely independent Tamil Eelam.