The Abolition of Colonial and Pre-Colonial 'Slavery' From Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Slavery existed in Sri Lanka from ancient times down to the modern period, roughly from the second century and until the mid-nineteenth century. But the institution of slavery showed wide variation in the conditions of individuals and modes of enslavement and also in ownership over the centuries. A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cultural and social history 2010-09, Vol.7 (3), p.315-335
Main Author: Wickramasinghe, Chandima S.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
16th century
19th century
2nd century
abolition
Abolition of slavery
Colonialism
Emancipation
Kandyan kingdom
Ownership
Peonage
pre-Colonial Period
rājākariya
Sinhalese
Slavery
Social aspects
Sri Lanka
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Summary:Slavery existed in Sri Lanka from ancient times down to the modern period, roughly from the second century and until the mid-nineteenth century. But the institution of slavery showed wide variation in the conditions of individuals and modes of enslavement and also in ownership over the centuries. A clear change could be perceived in the type of servitude among the Sinhalese, especially during the pre-colonial period and in the mode of servitude introduced and practised by the colonialists from the sixteenth century onwards. The article examines these differences in order to understand why and how this system of servitude, which was present from ancient times, came to an end during the colonial period of British supremacy in Ceylon.
ISSN:1478-0038
1478-0046
DOI:10.2752/147800410X12714191853265