Sri Lanka's history spans over 2,500 years,marked by ancient kingdoms (Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa) known for Buddhist culture and advanced irrigation,followed by South Indian influences and invasions,culminating in unique Sinhalese kingdoms.European colonialism began with the Portuguese (16th C),then Dutch,and finally British rule (1815-1948) ,which unified the island and introduced plantation economies.Independence in 1948 led to a republic,but ethic tensions flared into a devastating civil war (1983-2009),shaping modern Sri Lanka's identity as a diverse nation with deep cultural roots in Indian subcontinent traditions.

                                                                                                        ( Thehansa Vidushini )

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The arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and the beginning of the historical period

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History of Sri Lanka

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