Colonial Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has been the center of islands in the Indian Ocean for travelers passing by even before thousands of years hence they became a part of our history from ancient days. Firstly, Portuguese arrived in Ceylon 1505, and founded a fort at the port city of Colombo in 1517 and progressively extended control over the coastal areas. 

Secondly the Dutch attacked the island in 1669 but ended with an agreement but not until 1656 that Colombo fell. By 1660 the Dutch controlled the whole island except the kingdom of Kandy. The Dutch (who were Protestants) persecuted the Catholics (the left-over Portuguese settlers).

Between 1796 and 1948, Ceylon was a British Crown colony. Although the British monarch was the head of state, in practice his or her functions were exercised in the colony by the colonial Governor, who acted on instructions from the British government in London.

The Colonial ruling granted many resources to Sri Lanka, Architectural growth was vast as they built many forts in all main seaports of the island which was later expanded by the Dutch. The Galle fort, Matara Fort, Trincomalee and Batticaloa Forts in the East Coast and the forts in Jaffna and Kalpitiya are remarkable. English took over the forts and further transferred during the Napoleonic War to trademark their presence.

The evolution of tea in Ceylon is an extraordinary story. While tea is the obvious focus in this tale, it is in fact the culminating result; the icing on the cake if you will; of what was a remarkable plantation enterprise that commenced under British colonial rule post-1796.

During this tour you will be visiting most remarkable places in Sri Lanka which is connected to colonial lifestyle in Old Ceylon.