Religions
Buddhism
Buddha
It is the most wide spread religion of the majority Sinhalese community. The origin of Sri Lankan Buddhism is explained in historical books and chronicles in which tells how King Devanampiyatissa (207 BC) was converted by Mahinda Thero; The son of King Asoka of India who was sent to Sri lanka to introduce the Buddhism. The Sinhalese see themselves as guardians of the original Buddhist faith and follow the Theravada or Hinayana tradition of Buddhism.
Sri Lankan Buddhist place particular emphasis on the sanctity of the relics of the Buddha, which are believed to have been brought to the island from India. The two most important are the “Bo tree” and the “tooth relic of the Buddha”. Buddhist believes worshiping Buddha’s relics or the things Buddha associated is like worshipping Buddha himself alive.
Monks
The Sri Maha bodhi tree at Anuradhapura is believed to be a sapling from the Bo tree under which the Buddha himself attained enlightenment at Buddha Gaya in India. The tooth of the Buddha now enshrined at the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy is the most honored relic of Buddha venerated by Buddhists in Sri Lanka. In ordinary daily life many Buddhist visit temples at least once a week and on poya days (full moon poya day of the month) gather in temples for special offerings.
Buddhism in Sri Lanka is primarily of the Theravada school, and constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the population. According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles (such as the Dipavamsa), Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in the 2nd century BC by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the Emperor Ashoka, during the reign of Sri Lanka’s King Devanampiyatissa. During this time, a sapling of the Bodhi Tree was brought to Sri Lanka and the first monasteries were established under the sponsorship of the Sri Lankan king. The Pali Canon, having previously been preserved as an oral tradition, was first committed to writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BC.
Thuparamaya
Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation, with the Sangha having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 2nd century. During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact with Myanmar and Thailand. Periods of Mahayana influence, as well as official neglect under colonial rule, created great challenges for Theravada Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka, but repeated revivals and resurgences- most recently in the 19th century have kept the Theravada tradition alive for over 2000 years.
From the 16th century onward, Christian missionaries and Portuguese, Dutch and British colonizers of Sri Lanka have attempted to convert the local population to Christianity. In the late 19th century, a national Buddhist movement started, inspired by the American Buddhist Henry Steel Olcott, and empowered by the results of the Panadura debate between a Christian priest and the Buddhist monk Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera.
Hinduism
It was brought to Sri Lanka a by successive Tamil kings and their followers during the later part of Anuradhapura period and early part of Polonnaruwa period. Also Sinhala kings like Vijayabahu the 1st and Parakramabahu the 1st too have brought Indian soldiers for wars and provided facilities for them to continue their faith in religion and built even Shiva Devalas (Shrines) for them. Shiva devala 1 & 2 of Polonnaruwa built in 11th Century AD are some of the examples can be seen in ruin today.
Hindu Kovil
Hindus currently make up more than 15% of the Sri Lankan population, and are almost exclusively Tamils apart from small immigrant communities from India and Pakistan. In the 1915 census they made up almost 25% of the population, which included the indentured labourers the British had brought. Due to assimilation, emigration (over 1 million Sri Lankan tamils have left the country since independence) and conversion to various sects of Christianity and Buddhism, today they are a smaller and still dwindling minority. Hinduism is dominant in the Northeastern province, where there is a significant number of Tamil people. Hinduism is also practiced in the central regions (where there are significant numbers of people of Indian Tamil descent) as well as in the capital, Colombo.
The first major Hindu reference to Sri Lanka is found in the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana (The life of Rama), The Ramayana tells of the conquest of Lanka by Rama, an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu. The Ramayana also mentions about a bridge between India and Sri Lanka, known as Rama’s Bridge, constructed with rocks by Rama with the help of Hanuman and other vanars. Many believers view the sand bar islands connecting Sri Lanka to India as the remains of the bridge as seen in satellite images. Archeological evidence is also found to support worship of Lord Siva in parts of Sri Lanka, from pre-historic times, prior to the arrival of Prince Vijaya.
From 400 AD onwards, military campaigns in the form of invasions, by rulers from South India and Orissa (then known as Kalinga Desa) and counter-attacks by the Singhalese Buddhists rulers in Sri Lanka, heralded a period of great turmoil wherein the Hindu Tamils from the afire mentioned areas in India and the Buddhist Singhalese would struggle for territorial control. In 1017, Rajaraja Chola annexes a large part of Lanka to Tamilakam but later the Sinhala dynasty was able to oust the Cholas in the year 1070. In 1215 A.D Cholas again briefly ruled Sri Lanka, for a period of well over 16 years and made to retreat into the Northern area of Jaffna Peninsula.
In time, after the mentioned invasion in 1215 A.D and the retreat, a form of bloody stalemate was reached wherein Tamils from South India began to get firmly established in the Northern and Eastern areas, with the Singhalese inhabiting the South and Central regions. This period also saw the establishment of and Tamil kingdom centered in Jaffna.
There is also evidence, throughout history of Tamil kings from South India and Kalinga Hindus becoming Buddhists and ruling over both Hindus and Buddhists. Some such as Chola King Ellalan or Elara reigned as a Tamil but in a manner acceptable to the Buddhist. Great Sinhala Buddhist kings such as Nissanka Malla had Tamil ancestry and were born Hindus. This practice continued till the elapse of the Kandyan kingdom in 1815. Also Buddhist kings were also known donate resources towards the upkeep of great Hindu temples.
Shiva
Along with other traditional gods within the Hindu pantheon such as Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. It is norm for Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka to have shrines to Gods such as Skanda, Vishnu and Ganesha, who have now become part of the Sinhala Buddhist pantheon. Thus, Hinduism although not the dominant religion of the majority has had a central place in Sri Lanka, throughout history, showing the historical connections between the Sinhalese and the Tamils.
Today three Gods are widely seen as all powerful: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma is regarded as the ultimate source of creation; Shiva also has a creative role alongside his function as destroyer. Vishnu is seen as the preserver or protector of the universe. Out of these three deities Vishnu and Shiva are far more widely represented and have come to be seen as the most powerful and important in the belief of Sri Lankan followers.
Christianity
Its was introduced to Sri Lanka by Portuguese after their invasion in 1505 and later Dutch introduced Catholicism during their period of rule after Portuguese. Most Christian congregation in Sri Lanka meet for worship on Sundays, and services are held in Sinhala, Tamil as well as in English. They are open to all.
Madhu Church
According to Christian traditions, the Apostle Thomas was active in Sri Lanka as well as southern India during the first century A.D. Small Christian communities existed on the coasts of Sri Lanka during the succeeding centuries, flourishing on the edges of the Indian Ocean trade routes as Islam did in later times. Christianity made significant inroads only after the fifteenth century, as aggressive Portuguese missionary efforts led to many conversions, especially among the Karava and other low-country castes. When the Dutch took control of Sri Lanka, they encouraged their own missionaries of the Dutch Reformed Church. Under their patronage, 21 percent of the population in the low country was officially Christian by 1722. The British, in turn, allowed Anglican and other Protestant missionaries to proselytize.
The relative number of Christians in Sri Lanka has declined steadily since the end of colonial rule. In 1900 a reported 378,859 people, or 10.6 percent of the population, were officially Christians. Although in 1980, the number of Christians had increased to 1,283,600, the percentage of Christians in the total population had declined to approximately 8 percent. This decline occurred primarily because the non-Christian population expanded at a faster rate. Emigration abroad, conversions of some Christians to Buddhism and fewer conversions to Christianity among Buddhists, Hindus, or Muslims also were reasons for the decline. In the 1980s, Christians still were concentrated heavily in the low country in the southwest. They comprised 30 percent of the population in Colombo.
Some 88 percent of the Christians were Roman Catholics who traced their religious heritage directly to the Portuguese. The Roman Catholic Church has a well-established organization that encompasses the entire island. In 1985 there were 9 dioceses comprising 313 parishes, 682 priests, and 15 bishops (including two archbishops and a cardinal). The remainder of Christians was almost evenly split between the Anglican Church of Ceylon (with two dioceses) and other Protestant faiths. The Dutch Reformed Church, now the Presbytery of Ceylon, consisted mostly of Burghers, and its numbers were shrinking because of emigration. Other Christian communities–Congregationalists, Methodists, and Baptists–were small in number. Since the 1970s, there has been a movement of all Protestant Churches to join together in a united Church of Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese community, however, has strenuously opposed this movement.
Muslims of Sri Lanka
Jami Ul Alfar in Colombo
Sri Lanka, known to the ancients as Ceylon, has been recorded in history books as a country that has had many visitations from foreign travelers throughout the ages. The people are mainly Buddhist, with a complex mixture of Hindus, Muslims, Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations. The main race is the Sinhalese while the Tamils, Muslims and Burghers (Anglo-Sri Lankans) form the remaining. The Muslims of Sri Lanka are a very small minority amounting to approximately 10% of a total population of 16 Million people. They claim independency from the Arab traders, who made Sri Lanka their home even before the advent of Islam. The Tamils comprise around 25% of the population.
With the decline of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century A.D., Roman trade also died out and the Arabs and Persians filled up the vacuum; engaging in a rapidly growing inter-coastal trade. After the conquest of Persia (Iran), Syria and Egypt, the Arabs controlled all the important ports and trading stations between east and west. It is estimated that the Arabs had settled in Sri Lanka and Sumatra by the 1st century A.D. The presence of the Arabs at the ports of Ceylon is attested to by at least three inscriptions discovered at Colombo, Trincomalee and the island of Puliantivu.
The manner in which Islam developed in Sri Lanka is very closely similar to that on the Malabar Coast of India. Tradition has recorded that Arabs who had settled down on the Malabar Coast used to travel from the port of Cranganore to Sri Lanka on pilgrimage to pay homage to what they believed to be the foot-print of Adam on the top of a mountain, which, until today, is called Adams Peak.
Before the end of the 7th century, a colony of Muslim merchants had established themselves in Ceylon. Fascinated by the scenic splendor and captivated by the traditions associated with Adams Peak, Muslim merchants arrived in large numbers and some of them decided to settle in the island encouraged by the cordial treatment they received by the local rulers. Most of them lived along the coastal areas in peace and prosperity, maintaining contacts, both cultural and commercial, with Baghdad and other Islamic cities.
The early Muslim settlements were set up, mainly, around ports on account of the nature of their trade. It is also assumed that many of the Arab traders may not have brought their womenfolk along with them when they settled in Ceylon. Hence they would have been compelled to marry the Sinhalese and Tamil women of the island after converting them to Islam. The fact that a large number of Muslims in Sri Lanka speak the Tamil language can be attributed to the possibility that they were trading partners with the Tamils of South India and had to teach Tamil to successfully transact their business. The Muslims were very skilful traders who gradually build up a very lucrative trading post in Ceylon. A whole colony of Muslims is said to have landed at Beruwela (South Western coast) in the Kalutara District in 1024 A.D.
The Muslims did not indulge in propagating Islam amongst the natives of Ceylon even though many of the women they married did convert. Islam did attract the less privileged low caste members of the Tamil community who found the factor of equality a blessing for their status and well-being.
In spite of this the Muslims have always been maintaining very cordial relationships with the Sinhalese Royalty and the local population. There is evidence that they were closer to the Sinhalese than they were to the Tamils. The Muslims relationship with the Sinhalese kings grew stronger and in the 14th century they even fought with them against the expanding Tamil kingdom and its maritime influence.
By the beginning of the 16th century, the Muslims of Sri Lanka, the descendants of the original Arab traders, had settled down comfortably in the island. They were very successful in trade and commerce and integrated socially with the customs of the local people. They had become an inseparable, and even more, an indispensable part of the society. This period was one of ascendancy in peace and prosperity for the Sri Lankan Muslims.
Sri Lankan Muslims can be categorized into two distinct sub groups, the Moors and the Malays. The former is the name given to them by the Portuguese colonial rulers who used the word Moros to identify Arabs in general. The Malays are a group of Muslims who originated from Java and the Malaysian Peninsula. They differed from the Moors, both, in their physical appearance as well as in the language they spoke which was a mixture of Malay and local dialects. Sri Lankan Muslims include the Malays although they form a separate group by themselves. Even the earliest census of Sri Lanka (1881) lists the Muslims as Moors and Malays separately. Malays too, follow the Islamic religion just like the Moors. The real beginning of the Malays in Sri Lanka dates back to the 13th century.
The Muslims of Sri Lanka have a colorful history behind them punctuated by a long spell of hardship suffered during the Portuguese and Dutch occupation of the Island. It is much to their credit that they withstood the onslaught of economic constraints, political intrigues and religious persecution to stay behind and survive. Most other peoples may have packed their bags and left for good. They not only saved their religion from the Christian enemies but also rebuilt the economy, slowly and steadily, by the 18th century when the British took over control of the island from the Dutch.
Being geographically isolated from the main centers of Islamic culture and civilization the Muslims of Sri Lanka were forced to interact closely with their neighbors, the Muslims of South India, in order to preserve their identity. Had they been denied this slender link, it is possible that, they may have lost their distinct Islamic character completely. However, it must be observed that this link has also caused many Indian (Hindu) traditions and rituals to creep into their culture and life style, some of which, even though vehemently anti-Islamic, are still practiced to date. Lack of a correct understanding of the teachings of Islam has been the main cause of this sad situation.
Having adapted to the local conditions in various ways and also contributing largely to the Islands economic prosperity, the Muslim community of Sri Lanka, unlike the Hindu Tamils of the Northern Province, has saved itself from any major clash with the indigenous Sinhalese population. They have also been able to receive a fair share in the counters Politics and Administration by virtue of their hard work and also of being an important minority whose support has been vital to all the political groups in the country. Although it may be said that the Muslim community was not politically dominant at any stage, yet, it is certainly true that they maneuvered their political activity without much noise, unlike the Tamils.
This work attempts to present a brief history of the Muslims of Sri Lanka from their early Arab trader beginnings to the present day minority community that is fully integrated into the Sri Lankan society.
