The Dominion of Ceylon

The Dominion of Ceylon H. A. J. Hulugalle HE Island of Ceylon, which was century, the Island was in the main gov- T promoted in February, 1948, to full erned by Sinhalese or Tamil kings and ha<l membership of the Commonwealth, is a distinctive culture to which the impres- separated from the mainland of India by sive remains of cities, religious monu- thirty-six miles of sea. This nearness to ments, a highly-developed irrigation syst- the Indian continent leads many people em and self-governing village communities who have not visited the East to the be- bear eloquent testimony. "In hardly any lief that Ceylon is part of India in the part of the continent of India," wrote Dr. same way as Vancouver Island, for ex- William Geigher, the German scholar who ample, is. part of Canada. Colour is lent translated the Pali chronicles, "is there to this erroneous impression by the fact such an uninterr'upted historical tradition that there are some 800,000 Indians in- as in the Island of Ceylon.'' cluded among the Island's population of When the maritime settlements of approximately seven million, the largest Ceylon became part of the British Empire group of Indians outside India itself. in 1796, the vitality of the population had Moreover, the majority of the indigenous been sapped by successive foreign in- population are Indian by origin. But vasions, civil strife and malaria These throughout its recorded history of 22 settlements had been annexed by the centuries Ceylon has had an independent Portuguese in the sixteenth century. The existence politically with a few interrup- large Roman Catholic community and the tions. The Sinhalese, who must have common Sinhalese surnames of "de Sil- come originally from northern India, and va" and "Fernando" bear witness to their who constitute two-thirds of the popula- crusading zeal. The Portuguese were ti'on, have had their own language and driven out by the Dutch who gave the literary tradition during this long period country the Roman-Dutch Law as its of history. Important Tamil and Muslim common law. The overrunning of Hol- minorities are descended from communi- land by the French, with whom Great ties who have lived in the Island almost Britain was at war, during the Revolution, _ as long as the Sinhalese themselves. The led the British to invade Ceylon to deny descendants of the Dutch settlers, known to the French navy the fine natural har- as Burghers and numbering about 30,000, bour of Trincomalee. The last kings of play a significant part in the public and Kandy, who ruled the central parts of the professional life of the country. The Island, which were ceded to the British in Europeans, now mainly interested in com- 1815, were princelings brought to the merce and the plantation industries, are throne from south India by the Kandyan not much more than 5,000 in number. chiefs who preferred an outsider to a rival Until the British penetrated the cen- or the relation of a rival. · tral parts of Ceylon early in the nineteenth Ceylon has enjoyed the status of a DOMINION OF CEYLON 41 Dominion in the Commonwealth for a sent "the educated Ceylonese." In 1924 little more than two years but it had moved there was a majority of unofficial mem- slowly towards such a goal for fifteen de- bers, most of them elected to represent cades. National leaders often chafed at territorial constituencies. But this in- the sluggish progress in the direction of novation did not work, as the Governor democratic self-government and, indeed, still carried the responsibility for the ad- early British rule in Ceylon, as elsewhere, ministration although the legislature could was more concerned with maintaining overrule and obstruct him. law and order for the peaceful exploitation Two Commissions, the first in 1928, of the country's economic resources than presided over by the late Lord Donough- with the introduction of western forms more, and the second in 1944, presided of popular government. But even in the over by Lord Soulbury who is now Gover- first years of British rule, administrators nor-General of Ceylon, brought Ceylon imbued with the liberal traditions of Eng- to her present position as a self-governing· land foresaw a politically autonomous member of the Commonwealth. 'l'he future for Ceylon. Sir Alexander John- Donoughmore Commission introduced stone, one of the earliest Chief Justices of adult franchise, abolished communal re- Ceylon, submitted to His Majesty's Gov- presentation and gave a Constitution ernment in 1809 a Memorandum in the modelled on the London County Council course of which he proposed "a Constitu- with the Chairmen of seven Executive tion of Government similar in principle Committees forming a Board of Ministers. to the British Constitution, but so modi- 'The Soulbury Commission gave to Cer fied as to suit the religious and moral Ion a Constitution conforming to the gen- feelings of the natives, and the peculiar eral pattern existing in the Dominions. circumstances of the country, be guaran- A few months after the inauguration of the teed to all the inhabitants of the Island Soulbury Constitution, which had stopped by an Act of Parliament". just short of Dominion status, Ceylon was It is possible today to review one and admitted to full membership of the Com- a half century of British rule in Ceylon monwealth as a Dominion by an Act of with greater detachment than it was when the British Parliament. the nation's leaders were engaged in a The friendly and helpful manner in struggle for political freedom and the which the change was effected by the Colonial Office in London in resisting what British statesmen concerned contributed its advisers regarded as a dangerous agi- in no small way to the excellenu relations tation for premature or inopportune which now obtain between the people changes. This is not the place to make a of the youngest Dominion and the mother careful assessment of that rule but it can country. The initiative was taken by the be asserted with confidence that the period Labour Prime Minister but other parlia- · of tutelage, even though it may have been mentarians like Mr. Oliver Stanley, Lord unduly prolonged, has left no legacy of Harlech, Mr. Arthur Creech-Jones, Lord mutual distrust and bitterness. No per- Hall and Mr. Patrick Gordon-Walker were suasion was required to establish Cey- of great help. Two recent Governors, now lon as a .contented member of the British living in retirement, Sir Andrew Caldecott Commonwealth. Nor is there any reluc- and Sir Henry Moore, also played a con- tance to recognize at its full worth the structive role ip. the negotiations which British contribution to the economic pro- were carried on by Ceylon's great leader gress and pol,itical education of the people. and Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Don The British administrators worked on the Stephen Senanayake. Fabian and British principle of the in- evitability of gradualness. The early Leg- islative Councils were composed of mem- II bers nominated by the Governor. It was REALISATION of the benefits o.f not until 1910 that a constituency was A British rule strengthens the links created to elect a single member to repre- which bind Ceylon to the Commonwealth. 42 PUBLIC AFFAIRS When Ceylon became a British Colony, from the United Kingdom. In so far as its population had dwindled to less than a it cannot provide for its own defence, it million. The feudal system at the centre may rely on the forces of the United King- and local self-government at the circum- dom, which for this purpose will be pro- ference were crumbling. Education was vided with such bases and facilities as may stagnant and there were no industries be agreed upon. Clause I binds Ceylon producing for export other than the cin- to render assistance only to the extent namon monopoly so recently exploited that is in its own interest to do so. The by the Dutch. The British built roads forces to be stationed will be agreed by the into the interior and introduced new and Ceylon Government and the bases pro- profitable crops. Ceylon's economy to- vided will remain under its control, as has day is founded very largely on its three bf:)en the practice in the other Dominions. export industries: tea, rubber and coco- 1'he provision of bases is a well recognized nuts. The tea industry, which makes a international practice where both parties substantial contribution to. the national gain from the arrangement: e.g. the United income and to Government revenue, is States have bases in British territory." still owned to the extent of about seventy- Ceylon is a convenient spot whence five per cent by British capital. Invest- to reach neighbouring countries in South ors have little reason to complain when East Asia where a clash of ideologies has they get a yield of ten per cent at current produced violent reactions. It is on the share values in one of the most stable agri- ocean highway to Australia and the Far cultural industries to be found in any part East and the number of international air of the world. lines making scheduled stops in the Island Ceylon's place in the Commonwealth 1s mcreasing. These advantages no doubt is determined by the democratic pattern prompted the selection. of Colombo as the of its government, by its participation in a venue of the recent conference of Com- Commonwealth foreign policy, by the in- monwealth Foreign Ministers, the first tegration of its system of commerce and to be held outside the United Kingdom.

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