Modern Sri Lanka

Boasting lost cities and rock fortresses, the Buddha's tooth and Hindu temples, colonial forts and modern cities, tea gardens and beautiful beaches, Sri Lanka may appear to be the world's island paradise. But recently Sri Lankans have suffered greatly, especially because of a devastating tsunami in 2004 and an on-going civil war. In this course we will review the island's history in order to help explain its current predicament. We will study the Dutch period (17th-18th centuries), the Kandyan kingdom (18th-early 19th centuries), the British period (late 18th-20th centuries), and developments after independence in 1948. 3 hr. lect/disc.