Sri Lanka Country History
| YEAR | EVENT |
| 6th cent. AD | Early Sri Lankan history recorded in the Mahavamsa chronicle, running to 1815. Record of developed Sinhalese civilization (covering present-day Sri Lanka) from 3rd century BC |
| 3rd-12th cent. | Sinhala dominated by Tamil kings and subject to invasions from southern India |
| 1408-1438 | Island occupied by Chinese forces |
| 1517 | Trading post founded at Colombo by Portuguese |
| 1658 | Control of most of island won by the Dutch |
| 1795 | Expeditionary force sent to island by the British |
| 1798 | Island, except kingdom of Kandy, made the British Crown Colony of Ceylon; Kandy annexed in 1815 |
| 19th cent. | Tea and rubber plantations established. Abortive rebellions against British rule in 1817, 1843, and 1848. Violent rivalry between Buddhist peasants and Muslim merchants |
| 1931 | Ceylon granted a new constitution by the British allowing limited self-government |
| 1948 | Independence gained, with dominion status in the Commonwealth of Nations |
| 1955 | Ceylon admitted to the UN |
| 1960 | Law passed making Sinhalese the only official language of the island, alienating Tamil-speaking minority |
| 1972 | Name changed from Ceylon to the Republic of Sri Lanka |
| 1983 | Start of civil war between Sinhalese-dominated government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) |
| 1987 | Indian troops located in northern Sri Lanka, attempting to enforce peace |
| 1993 | Assassination of two leading politicians, including President Ranasinghe Premadasa, allegedly by the LTTE. Government military base in Pooneryn seized by LTTE |
| 1997 | Government offensive launched against the LTTE, Operation Jaya Sikuru (Sure Victory) |
| 1998 | Sri Lanka’s most holy Buddhist shrine at Kandy attacked by suicide bomber, killing 11. LTTE outlawed by government |
| 1999 | General election called 11 months early. Kumaratunga re-elected president |
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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