Political Structure in a Changing Sinhalese Village

An examination of the nature of political change within a village in the Kandyan highlands of Sri Lanka, during the transition from colony to independent nation.

Marguerite S. Robinson (Author)

9780521053310, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 3 December 2007

400 pages
21 x 14 x 2.3 cm, 0.52 kg

An examination of the nature of political change within a village, which the author calls Morapitiya, in the Kandyan highlands of Sri Lanka, during the transition from colony to independent nation. During the first years of Sri Lanka's independence, the United National Party perpetuated the 'indirect rule' policy of the British colonial government. In 1956, with the election of a coalition government led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, this form of rule was rejected. The new government was committed to reviving the traditional Sinhalese culture, language and Buddhist ideals, and to improving the living conditions of the poor. Soon after assuming power, the S.L.F.P. government began to implement political and economic policies designed to alter village structure in accordance with the new ideals.

List of illustrations
List of tables
Acknowledgements
Preface
1. Introduction: problems and assumptions
Part I. The Village of Morapitiya: 2. An introduction to Morapitiya
Part II. Traditional Political Structure (P-1): 3. Leaders without groups
4. Morapitiyan disputes: I
5. Morapitiyan disputes: II
6. The rules of the game: 1963
Part III. The Political System in Transition: 7. 1963: introduction of the new order
8. 1967: failure of the new and collapse of the old
9. The emergence of P-2
Part IV. The Morapitiyan Colonists: 10. Of ants and fire
11. Conclusions
Epilogue, 1972
Appendices
Glossary
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: General & world history [HBG]