A Short History of Ceylon
Summary
This article by W. Geiger condenses the early history of Sri Lanka from the fifth century B.C. to the fourth century A.D. Drawing on the Pāli chronicles, the author follows the north Indian origins of the Sinhalese and the legendary arrival of Vijaya. He describes how Buddhism gradually supplanted earlier animistic and Brahmanical beliefs and how King Devanampiyatissa’s adoption of the faith under Mahinda transformed the island. The narrative traces the growth of Anurādhapura into a capital, examines relations with contemporary south Indian dynasties and the periodic invasions from Cōḷa and Pāṇḍya kingdoms, and highlights the economic prosperity derived from irrigation and trade. Foreign contacts with Greeks, Romans and Chinese are mentioned alongside internal struggles between king and clergy for authority. Geiger closes by emphasising the resilience of Sinhalese culture in assimilating external influences while maintaining its Buddhist identity.
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Conclusion
The sketch of early Ceylon shows a society in which political power shifted between monarchs, nobles and monastic orders yet maintained a continuous cultural identity. Geiger concludes that the island’s geographic isolation allowed it to absorb invasions without losing its Buddhist core.