British Ceylon Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Ceylon

1815–1948

Flag

Coat of arms

Anthem: God Save the King/Queen
(1815–1948)

British Ceylon, ca. 1914

Status

British Colony

Capital

Colombo

Common languages

English (Official),
Sinhala and Tamil

Government

Monarchy

Monarch

• 1815–20

George III (first)

• 1936–48

George VI (last)

Governor

• 1798–1805

Frederick North (first)

• 1944–48

Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (last)

Prime Minister

• 1947–48

Don Stephen Senanayake

Legislature

Legislative Council (1833–1931)
State Council (1931–47)
Parliament (1947—48)

Historical era

British Ceylon period

• Kandyan Convention

5 March 1815

• Independence

4 February 1948

Area

1881

65,610 km² (25,330 sq mi)

1891

65,610 km² (25,330 sq mi)

1901

65,610 km² (25,330 sq mi)

1924

65,992 km² (25,480 sq mi)

1946

65,610 km² (25,330 sq mi)

Population

• 1881

2,759,700

• 1891

3,007,800

• 1901

3,565,900

• 1924

4,574,550

• 1946

6,657,300

Currency

Ceylonese rixdollar (1815–28)
British pound (1825–71)
Ceylonese rupee (1872—1948)

Preceded by

Succeeded by

	Kingdom of Kandy
	Dutch Ceylon
	Vannimai

Dominion of Ceylon

Today part of

Sri Lanka

Source for 1924 area and population:

Ceylon was the name for Sri Lanka when it was a British colony. This period lasted from 1815 to 1948. At first, the British only controlled parts of the island. But by 1817, they ruled the entire island. Today, this island nation is known as Sri Lanka.

What Was British Ceylon?
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What Was British Ceylon?

British Ceylon was a Crown colony under the control of the United Kingdom. It was a very important part of the British Empire. The capital city of Ceylon was Colombo.

How Ceylon Became British

The British took control of Ceylon in stages. In 1815, they signed the Kandyan Convention. This agreement gave them power over the Kingdom of Kandy. Kandy was the last independent kingdom on the island. After this, the British ruled the whole island.

How Ceylon Was Governed

Ceylon was governed by the British Monarch. The King or Queen of Britain was the head of state. A Governor was sent to rule the island. The first Governor was Frederick North. The last was Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore.

The island also had its own law-making bodies. These included the Legislative Council and the State Council. Later, a Parliament was formed. These bodies helped manage the colony.

Life in British Ceylon

During British rule, English became an official language. However, Sinhala and Tamil were also widely spoken. The currency changed over time. It started with the Ceylonese rixdollar. Later, the British pound was used. Finally, the Ceylonese rupee became the main money.

The population of Ceylon grew a lot during this time. For example, in 1881, about 2.7 million people lived there. By 1946, the population was over 6.6 million.

Gaining Independence

Ceylon remained a British colony for 133 years. On February 4, 1948, Ceylon gained its independence. This marked the end of British rule. It became the Dominion of Ceylon. Later, it changed its name to Sri Lanka.