Author Description
Sri Lanka In The Modern Age Recounts The Modern History Of The Island In An Accessible Yet Unconventional Manner. Where Other Histories Have Tended To Focus On The State's Failure To Accommodate The Needs And Demands Of Minority Communities, Wickramasinghe Places Their Claims Alongside The Political, Social And Economic Demands Of Other Communities, Parties, Associations And Groups, Tracing Their Lineages To The Colonial Period. This Updated Second Edition Carries The Book Into The Present, Covering The Brutal End Of Sri Lanka's Civil War And The Making Of Oppressive Stability That Has Grown In Its Wake. Drawing On Recent Work As Well As On Her Own Research In The Field, Wickramasinghe Has Written Above All A History Of The People Of Sri Lanka Rather Than A History Of The Nation-state.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the modern history of Sri Lanka by shifting the focus from the failures of the nation-state to the diverse social, political, and economic claims of its people. Nira Wickramasinghe, a scholar of South Asian history, utilizes a framework that traces the lineages of various community demands back to the colonial era. By integrating recent research with her own fieldwork, she constructs a narrative that prioritizes the lived experiences of the population over the institutional history of the state.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comprehensive historical analysis spanning from the colonial period to the post-civil war era.
- An examination of the political, social, and economic demands of various minority and majority groups.
- An updated account of the conclusion of the Sri Lankan Civil War and the subsequent political climate.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide an exhaustive military history of the civil war.
- It does not focus on the administrative or bureaucratic history of the state apparatus.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and historians frequently cite this work for its ability to synthesize complex social dynamics into an accessible narrative. Experts highlight the book as a significant contribution to understanding the multifaceted identity of Sri Lanka beyond traditional nationalist historiography.
Page Count:
476
Publication Date:
2014-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019025727X
ISBN-13:
9780190257279
History
Asian History
Sri Lanka