Uva Province (Province of Uva)
The provincial history records an 1818 uprising (the Third Kandyan War) against the British colonial government which had been controlling the formally independent Udarata (Sinhalese: Up-Country), of which Uva was a province. The uprising was led by Keppetipola Disawe - a rebel leader that the Sinhalese celebrate even today - who was sent initially by the British Government to stop the uprising. The rebels captured Matale and Kandy before Keppetipola fell ill and was captured - and beheaded by the British. His skull was abnormal - as it was wider than usual - and was sent to Britain for analysis. It was returned to Sri Lanka after independence, and now rests in the Kandyan Museum.
The rebellion, which soon developed into a guerrilla war of the kind the Kandyans had fought against European powers for centuries, was centred on the Kandyan nobility and their unhappiness with developments under British rule since 1815. However it was the last uprising of this kind and in Uva Province, a scorched earth policy was pursued, and all males between 15 and 60 years were driven out, exiled or killed. The British Crown annexed the Kingdom of Kandy to British Ceylon in 1817.
Map - Uva Province (Province of Uva)
Map
Country - Sri_Lanka
Flag of Sri Lanka |
Sri Lanka has a population of around 22 million (2020) and is a multinational state, home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The Sinhalese are the majority of the nation's population. The Tamils, who are a large minority group, have also played an influential role in the island's history. Other long established groups include the Moors, the Burghers, the Malays, the Chinese, and the indigenous Vedda.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
LKR | Sri Lankan rupee | Rs රු or ரூ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
EN | English language |
SI | Sinhala language |
TA | Tamil language |