Trilingual inscription from Sri Lanka

[S Krishna]

S.Madhuresan asks:

>Has the spade work of monks, sangha, historians, archaeologists
>(eg., Paranavitaana) helped later in the "construct" of Sinhala
>ethnonationalism
>in post-independence times? Did leading monks and/or politicians
>make exclusive claims to Aryanhood which automatically bestows
special rights?



In addition to anAgarika dharmapAla who has alreadty been named, I
believe, wouldn't S.W.R.D Banadaranayaka also fit the bill? Afterall
the concept of sinhala supremacy into politics, AFAIK, was his doing.
I also remember being told that the american George[sic?] Olcott
also had some such scheme though the majority of the biographical
reference talk about his being a reformer more than a closeted racist.

Regards,
Krishna


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