I85PREP
⌘ K
GCE O/L History study materials
GCE O/L History study resources

GCE O/L History practice questions

One question at a time. Build your GCE O/L History understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Which ancient chronicle provides the main literary account of the arrival of Prince Vijaya and the early settlement of the island?

  1. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
  2. The Rajatarangini
  3. The Arthashastra
  4. The Mahavamsa Correct answer.

Explanation

The Mahavamsa is the Pali chronicle composed by monks that narrates the legendary arrival of Vijaya and the founding of early settlements. It is the principal literary source used in Sri Lankan history for this period, though historians treat its legends critically.

Question 2Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The earliest known Iron Age burial site in Sri Lanka, excavated at Pomparippu, is chiefly significant because it shows that

  1. Roman traders had built a permanent settlement on the coast
  2. iron-using communities had settled on the island before the historical kingdoms Correct answer.
  3. the island was uninhabited until the arrival of Vijaya
  4. Buddhism had already been established by royal patronage

Explanation

Pomparippu in the Puttalam district yielded burials with iron implements and pottery, evidence of Iron Age communities on the island. Such archaeological finds predate the historical kingdoms and show that settlement was not limited to the Vijaya legend.

Question 3Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

According to tradition, the kingdom of Anuradhapura was founded by

  1. Devanampiya Tissa
  2. Vasabha
  3. Pandukabhaya Correct answer.
  4. Dutthagamani

Explanation

Pandukabhaya is credited in the chronicles with establishing Anuradhapura as a royal capital and unifying the island under one ruler. Later kings such as Devanampiya Tissa and Dutthagamani ruled from an already established city.

Question 4Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka is traditionally linked to the mission sent by the Mauryan emperor Asoka and received by which king?

  1. Devanampiya Tissa Correct answer.
  2. Kassapa I
  3. Elara
  4. Pandukabhaya

Explanation

Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura is the king associated with the arrival of Mahinda and the establishment of Buddhism on the island. This event is dated to the 3rd century BCE and marks the start of the close link between the state and the Buddhist order.

Question 5Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Which ruler of Anuradhapura is remembered for defeating the South Indian king Elara and unifying the island?

  1. Parakramabahu I
  2. Dutthagamani Correct answer.
  3. Nissanka Malla
  4. Sena II

Explanation

Dutthagamani defeated Elara, who ruled from Anuradhapura, and brought the island under a single ruler. The chronicles present this as a major reunification of the kingdom and a landmark in Anuradhapura's history.

Question 6Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The large reservoir known as the Minneriya tank, together with the Elahera canal, is attributed to which king?

  1. Aggabodhi II
  2. Vasabha
  3. Parakramabahu I
  4. Mahasena Correct answer.

Explanation

King Mahasena is credited with the Minneriya tank and the Elahera canal, which supplied water to the surrounding region. These works illustrate the central role of irrigation in supporting the Anuradhapura kingdom's agriculture.

Question 7Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Ruwanwelisaya, one of the great stupas of Anuradhapura, was originally built by

  1. Mahinda
  2. Elara
  3. Kassapa I
  4. Dutthagamani Correct answer.

Explanation

The Ruwanwelisaya was built by Dutthagamani as part of the monumental Buddhist building programme at Anuradhapura. Stupas of this kind served as reliquaries and as symbols of royal patronage of the Buddhist order.

Question 8Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Sigiriya is best described as

  1. a Buddhist monastery founded by Mahinda
  2. a Dutch warehouse and canal terminus
  3. a fortified royal citadel built on and around a rock by Kassapa I Correct answer.
  4. a Portuguese coastal fort of the 16th century

Explanation

Kassapa I established his capital at Sigiriya in the 5th century, building a palace complex on the rock with gardens and fortifications around it. The site combines royal residence, defensive works and later monastic use.

Question 9Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

After the decline of Anuradhapura as the capital, the kingdom was shifted to Polonnaruwa largely because

  1. the chronicles forbade kings from ruling at Anuradhapura
  2. the new site offered better protection from South Indian invasions and easier irrigation control Correct answer.
  3. the Portuguese had captured Anuradhapura
  4. the Buddhist order had demanded the transfer of the sacred relics

Explanation

Polonnaruwa was more defensible against South Indian attacks and had favourable conditions for large-scale irrigation. Strategic and agricultural considerations, not religious orders or European intervention, explain the move.

Question 10Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Which Polonnaruwa king is famous for unifying the island and for the statement that no drop of water should reach the sea without first serving the fields?

  1. Parakramabahu I Correct answer.
  2. Vijayabahu I
  3. Sena II
  4. Nissanka Malla

Explanation

Parakramabahu I is credited with extensive irrigation works and with the ideal of using every drop of water for agriculture before it reaches the sea. His reign is regarded as a high point of Polonnaruwa's power and building activity.

Question 11Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Chola occupation of the island in the 10th and 11th centuries is chiefly evidenced by

  1. the construction of the Ruwanwelisaya
  2. Tamil inscriptions and the remains of a Shiva temple at Polonnaruwa Correct answer.
  3. the founding of the Kingdom of Kandy
  4. the arrival of the Portuguese fleet

Explanation

During Chola rule Polonnaruwa was renamed and administered as part of the Chola empire, leaving Tamil inscriptions and a Shiva temple among the archaeological remains. These sources document a period of South Indian control before Vijayabahu I's liberation.

Question 12Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Jaffna kingdom of the medieval period was centred on the northern peninsula and was finally brought under the control of which power in the 17th century?

  1. The British
  2. The Portuguese Correct answer.
  3. The Chola empire
  4. The Dutch

Explanation

The Portuguese captured the Jaffna kingdom in the 17th century and ended its independence, incorporating the region into their coastal holdings. The Dutch later replaced the Portuguese but did not restore the kingdom.

Question 13Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Kingdom of Kandy is significant in the colonial period because it

  1. was the first region captured by the Portuguese
  2. served as the capital of Dutch Ceylon
  3. was ceded to the Dutch by the king of Jaffna
  4. remained independent of European powers until 1815 Correct answer.

Explanation

Kandy survived Portuguese and Dutch pressure and retained its independence until the Kandyan Convention of 1815 brought it under British rule. Its mountainous interior and diplomacy helped it resist colonial conquest for centuries.

Question 14Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The first European power to establish control over coastal areas of Sri Lanka was

  1. Britain
  2. the Netherlands
  3. Portugal Correct answer.
  4. France

Explanation

The Portuguese arrived in 1505 and gradually secured control of the coastal trade and key ports, beginning the European colonial presence. The Dutch and British came later and displaced them in turn.

Question 15Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Dutch East India Company's main economic interest in Ceylon was

  1. the recruitment of soldiers for Europe
  2. the cultivation of tea for export
  3. the mining of gems in the highlands
  4. control of the cinnamon trade and other spices Correct answer.

Explanation

The Dutch East India Company sought to monopolise the cinnamon trade, which was highly profitable in European markets. They controlled coastal regions to secure this trade rather than to develop plantation crops like tea.

Question 16Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Ceylon became a British crown colony in which year?

  1. 1796
  2. 1948
  3. 1815
  4. 1802 Correct answer.

Explanation

By the Treaty of Amiens in 1802 Ceylon was formally recognised as a British crown colony. The British had taken the coastal areas in 1796, but the crown colony status was confirmed in 1802.

Question 17Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Kandyan Convention of 1815 is important because it

  1. established Dutch control of the cinnamon trade
  2. ended Portuguese rule on the island
  3. granted Ceylon independence from Britain
  4. brought the Kingdom of Kandy under British rule while recognising certain Kandyan customs and religion Correct answer.

Explanation

The convention placed Kandy under the British crown and included undertakings to protect Buddhism and Kandyan institutions. It marked the end of the last independent kingdom on the island.

Question 18Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The construction of the Colombo-Kandy railway in the 19th century was primarily intended to

  1. transport plantation produce such as coffee and tea from the hill country to the port Correct answer.
  2. connect the island to India by rail
  3. carry pilgrims to the Temple of the Tooth
  4. move British troops to the Kandyan highlands

Explanation

The railway was built to move coffee, and later tea, from the hill country estates to Colombo for export. Economic needs of the plantation economy, rather than pilgrimage or defence, drove its construction.

Question 19Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Colebrooke-Cameron reforms of the 1830s were significant because they

  1. restructured the administration and introduced a unified system of government and courts Correct answer.
  2. restored the Kandyan monarchy
  3. transferred the island to Dutch rule
  4. ended the plantation economy

Explanation

The Colebrooke-Cameron Commission recommended administrative and judicial reforms that created a more centralised, uniform system of government in Ceylon. These changes shaped the colonial administration for decades.

Question 20Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Which of the following was a direct consequence of the British plantation economy in the 19th century?

  1. The closure of the Colombo harbour to foreign trade
  2. Large-scale recruitment of Tamil labourers from South India to work on estates Correct answer.
  3. The abolition of the caste system throughout the island
  4. The restoration of Anuradhapura as the capital

Explanation

The expansion of coffee and tea plantations created a demand for labour that was met by recruiting Tamil workers from South India. This migration had lasting demographic and social effects on the island.

Question 21Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Uva Rebellion of 1817-1818 was a response to

  1. the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505
  2. the introduction of the railway into the hill country
  3. the Dutch capture of Colombo
  4. British administrative changes that undermined Kandyan chiefs and traditional obligations Correct answer.

Explanation

The rebellion arose from discontent among Kandyan chiefs and people over British reforms that reduced their authority and altered traditional obligations. It was suppressed with severe reprisals.

Question 22Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The ancient port of Mahatittha, known in later sources as Mantai, was important in early trade because it

  1. was the site of the first Portuguese fort
  2. linked the island to Indian Ocean trade networks and to the pearl fisheries Correct answer.
  3. housed the sacred tooth relic
  4. served as the capital of the Kandyan kings

Explanation

Mahatittha on the north-western coast was a major entrepot connecting the island with Indian and wider Indian Ocean trade, including the pearl fishery. It was not a royal capital or a colonial fort.

Question 23Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The sacred tooth relic became politically important in Sri Lankan history because

  1. it marked the boundary between the Jaffna and Kandy kingdoms
  2. it was the main relic of the Dutch colonists
  3. it was the currency used in foreign trade
  4. its possession was linked to the legitimacy of royal authority over the island Correct answer.

Explanation

The relic was regarded as a palladium of sovereignty, and kings who held it claimed legitimacy over the land. Control of the relic therefore carried great political weight, not economic or colonial significance.

Question 24Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Which statement best explains why the Portuguese were able to gain influence in the Kingdom of Kotte in the early 16th century?

  1. They had superior irrigation technology that the king needed
  2. They were invited by the Kandyan king to defeat the Dutch
  3. They exploited succession disputes within the royal family to secure concessions Correct answer.
  4. They conquered the entire island in a single military campaign

Explanation

The Portuguese intervened in Kotte's internal succession conflicts and used the resulting dependence to obtain trade and territorial concessions. Their influence grew through political manipulation rather than outright conquest of the whole island.

Question 25Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Abhayagiri and Jetavana monasteries of Anuradhapura are significant because they

  1. represent major monastic complexes that competed with the Mahavihara for royal patronage Correct answer.
  2. served as forts during the Uva Rebellion
  3. were built by the Dutch as trading posts
  4. were royal palaces of the Kandyan kings

Explanation

The Abhayagiri and Jetavana were large monastic fraternities that rivalled the Mahavihara and attracted royal patronage over centuries. Their rivalry shaped the religious and political history of Anuradhapura.

Question 26Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The earliest known Iron Age burial site in Sri Lanka, excavated at Pomparippu in the Puttalam district, is important because it

  1. contained Roman coins proving direct trade with the Mediterranean in the first century CE
  2. yielded iron implements and pottery indicating Iron Age settlement before the historical period Correct answer.
  3. produced inscriptions of King Devanampiya Tissa recording royal land grants
  4. held Buddhist relic caskets marking the first introduction of Buddhism to the island

Explanation

Pomparippu is a prehistoric burial complex whose graves contained iron objects, red ware and associated pottery, placing it in the island's early Iron Age before written history. It is not a Buddhist, inscriptional or Roman-trade site. Its value to historians lies in showing settled communities in the dry zone centuries before the Anuradhapura kingdom.

Question 27Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

In the early historic period, the megalithic burial monuments of the island, such as dolmens and cist graves, are chiefly studied because they

  1. demonstrate the presence of Portuguese traders along the dry-zone coast
  2. indicate the spread of Iron Age communities and their funerary customs before the Anuradhapura state Correct answer.
  3. prove that Buddhism was practised in the island before the third century BCE
  4. record the military campaigns of the earliest kings of the Mahavamsa

Explanation

Megalithic burials are the archaeological signature of Iron Age communities whose grave types and grave goods show shared cultural patterns across peninsular India and Sri Lanka. They predate the historical kingdoms and contain no royal chronicle or colonial material. They therefore help historians reconstruct society before the rise of Anuradhapura.

Question 28Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The cave inscriptions of the early historic period, written in early Brahmi, are valued by historians mainly because they

  1. contain the earliest surviving Sinhala poetry composed at the Kandy court
  2. preserve the full text of royal edicts issued by the kings of Anuradhapura
  3. describe the administrative reforms introduced by the Dutch East India Company
  4. record donations of caves to Buddhist monks and so illuminate early religious patronage and society Correct answer.

Explanation

Most early Brahmi cave inscriptions are short records naming donors who gifted caves to the Buddhist monastic community, with details such as occupation and kinship. They are primary evidence for the spread of Buddhism and for social and economic life in the early historic period. They are not royal edicts, colonial documents or court poetry.

Question 29Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The early settlements of the island are often linked to the irrigated dry zone. Which statement best explains why the dry zone around Anuradhapura could support a large population?

  1. Underground aquifers were tapped by deep wells dug by Portuguese engineers
  2. The region received year-round rainfall from the south-west monsoon, making irrigation unnecessary
  3. Rice was imported in bulk from South India, so local farming was of little importance
  4. Small tanks and canals stored monsoon rainwater so that paddy cultivation could be sustained between rains Correct answer.

Explanation

The dry zone depends on the north-east monsoon, and its farmers built networks of small tanks, bunds and channels to capture and store that seasonal water for paddy. This irrigation technology, later expanded into large reservoirs, underpinned the population and cities of the region. The claim of year-round rain or foreign engineers misrepresents the island's climate and history.

Question 30Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

According to the chronicle tradition, the founding of the Anuradhapura kingdom is associated with which ruler, who is credited with establishing the city as a royal capital?

  1. Pandukabhaya Correct answer.
  2. Vasabha
  3. Mahasena
  4. Parakramabahu I

Explanation

The Mahavamsa presents Pandukabhaya as the ruler who unified the region around Anuradhapura and made it his capital, laying out the city with shrines and cemeteries. Later kings such as Vasabha and Mahasena ruled there but did not found the kingdom. Parakramabahu I belongs to the much later Polonnaruwa period.

Question 31Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

King Devanampiya Tissa's reign is a landmark in the island's history chiefly because it

  1. witnessed the construction of the great reservoir at Minneriya
  2. saw the arrival of Buddhism under the missionary Mahinda and the founding of the Mahavihara Correct answer.
  3. marked the first invasion of the island by the Chola empire
  4. began the island's trade relationship with the Roman empire

Explanation

The chronicles place the introduction of Buddhism in the reign of Devanampiya Tissa, when Mahinda brought the teaching from India and the Mahavihara was established at Anuradhapura. This religious change shaped the island's culture, art and kingship for centuries. Chola invasions, Minneriya and Roman trade belong to other reigns or periods.

Question 32Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The reign of King Dutugemunu is remembered in the chronicles for

  1. welcoming the Portuguese to the Kotte court
  2. defeating the South Indian ruler Elara and reuniting the island under a single Anuradhapura ruler Correct answer.
  3. abolishing the Buddhist monastic orders of the island
  4. transferring the capital from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa

Explanation

The Mahavamsa portrays Dutugemunu as the king who defeated Elara, the ruler based at Anuradhapura's rival centre, and brought the island under one authority. His reign is also linked to major religious construction. The transfer to Polonnaruwa, the Portuguese arrival and the suppression of monastic orders all belong to much later periods.

Question 33Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The monastic rivalry between the Mahavihara and the Abhayagiri in the Anuradhapura period is historically significant because it

  1. shows that the island's Buddhism contained competing traditions with different doctrinal and political ties Correct answer.
  2. resulted in the permanent transfer of the capital to the south of the island
  3. proves that Buddhism had been abandoned in the capital before the arrival of the Portuguese
  4. ended all royal patronage of monasteries in the Anuradhapura period

Explanation

The Mahavihara and Abhayagiri represented rival monastic fraternities with differing interpretations and links to Indian schools, and kings often intervened in their disputes. This reveals the diversity and political importance of Buddhism in the kingdom. It does not indicate abandonment of the faith or a change of capital.

Question 34Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

King Mahasena of Anuradhapura is chiefly remembered for

  1. founding the Jaffna kingdom in the northern peninsula
  2. building the Minneriya tank and the Elahera canal to extend irrigation in the dry zone Correct answer.
  3. signing a treaty with the Dutch East India Company
  4. introducing the sacred tooth relic to the island

Explanation

Mahasena is credited with large-scale irrigation works, including the Minneriya reservoir and the Elahera canal, which expanded paddy cultivation. Such projects show how kingship was tied to water management and agricultural prosperity. The tooth relic, the Jaffna kingdom and Dutch treaties belong to other periods.

Question 35Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

After the decline of Anuradhapura, the rulers of Polonnaruwa faced repeated South Indian pressure. Which development best illustrates this vulnerability?

  1. The abandonment of Buddhism in favour of Hinduism by the Sinhalese kings
  2. The Chola occupation of the island and the establishment of a Chola capital at Polonnaruwa Correct answer.
  3. The transfer of the capital to Kandy by Parakramabahu I
  4. The permanent settlement of Portuguese merchants in the city

Explanation

The Cholas conquered the northern part of the island and made Polonnaruwa their provincial capital, leaving inscriptions and monuments as evidence. This occupation shows how exposed the kingdom was to South Indian power. Portuguese settlement and a move to Kandy belong to later periods, and the Sinhalese kings did not abandon Buddhism.

Question 36Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

Parakramabahu I's reign at Polonnaruwa is often described as a period of unification. Which achievement best supports this description?

  1. He moved the capital from Polonnaruwa to Anuradhapura
  2. He signed the Kandyan Convention with the British
  3. He brought the island's rival regional powers under one authority and promoted large irrigation and building works Correct answer.
  4. He founded the Portuguese fort at Colombo

Explanation

Parakramabahu I is remembered for reuniting the island, reforming the monastic orders and undertaking extensive irrigation and construction at Polonnaruwa. His reign represents the political and cultural peak of the Polonnaruwa kingdom. The Kandyan Convention, the Portuguese fort and a return to Anuradhapura are all later or contrary to the record.

Question 37Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The medieval kingdom of Jaffna, centred on the northern peninsula, is best characterised as

  1. a Portuguese province administered from Colombo
  2. a Buddhist monastic state ruled by the Mahavihara
  3. a Tamil-speaking kingdom with its own ruling line that controlled trade and the northern region Correct answer.
  4. a colony governed directly by the Dutch East India Company from its foundation

Explanation

The Jaffna kingdom was an independent Tamil-speaking polity with its own kings, controlling the peninsula and northern trade routes before being subdued by rival powers. It was not founded by the Dutch, nor was it a monastic or Portuguese province. Understanding it as a distinct regional kingdom corrects a Colombo-centred view of the period.

Question 38Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Kingdom of Kandy survived as an independent polity into the nineteenth century mainly because

  1. its mountainous terrain and guerrilla warfare made conquest difficult for European powers Correct answer.
  2. it had abandoned agriculture and relied on foreign subsidies
  3. it possessed a powerful navy that controlled the Indian Ocean
  4. it was protected by a permanent alliance with the British from the sixteenth century

Explanation

Kandy's highland setting, difficult passes and tactics of irregular warfare long frustrated Portuguese and Dutch attempts at conquest. This geography and military resistance explain its survival while the coasts fell under European control. It had no ocean-going navy, no early British alliance and no subsidy-based economy.

Question 39Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Portuguese established themselves on the island's south-western coast in the early sixteenth century primarily by

  1. defeating the Kingdom of Kandy in a decisive highland campaign
  2. obtaining trading rights and influence at the court of Kotte through agreements with its rulers Correct answer.
  3. conquering the Jaffna kingdom before landing at Colombo
  4. purchasing the entire island from the Dutch East India Company

Explanation

The Portuguese arrived as traders and secured concessions from the rulers of Kotte, gradually converting commercial influence into political control of the coastal lowlands. They did not conquer Kandy or buy the island from the Dutch, and Jaffna was subdued later than their first landing. Their power grew through treaty and manipulation as much as force.

Question 40Sri Lanka: early settlements, kingdoms and the colonial encounter

The Dutch captured Colombo from the Portuguese in 1656. Which statement best explains the long-term significance of this change for the island's coastal economy?

  1. The Dutch abolished export agriculture and returned the coast to subsistence farming
  2. The Dutch immediately handed full political control of the coast to the Kingdom of Kandy
  3. The Dutch Company monopolised key export trades such as cinnamon and administered the coast as a commercial enterprise Correct answer.
  4. The Dutch transferred the coastal forts to the British in the same year

Explanation

The Dutch East India Company treated Ceylon's coast as a source of profit, enforcing monopolies on cinnamon and other goods and governing through company officials. This commercial orientation shaped the coastal economy until the British took over. The Company did not surrender the coast to Kandy or to Britain at that time, and it expanded rather than abolished export production.

Question 41Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

Which constitutional reform of 1931 introduced universal adult franchise in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon)?

  1. The Donoughmore Constitution Correct answer.
  2. The Soulbury Constitution
  3. The Manning Constitution
  4. The Colebrooke-Cameron Reforms

Explanation

The Donoughmore Commission's recommendations were implemented in 1931 and extended the vote to all adults over 21 without property or literacy qualifications, a major step in democratisation. The Soulbury Constitution came later, in 1947, and built on this franchise.

Question 42Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

The Ceylon National Congress, founded in 1919, is best described as which kind of organisation?

  1. A trade union of plantation workers
  2. A merchant guild regulating overseas trade
  3. A political association pressing for constitutional reform Correct answer.
  4. A religious revival society

Explanation

The Ceylon National Congress brought together educated elites to demand greater representative government within the colonial system. It was a constitutionalist pressure group rather than a labour or religious body.

Question 43Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

Who founded the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in 1935?

  1. D. S. Senanayake
  2. N. M. Perera and Philip Gunawardena Correct answer.
  3. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
  4. G. G. Ponnambalam

Explanation

The LSSP was formed in 1935 by a group of Marxist intellectuals including N. M. Perera, Philip Gunawardena and Colvin R. de Silva. It was the first explicitly socialist party in Ceylon.

Question 44Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

In which year did Ceylon gain independence from British rule?

  1. 1947
  2. 1946
  3. 1950
  4. 1948 Correct answer.

Explanation

Ceylon became an independent dominion within the Commonwealth on 4 February 1948. The Soulbury Constitution had been approved in 1947, but independence itself took effect in 1948.

Question 45Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

Who became the first Prime Minister of independent Ceylon in 1948?

  1. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
  2. Dudley Senanayake
  3. Sir John Kotelawala
  4. D. S. Senanayake Correct answer.

Explanation

D. S. Senanayake, leader of the United National Party, led the country at independence and served as first Prime Minister until his death in 1952. He is associated with the transfer of power negotiations.

Question 46Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

The Sinhala Only Official Language Act was passed in which year?

  1. 1954
  2. 1960
  3. 1958
  4. 1956 Correct answer.

Explanation

The Official Language Act making Sinhala the sole official language was passed in 1956 under the Bandaranaike government. It provoked strong Tamil opposition and contributed to later ethnic tensions.

Question 47Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

Which agreement of 1957 attempted to settle the language and devolution dispute between Sinhala and Tamil leaders?

  1. The Senanayake-Ponnambalam Pact
  2. The Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact Correct answer.
  3. The Soulbury Agreement
  4. The Indo-Ceylon Agreement

Explanation

The 1957 pact between Prime Minister Bandaranaike and Tamil leader S. J. V. Chelvanayakam proposed regional councils and reasonable use of Tamil. It was never fully implemented because of strong opposition from Sinhala nationalist groups.

Question 48Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

In the 1956 general election, which coalition led by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike came to power?

  1. The United National Party
  2. The Federal Party
  3. The Lanka Sama Samaja Party
  4. The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Correct answer.

Explanation

The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, a coalition of Bandaranaike's Sinhala Maha Sabha with leftist parties, won the 1956 election. This brought a shift toward Sinhala nationalist and welfare policies.

Question 49Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

The 1962 coup attempt in Ceylon was primarily organised by which group?

  1. Plantation workers' unions
  2. A group of military and police officers Correct answer.
  3. University student organisations
  4. Tamil political parties

Explanation

The 1962 coup plot involved senior military and police officers who opposed the left-leaning policies of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike government. The attempt was discovered and foiled before it could be carried out.

Question 50Sri Lanka: independence movement, post-independence politics and nation-building

Sirimavo Bandaranaike is historically significant in 1960 because she became:

  1. The first woman to lead the LSSP
  2. The first woman Prime Minister in the world Correct answer.
  3. The first female Governor-General of Ceylon
  4. The first female Speaker of Parliament

Explanation

After the assassination of her husband in 1959, Sirimavo Bandaranaike led the SLFP to victory in the July 1960 election. She is widely recognised as the world's first woman to serve as Prime Minister.