Paul Pieris
Early life and education
Born to John Martinus Pieris Sriwardhana and Don Johannes Dias Bandaranaike, Pieris was educated at
Pieris won the University scholarship in 1891 and became the first Asian to be admitted to
Civil service career
In 1896, he was selected to the
Scholarly work
It has been remarked that Pieris was never given a position in the Civil Service that was commensurate with his intellect and ability, and as such he turned his attention toward in depth historical research on the European occupation in Ceylon from the 16th Century onwards. Pieris carried out extensive historical research in Ceylon and he was several times elected the president of the Royal Asiatic Society of Ceylon having last held the role from 1932 to 1934.[5] to whose journal he contributed frequently from 1904 to 1948. He further single-handedly edited the journal during the years of World War II when the society's functions were greatly disrupted by external factors.[citation needed]
Notable publications
- Notes on some Sinhalese Families in Ceylon (in 6 volumes from 1902 onwards)
- Ceylon: The Portuguese Era (1913), II volumes, 1250 pp.
- Ceylon and the Portuguese, 1505-1658 (assisted by R.B. Naish), 310 pp (1920).
- Ceylon and the Hollanders, 1658-1796 (1918)
- The Kingdom of Jafanapatam, 1645. From the Portuguese Foral. (1920)
- Portuguese Maps and Plans of Ceylon, 1650 (1926)
- The Prince Vijayapala of Ceylon, 1634-1654 (1927), 66 pp.
- The Historic Tragedy of Ceilao, by Captain Joao Ribeiro, tr. 306 pp.
- The Growth of Dutch Influence in Ceylon, 1602-1660, 326 pp.
- The Dutch Power in Ceylon, 1602–1670. Edited by P. E. Pieris. 1929
- Ceylon and Portugal: Kings and Christians, 1539 - 1552. From the archives at Lisbon, P.E. Pieris and M.A.H. Fitzler (1927)
- Portugal in Ceylon: Lectures at King's College, London
- Letters to Ceylon, 1814-1824: Correspondence of Sir John D'Oyly 155pp.
- Tri Sinhala, the Last Phase, 1796–1815 (1945)
- The Ceylon Littoral, 1593 (1949) 88pp.
- Sinhalē and the Patriots, 1815–1818 (1950)
Honours and awards
Pieris received numerous awards during his lifetime. These include;
- The first Asian to receive a Doctor of Letters from the University of Cambridge[6]
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George(CMG) for service as Public Trustee
- The Royal Asiatic Society Medal for distinguished service in 1946[7]
- Queen's Birthday Honours 1952 - Knight Bachelor for social service.
Personal life
He married Hilda Obeyesekere, daughter of
References
- ^ a b PIERIS DERANIYAGALA family
- ^ a b "Dr Paul Edward Pieris". britishmuseum.org. British Museum. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ The ‘Gampola Perahera’ Case, Riots and Martial Law
- ^ "Sir D.B. Jayatilaka's 75th death anniversary The legacy of a remarkable educationalist". Daily News. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ Past Presidents, Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka
- ^ "Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam (1853 - 1924) The Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam Memorial Oration, delivered on 19 January 2009". Island. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ "A rare honour to a student of culture". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ "for most of its life a very grand private house..." Viceroy House. Retrieved 1 November 2019.