Sinhalese people
සිංහල ජනතාව | |
---|---|
Total population | |
c. 17 million[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Sri Lanka | 15.2 million (74.9%) (2012)[2] |
Italy | 108,069 (2022)[3] |
Australia | 58,166 (2021)[4] |
United States | ~41,000 (2016)[5] |
Canada | 33,050 (2021)[6] |
Singapore | ~17,000[7] |
United Kingdom | 14,731 (2021)[8] |
New Zealand | 9,171 (2018)[9] |
India | ~5,300[10] |
Malaysia | ~4,700[11] |
Languages | |
Sinhala | |
Religion | |
Majority: Theravada Buddhism (93%)[12] Minority:
| |
Related ethnic groups | |
The Sinhalese people (Sinhala: සිංහල ජනතාව, romanized: Sinhala Janathāva), also known as the Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. Historically, they were known as the Sinhala or the Lion People.[15][16] They are the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, constituting about 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number more than 15.2 million.[1][2]
The Sinhalese people speak
According to the
Etymology
There are a couple of explanations for the word Sinhala. Sinhala may be considered a combination of sinha (සිංහ) , literally "lion", and la (ල), for "slayer" or "taker", hence Sinhala may mean "lion-slayer".[25] The story of the derivation of Sinhala is told in Mahāvaṃsa, and it is believed to be a reference to the founding legend of Sri Lanka; the island was conquered by a descendant of Sinhabahu, who is said to have killed his father, a lion.[25]
According to legend, a princess Suppadevi of
The first king of Sri Lanka,
Another suggestion on the origin of Sinhala proposes that the descendants of Sinhabahu may have been called "Sinha" or lions, either because they were descended from a lion or because they were brave like a lion, but those who conquered and settled in Sri Lanka were called Sinhala simply as a derivative of "Sinha" for the people of the lion. Likewise, the conquered lands may be called 'Sinhalaya' or 'Sinhalé' (up-country Sri Lanka), or 'Sinhala dvipa', and their language 'Sinhala' or Sinhala-Bhasha'.[25]
History
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1881 | 1,846,600 | — |
1891 | 2,041,200 | +10.5% |
1901 | 2,330,800 | +14.2% |
1911 | 2,715,500 | +16.5% |
1921 | 3,016,200 | +11.1% |
1931 | 3,473,000 | +15.1% |
1946 | 4,620,500 | +33.0% |
1953 | 5,616,700 | +21.6% |
1963 | 7,512,900 | +33.8% |
1971 | 9,131,300 | +21.5% |
1981 | 10,979,400 | +20.2% |
1989 (est.) | 12,437,000 | +13.3% |
2001 | 13,876,200 | +11.6% |
2011 | 15,173,820 | +9.4% |
2001 Census was only carried out in 18 of the 25 districts. Source:Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka & Statistics Sri Lankan Government Census. |
The early recorded history of the Sinhalese is chronicled in two documents, the
Pre-Anuradhapura period
According to the Mahavamsa,
At the end of his reign, Vijaya, having trouble choosing a successor, sent a letter to the city of his ancestors,
Anuradhapura period
In 377 BC, King
Rulers such as
Polonnaruwa period
During the
Transitional period
Later in the 13th century the country's administrative provinces were divided into independent kingdoms and chieftaincies:
In the 15th century a
Modern history
The Sinhalese have a stable birth rate and a population that has been growing at a slow pace relative to India and other Asian countries.
Society
Demographics
Sri Lanka
Within Sri Lanka the majority of the Sinhalese reside in the South, Central, Sabaragamuwa and Western parts of the country. This coincides with the largest Sinhalese populations areas in Sri Lanka. Cities with more than 90% Sinhalese population include Hambantota, Galle, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Monaragala, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.[47]
Province | Sinhalese people |
% Sinhalese population of the province |
% Provincial contribution to total population |
---|---|---|---|
Central | 1,687,199 | 66.00% | 11.11% |
Eastern | 359,136 | 23.15% | 2.36% |
Northern | 32,331 | 3.05% | 0.21% |
North Central | 1,143,607 | 90.90% | 7.53% |
North Western | 2,030,370 | 85.70% | 13.38% |
Sabaragamuwa | 1,657,967 | 86.40% | 10.92% |
Southern | 2,340,693 | 94.96% | 15.42% |
Uva | 1,017,092 | 80.80% | 6.70% |
Western | 4,905,425 | 84.26% | 32.32% |
Total | 15,173,820 | 74.80% | 100.00% |
Diaspora
Sinhalese people have emigrated out to many countries for a variety of reasons. The larger diaspora communities are situated in the United Kingdom, Australia, United States and Canada among others. In addition to this there are many Sinhalese, who reside in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe, temporarily in connection with employment and/or education. They are often employed as guest workers in the Middle East and professionals in the other regions.
The largest population centres of the Sinhalese diaspora are mainly situated in Europe, North America and Australia. The city of
In the U.S., the
Language and literature
Sinhalese people speak
Sandesha Kavyas written by Buddhist priests of Sri Lanka are regarded as some of the most sophisticated and versatile works of literature in the world.[citation needed] The Sinhala language was mainly inspired by Sanskrit and Pali, and many words of the Sinhala language derive from these languages. Today some English words too have come in as a result of the British occupation during colonial times, and the exposure to foreign cultures through television and foreign films. Additionally many Dutch and Portuguese words can be seen in the coastal areas. Sinhalese people, depending on where they live in Sri Lanka, may also additionally speak English and or Tamil. According to the 2012 Census 23.8% or 3,033,659 Sinhalese people also spoke English and 6.4% or 812,738 Sinhalese people also spoke Tamil.[56] In the Negombo area bilingual fishermen who generally identify themselves as Sinhalese also speak the Negombo Tamil dialect. This dialect has undergone considerable convergence with spoken Sinhala.[57]
Folk tales like Mahadana Muttha saha Golayo and Kawate Andare continue to entertain children today. Mahadana Muttha tells the tale of a fool cum Pundit who travels around the country with his followers (Golayo) creating mischief through his ignorance. Kawate Andare tells the tale of a witty court jester and his interactions with the royal court and his son.
In the modern period, Sinhala writers such as
Religion
The form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is known as Theravada (school of elders). The Pali chronicles (e.g., the Mahavansa) claim that the Sinhalese as an ethnic group are destined to preserve and protect Buddhism. In 1988 almost 93% of the Sinhala speaking population in Sri Lanka were Buddhist.[58] Observations of current religious beliefs and practices demonstrate that the Sinhalese, as a religious community, have a complex worldview as Buddhists. Due to the proximity and on some occasions similarity of certain doctrines, there are many areas where Buddhists and Hindus share religious views and practices. Sinhalese Buddhists have adopted religious elements from Hindu traditions in their religious practices. Some of these practices may relate to ancient indigenous beliefs and traditions on spirits (folk religion), and the worship of Hindu deities. Some of these figures are used in healing rituals and may be native to the island.[55][59][60] Gods and goddess derived from Hindu deities are worshiped by Sinhalese. Kataragama Deviyo from Kartikeya, Upulvan from Vishnu and Ayyanayake from Aiyanar can be named as examples. Though these gods take the same place as their Hindu counterparts in mythology, some of their aspects are different compared to the original gods.[61]
Prominent Sri Lankan anthropologists
Christianity
There is a significant Sinhalese
.Religion is considered very important among the Sinhalese. According to a 2008
Genetics
A 2023
In relation to the former, other studies also show the Sinhalese possess some genetic admixture from Southeast Asian populations, especially from Austroasiatic groups.[66][67] Certain Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups and genetic markers of immunoglobulin among the Sinhalese, for example, show Southeast Asian genetic influences many of which are also found among certain Northeast Indian populations to whom the Sinhalese display increased genetic affinities.[68][69][70]
Culture
Sinhalese culture is a unique one dating as far back as 2600 years and has been nourished by Theravada Buddhism. Its main domains are sculpture, fine arts, literature, dancing, poetry and a wide variety of folk beliefs and rituals traditionally. Ancient Sinhala stone sculpture and inscriptions are known worldwide and is a main foreign attraction in modern tourism. Sigirirya is famous for its frescoes. Folk poems were sung by workers to accompany their work and narrate the story of their lives. Ideally these poems consisted of four lines and, in the composition of these poems, special attention had been paid to the rhyming patterns. Buddhist festivals are dotted by unique music using traditionally Sinhalese instruments. More ancient rituals like tovils (devil exorcism) continue to enthrall audiences today and often praised and invoked the good powers of the Buddha and the gods in order to exorcise the demons.
Dress
Traditionally during recreation the Sinhalese wear a
Cuisine
Sinhalese cuisine is one of the most complex cuisines of
Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its
The island nation's cuisine mainly consists of boiled or steamed rice served with curry. This usually consists of a main curry of
Art and architecture
Many forms of Sri Lankan arts and crafts take inspiration from the island's long and lasting
Developed upon Indo-Aryan architectural skills in the late sixth century BCE Sinhalese people who lived upon greater kingdoms such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have built so many architectural examples such as
Music
There are extensive folk poems relating to specific jobs of the ancient society. These poems were communal songs which had a rhythm that were sung when performing day-to-day tasks like harvesting and sowing.[72]
Concerning popular music,
Film and theatre
Dramatist
In the recent years high budget films like
Performing arts
Performing arts of the Sinhalese people can be categorised into few groups:
- Kandyan dance consist of 18 Wannam (dance routines) featuring behaviours of various animals such as elephant, eagle, cobra, monkey, peacock and rabbit, mainly performing in the annual Perahara pageant in Sri Dalada Maligawa Kandy.
- Pahatharata dancehave a significant dancing style which is used to cure illnesses and spiritual clarification. The main feature of these dances is dancers wear masks representing various gods and demons, and use elements such as fire and water to bless people.
- Sabaragamuwa danceshave also a significant dancing style, mainly to entertain people.
- Folk music and dances differ according to the casts of Sinhalese people and also some times regionally—mainly popular among small children, especially girls. These arts are widely performed during the Sinhalese New Year period.
Martial arts
Angampora is the traditional
Science and education
The Sinhalese have a long history of literacy and formal learning. Instruction in basic fields like writing and reading by
Technical education such as the building of
The arrival of the Portuguese and Dutch and the subsequent colonisation maintained religion as the centre of education though in certain communities under Catholic and Presbyterian hierarchy. The British in the 1800s initially followed the same course. Following 1870 however they began a campaign for better education facilities in the region. Christian missionary groups were at the forefront of this development contributing to a high literacy among Christians.[77]
By 1901 schools in the South and the North were well tended. The inner regions lagged behind however. Also, English education facilities presented hurdles for the general populace through fees and lack of access.[77]
Medicine
Traditional Sinhalese villages in early days had at least one chief Medical personnel called Weda Mahaththaya (Doctor). These people practice their clinical activities by inheritance. Sinhalese Medicine resembles some of Ayurvedic practices in contrast for some treatments they use Buddhist Chantings (Pirith) in order to strengthen the effectiveness.
According to the
See also
References
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- Wickremeratne, Ananda. Buddhism and Ethnicity in Sri Lanka: A Historical Analysis (New Delhi-Vikas Publishing House, 1995).
External links
Media related to Sinhalese people at Wikimedia Commons