Dynamics of Local Government System under the British Colonial Period in Sri Lanka

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

© 2020 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal

Volume 7 Issue 6

Year of Publication : 2020

Authors : Shantha Kumara Gamlath

10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V7I6P103

How to Cite?

Shantha Kumara Gamlath, "Dynamics of Local Government System under the British Colonial Period in Sri Lanka," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 7,  no. 6, pp. 14-25, 2020. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V7I6P103

Abstract:

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and dynamics of local administration and governance processes under the British colonial period. Local government is the cornerstone of the democratic governance of the country. As a democratic country, Sri Lanka has a historical timeline for practicing local democratic governance and political tradition since its independence. There was a local governing system under the king domain period in Sri Lanka. But. since colonial administration the local government system has been subjected to many radical and vibrant changers under colonial rule. It was significantly emphasized during the period of the British colonial period. Modern local government system was established under the British colonial period. The main objective of the pre-and post-independence that local democracy and government system was to enhance democratic applications and enhance the social well-being of the ordinary people who live in the grass root. There were a couple of changes and conversion were happened during the period of the British colonial period regarding the local government sector in Sri Lanka. A significant point of the local government sector under the British colonial period is it has been gone democratization process of local democracy with new combinations. Introducing the universal franchise system was a benchmark of the enhance of the local democracy and governance in the local government sector in Sri Lanka. However, there are considerable modifications process had been taken on the local government sector but on the other hand after independence, democracy has been catching up by another social segment beyond the basic principles of democratic concepts. Democracy and its practices were interpreted by some social groups who had social power in society. From the bottom to top, social power was a concentration into a specified group call as elite. In Sri Lanka, the nature of pre-and post-independence politics that freely participation of the politics by the people had been paralyzed due to these specified social groups and their governing system. Parallel to the changing pattern of the social practices that applications and interpretations of the conceptual meaning of democracy also have been changed. Whatever modern features enriched to the democracy and governance that since independence also has been extended elite politics over the democracy and governance system in Not only local but also national politics in Sri Lanka.

Keywords:

Colonial Administration, Modern features of Local Democracy, Social Changes, Elite Politics

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