Ceylon Under the British Occupation, 1795-1833 : 2 Vols

Contents: Vol. 1 : Preface. Introduction. 1. The Portuguese and Dutch in Ceylon. I. Political: 2. The British occupation of the maritime provinces. 3. Kandyan relations to 1801. 4. The first Kandyan war. 5. The decline and fall of the Kandyan kingdom. 6. Aftermath--the great rebellion. II. Administrative: 7. The East India Company's administration of the maritime provinces. 8. The crown administration of the maritime provinces. 9. The Kandyan administrative system. 10. The development of the judiciary. Index. Maps.

Vol. 2 : Preface. III. Economic: 11. Land tenure. 12. Agriculture and the land tax. 13. Rajakariya. 14. Cinnamon. 15. Trade, monopolies and customs duties. 16. Public revenue. 17. Finance. Conclusion: 18. The commission of enquiry and the period of reform. Appendix. Bibliography. Index.

"This book is an attempt to present a reasonably detailed and accurate account of the early period of British rule in Ceylon. It embodies the fruits of full three and a half years of intensive research and is based on all such material as has been accessible both in Ceylon and England.

"The author has paid special attention to administrative and economic development of this period which have not received due share of attention hitherto.

"Vol. I: This volume begins with a sketch of the general position immediately prior to 1795. The author then describes the British occupation of the Dutch East India Company's settlements in the Maritime Provinces of Ceylon, which flowed directly from the course of European politics. Then inland kingdom of Kandy came into British possession, though their hold over this territory was confirmed only after the quelling of a rebellion in 1817-18.

"Vol. II covers economic history of this period and encompasses land tenure, agriculture and land tax, Rajakriya, cinnamon, trade, monopolies, revenue and finance. It is stated that while the tenurial system in the Sinhales district of the Maritime Provinces was very complicated and in theory, the king was the absolute lord of the soil, the system in the Tamil districts was much simpler, and all the lands in these districts were are freehold, and when sown with grain paid one-tenth of the produce to government, but no tax was demanded for any other produce. Measures were designed to make the Island self-sufficient in the product of paddy became its first concern." (jacket)