Solomon Dias Bandaranaike
Encyclopedia
Sir
Solomon Dias Abeywickrema Jayatilleke Senewiratna Rajakumaruna Kadukeralu Bandaranaike, KCMG
, Maha Mudaliyar
, JP
(22 May 1862 - 31 July 1946) was the chief native representative, interpreter and adviser to the Governor of Ceylon
by appointment as Head Mudaliyar
and therefore was one of the most powerful personalities in British colonial Ceylon
.
A member of an aristocratic, elite Sinhalese
Anglican Christian
family he was the son of Mudaliyar
Don Christoffel Henricus Dias Abeywickrema Jayatilake Seneviratne Bandaranaike who was Mudaliyar Governors Gate and 2nd Udagaha Mudaliyar. He was educated at the leading educational institution, S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia.
appointed him to the post of Maha Mudali
(head Mudliyar), the highest position a native Ceylonese could have achieved in British Ceylon
.
His service to the British Empire
was marked by the award of Knight Commander of Order of St Michael and St George
,after travelling to England as Ceylon's official representative at the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria. He was made an All Island Justice of the Peace
and received the King Edward VII Coronation Medal
.
became both Prime Minister
and President of Sri Lanka
. His grandson Anura Bandaranaike
became Speaker
of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Solomon Dias Abeywickrema Jayatilleke Senewiratna Rajakumaruna Kadukeralu Bandaranaike, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, Maha Mudaliyar
Sri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(22 May 1862 - 31 July 1946) was the chief native representative, interpreter and adviser to the Governor of Ceylon
Governor of Ceylon
The British Governor of Ceylon was an official who ruled Ceylon during the British colonial period between 1798 and 1948....
by appointment as Head Mudaliyar
Sri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
and therefore was one of the most powerful personalities in British colonial Ceylon
British Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
.
Early Life
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
Anglican Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
family he was the son of Mudaliyar
Sri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
Don Christoffel Henricus Dias Abeywickrema Jayatilake Seneviratne Bandaranaike who was Mudaliyar Governors Gate and 2nd Udagaha Mudaliyar. He was educated at the leading educational institution, S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia.
Awards/honours
He was appointed a Mohandiram in 1882 by the British and later made Mudaliyar of the Siyane Korale. Governor Sir Arthur HavelockArthur Havelock
Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE was a career British colonial governor, serving as Governor of Sierra Leone from 1880, of Natal, of Madras, of Ceylon from 1890 to 1895, and of Tasmania from 1901 to 1904....
appointed him to the post of Maha Mudali
Sri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
(head Mudliyar), the highest position a native Ceylonese could have achieved in British Ceylon
British Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
.
His service to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
was marked by the award of Knight Commander of Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
,after travelling to England as Ceylon's official representative at the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria. He was made an All Island Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and received the King Edward VII Coronation Medal
King Edward VII Coronation Medal
The King Edward VII Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal issued in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII.-Issue:The medal was only awarded to people who attended the coronation, or participated in the coronation parade...
.
Family
He married Daisy Ezline Obeyesekere in 1898 and his son, Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike became the 4th Prime Minister of Ceylon after independence and his granddaughter Chandrika KumaratungaChandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
became both Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
and President of Sri Lanka
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
. His grandson Anura Bandaranaike
Anura Bandaranaike
Anura Priyadarshi Solomon Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician, served as Speaker , and in several cabinet ministries as Foreign Minister briefly in 2005, Minister of Higher Education , Minister of Tourism , Minister of National Heritage and Leader of the Opposition...
became Speaker
Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka the Speaker of the Parliament is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The Speaker fulfills a number of important functions in relation to the operation the House, which is based upon the British Westminster Parliamentary system.The...
of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.