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Death and Grief in Ceylon in the Nineteenth Century: A Case Study on the British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy

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Abstract

The British Garrison Cemetery is a burial ground for Europeans that is located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Consisting of graves that date from the early to late 19th century, it provides information on the social status and individual identities of the European settlers in the hill country of the island, and also the circumstances of their deaths. The cause of the high mortality rates among infants, children, and young adults there may be related to the lack of medical facilities, cholera epidemics, and the vulnerability of Europeans to tropical diseases. Graves of individuals who belonged to Nonconformist groups, such as Methodists and Presbyterians, are located on the same grounds as the graves of Anglicans. This apparent harmony indicates that the political and religious rivalry that existed between Anglicans and Nonconformists in England was minimal in British colonies.

Resumen

El Cementerio de la Guarnición Británica es un cementerio para los europeos que se encuentra en Kandy, Sri Lanka. Consta de tumbas que datan de principios a finales del siglo XIX y proporciona información sobre el estatus social y las identidades individuales de los colonos europeos en la región montañosa de la isla, así como las circunstancias de sus muertes. La causa de las altas tasas de mortalidad entre lactantes, niños y adultos jóvenes puede estar relacionada con la falta de instalaciones médicas, las epidemias de cólera y la vulnerabilidad de los europeos a las enfermedades tropicales. Las tumbas de personas que pertenecieron a grupos inconformistas, como metodistas y presbiterianos, están ubicadas en los mismos terrenos que las tumbas de los anglicanos. Esta aparente armonía indica que la rivalidad política y religiosa que existía entre anglicanos e inconformistas en Inglaterra era mínima en las colonias británicas.

Résumé

Le Cimetière de la Garnison britannique est un lieu de sépultures pour les Européens se trouvant à Kandy au Sri Lanka. Rassemblant des tombes datant du début du 19ème siècle jusqu'à son terme, il fournit des informations sur le statut social et les identités individuelles des colons européens dans les hauteurs de l'île et aussi sur les circonstances de leur mort. La cause des taux élevés de mortalité parmi les nouveaux-nés, les enfants et les jeunes adultes là-bas est peut-être liée à l'absence d'établissements médicaux, aux épidémies de choléra ainsi qu'à la vulnérabilité des Européens aux maladies tropicales. Les tombes des individus qui appartenaient à des groupes nonconformistes, tels que les Méthodistes et les Presbytériens, sont situées sur les mêmes terres que les tombes des Anglicans. Cette harmonie apparente indique que la rivalité politique et religieuse qui existait entre les Anglicans et les Nonconformistes en Angleterre était minime dans les colonies britanniques.

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Notes

  1. Unless noted, passages are taken from the Authorized Version (AV) of the Bible.

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Acknowledgments:

The authors express their thanks to Mr. Charles Carmichael, keeper of the British Garrison Cemetery, Mrs. Chandrika Cooray, and Mr. George Alexander for their support in obtaining information for this study, and the reviewers whose comments helped improve and clarify this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy

    Kishān Chaleendra Amarasinghe

  2. Central Cultural Fund, 4th Floor, Sethsiripaya-Stage II, Battaramulla, 10120, Sri Lanka

    Rashmila Vidulani Bandara

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Amarasinghe, K.C., Bandara, R.V. Death and Grief in Ceylon in the Nineteenth Century: A Case Study on the British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy. Hist Arch 56, 341–359 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-021-00321-4

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