Sri Lanka: Buddhist Civilizational Populism

Abstract

In this chapter, I discuss the dynamics of Buddhist civilizational populism in modern Sri Lankan society. I first historically contextualize early manifestations of Buddhist civilizational populism in Ceylon, during its occupation by the British Empire (1815–1945). As I discuss, some of the key ideas related to “civilizationism” which were found within leading socio-political movements in the country were formatively influenced by centuries of European colonial rule. Consequently, political frames of identity and belonging that privilege the majority religion have been used by political leaders in the post-independence context, to a considerable degree of success. I discuss what these dynamics mean for representative democracy and issues central to social justice in the post-war context. These insights are useful to understand the impact of the nation’s current debilitating economic crisis on the democratic space and the nuances of future national politics.