92-554: Gajabahu I ( Sinhala : ගජබාහු , lit. 'Arm of an elephant', [ˈgadʒəba:ɦu] ), also known as Gajabahuka Gamani (c. 113 – 135 CE), was a Sinhalese king of Rajarata in Sri Lanka . He is renowned for his military prowess, religious benefactions, extensive involvement in South Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka. The primary source for his reign
184-562: A medical corps , and a variety of logistics units. Organized and controlled by the Army General Staff at Army HQ, various formations are raised from time to time to suit various security requirements and operations in the country and overseas. The Army at present has deployed 12 Divisions , 7 task forces and several independent brigades . Except for the 11 Division based at the Panagoda Cantonment which
276-662: A Dravidian origin for this word. ), dola for pig in Vedda and offering in Sinhala. Other common words are rera for wild duck, and gala for stones (in toponyms used throughout the island, although others have also suggested a Dravidian origin). There are also high frequency words denoting body parts in Sinhala, such as olluva for head, kakula for leg, bella for neck and kalava for thighs, that are derived from pre-Sinhalese languages of Sri Lanka. The oldest Sinhala grammar, Sidatsan̆garavā , written in
368-968: A contingent of the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps (CPRC) in 1902, took part in the Second Boer War in South Africa . Their services were recognised by the presentation in 1902 of a colour to the CMI, and a presentation in 1904 of a banner to the CPRC. In 1910, with the enactment of the Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance No. 8 of 1910, the Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was formed bring under it all volunteer units for administrative, training and logistics purposes. It continued to grow throughout
460-668: A divisional headquarters is divided into a GS branch as an AQ branch, each headed by a Colonel and is responsible for operations & training and administration & logistics respectively. Similarly, a Brigade Major and Major AQ is responsible for operations and administration in a brigade . Like the Indian Army , the Sri Lanka Army has largely retained the British-style regimental system that it inherited upon independence. The individual regiments (such as
552-890: A huge rock overlooking the Indian Ocean, close to the gem mining area of the Lower Sitracala Wewa and the inland shipping route of the Walawe Ganga. The archaeologists have found that Godavaya's was an important stop on the maritime Silk Route , in the early centuries of the Common era with excavations and research revealing connections from China to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. A stone inscription in Brahmi , dating to Gajabahu I's reign, orders that part of
644-559: A military campaign; after all it is entirely possible that Gajabahu and Senguvuttan offered joint sacrifices as a way of securing a freshly concluded peace. On the other hand, the versions presented in the Mahavamsa and Silapathikaram do not mention any violence at all, despite being the major sources for this period. Furthermore, the reliability of the entries in the Silapathikaram has been questioned, and it has been suggested that
736-524: A military leader and a great administrator are noteworthy. His reign included a military expedition to Burma in retaliation for indignities inflicted on his envoys and Burmese interference in the elephant trade. This marked the first overseas expedition in Sri Lankan military history. It is also reported that Parakramabahu's fame was such that his assistance was sought by South Indian rulers who were involved in internecine struggles. Another strong ruler in
828-779: A period of prior bilingualism: "The earliest type of contact in Sri Lanka, not considering the aboriginal Vedda languages, was that which occurred between South Dravidian and Sinhala. It seems plausible to assume prolonged contact between these two populations as well as a high degree of bilingualism. This explains why Sinhala looks deeply South Dravidian for an Indo-Aryan language. There is corroboration in genetic findings." In addition to many Tamil loanwords , several phonetic and grammatical features also present in neighbouring Dravidian languages set modern spoken Sinhala apart from its Northern Indo-Aryan relatives. These features are evidence of close interactions with Dravidian speakers. Some of
920-607: A regimental training model to maintain the efficiency of its volunteers culminating with the annual two week training camp at the garrison town of Diyatalawa , in the Badulla District which became the traditional training grounds for the newly formed army. The Army Recruit Training Depot was established in Diyatalawa in 1950 and later renamed as the Army Training Centre . Officer cadets were sent to
1012-740: A service corps company. For much of the 1950s the army was preoccupied with the task of building itself and training existing and new personnel. To this aim the British Army Training Team (BATT) advisory group carried out training for ex-members of the CDF within the Ceylon Army, field rank officers were sent to the British Army Staff College, Camberley and some attached to units of the British Army of
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#17327805855841104-568: A short commission course. The cadets were given a training of fifty-six weeks and devoted themselves to continue their careers in the military with the mandatory ten years of service for regular army officers and five years of service for volunteer officers. Once completing their basic training at SLMA, junior officers would receive specialized training at training centres which would include young officers courses in their area of specialization followed by advanced training on weapon systems. Selected field officers attended command and staff courses at
1196-531: A sizable foreign deployment is maintained. Due to the Sri Lankan Civil War the army has been on a constant mobilized (including volunteers ) state since the 1980s. The majority of the army has been deployed in the North and Eastern provinces of the country, which includes 14 Divisions coming under six operational headquarters and 2 independent Divisions and several independent Brigades . The army
1288-589: A tribute to their military engineering skills. Also, like the Portuguese, the Dutch focussed on maritime power and although they had the capability to develop and use local forces, they chose to isolate themselves from the local population. The British Empire then ousted the Dutch from the coastal areas of the country, and sought to conquer the independent Kandyan Kingdom . In the face of repeated British assaults,
1380-463: Is a conspicuous example of the linguistic phenomenon known as diglossia . Sinhala ( Siṁhala ) is a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indo-Aryan ( Eḷu ) word is Sīhala . The name is a derivative of siṁha , the Sanskrit word for 'lion'. The name is sometimes glossed as 'abode of lions', and attributed to a supposed former abundance of lions on the island. According to
1472-455: Is also based in other parts of the island for internal security including a Division for the defence of the capital. The Sri Lanka Army currently participates in several major overseas deployments: The Sri Lanka Army has taken part in two peacekeeping missions with United Nations over the course of its history. First assignment was in the Congo ( ONUC ) (1960–1963). Most recently, following
1564-599: Is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka , who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million speakers as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script , which is a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala
1656-432: Is celebrated annually as Army Day. Brigadier James Sinclair , Earl of Caithness was appointed as Commandant of the Ceylon Army. The Defence Agreement of 1947 provided the assurance that British would come to the aid of Ceylon in the event it was attacked by a foreign power and provided British military advisers to build up the country's military. In November, a Ceylon Army Guard takes over duties at Echelon Barracks from
1748-519: Is credited with repulsing numerous Indian invasions and for organising a naval build-up to deter seaborne attacks. He also had the foresight to cover his defences with artillery . Vijayabahu I (1055–1110) was another warrior king who dislodged Indian invaders and united the country. Parakramabahu the Great (1153–1186) was an outstanding monarch of the Polonnaruwa period , and his accomplishments as
1840-484: Is divided into four epochs: The most important phonetic developments of Sinhala include: According to Wilhelm Geiger , an example of a possible Western feature in Sinhala is the retention of initial /v/ which developed into /b/ in the Eastern languages (e.g. Sanskrit viṁśati "twenty", Sinhala visi- , Hindi bīs ). This is disputed by Muhammad Shahidullah who says that Sinhala Prakrit branched off from
1932-412: Is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka, alongside Tamil . Along with Pali , it played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature. Early forms of the Sinhala language are attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions, still retaining long vowels and aspirated consonants, is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi , a regional associate of
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#17327805855842024-597: Is responsible for handling all matters pertaining to officers such as promotions , postings and discipline . Each branch is headed by an officer in the rank of Major General who is directly responsible to the Commander of the Army for the smooth functioning of the Branch. Under each Branch, there are several Directorates, each headed by a Brigadier . The headquarters of field formations each have its own staff. For instance
2116-660: Is responsible for the administration and recruitment of all reserve units and personal. The Army Headquarters , housed in the Defence Headquarters Complex in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is the main administrative and the operational headquarters of the Sri Lanka Army. The Army Headquarters is divided into a number of branches, namely the General Staff (GS) branch responsible for coordination of operations and training and
2208-633: Is responsible for the maintenance of capability for the defence of the capital, all other divisions, task forces and brigades are deployed for operations in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, coming under five regional commands known as Security Forces Headquarters , which are the Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna ( SFHQ-J ), Wanni ( SFHQ-W ), East ( SFHQ-E ), Mullaittivu ( SFHQ-MLT ), West ( SFHQ-W ) and Central ( SFHQ-C ). One Security Forces Headquarters,
2300-567: Is the Mahavamsa , though he is also the only early Sri Lankan king (along with Elara ) to be extensively mentioned in the Chera Cilappatikaram (also spelled Silapathikaram). Next to nothing is known about Gajabahu's youth, except that he was the son of Vankanasika Tissa (reigned 110–113 CE), king of Rajarata from Anuradhapura , and his consort Mahamatta. As such he might have witnessed the most dramatic event of Tissa's reign,
2392-603: Is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces . The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; the army was renamed as the 'Sri Lanka Army' when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In 2024, the Army had approximately 150,000 personnel. The Army Headquarters is situated in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte ; Commander of
2484-717: The Infantry Training Centre in Minneriya and the Combat Training School in Ampara. At its formation the armed forces of Sri Lanka had limited indigenous training facilities, especially in technical and advanced roles, they have depended greatly on military training provided by foreign countries. The United Kingdom played a major role in the early years following independence and have continued to be an important source of military expertise to
2576-752: The Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) (formally the Army Training Centre ) and at the Volunteer Force Training School (VFTS) situated in Diyatalawa. The officer cadets graduating from SLMA are commissioned as officers in the regular and volunteer forces, while VFTS conducts shorter commissioning courses for prospective officers for the volunteer force and the National Cadet Corps . The course for officer cadets runs for ninety weeks and includes training in tactics and administration which helps prepare
2668-482: The 1953 hartal , the 1956 Gal Oya Valley riots and in 1958 it was deployed for the first time under emergency regulations throughout the island during the 1958 Riots . During the 1950s and 1960s the army was called upon to carry to essential services when the workers went on strike which were organised by the left-wing parties and trade unions for various reasons, the most notable was the 1961 Colombo Port strike, during which ships threatened to bypass Colombo port and
2760-485: The Adjutant General 's (AGs) branch responsible for personal administration, welfare, medical services, and rehabilitation. The Quarter Master General 's (QMGs) branch is responsible for feeding, transport, movement, and construction and maintenance. The Master General of Ordnance 's (MGOs) branch is responsible for procurement and maintenance of vehicles and special equipment. The Military Secretary 's Branch
2852-545: The Air Mobile Brigade . In other parts of the country, there are Area and Sub-Area Headquarters. Armour , Artillery , Engineers and Signals Units are grouped under Brigade Headquarters of their own arm; Armoured Brigade, Artillery Brigade and so on. At the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, the need to train a standing army was felt strongly since the Ceylon Defence Force had operated on
Gajabahu I - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-797: The Army War College followed by the Command and Staff Course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) at Batalanda, Makola which was established in 1997 as the Army Command and Staff College. Officers may attend specialist long courses such as the Logistics Staff Course that is conducted at the Army School of Logistics which was established in 2011. Senior field officers with
3036-602: The Commando Regiment , Special Forces Regiment , Mechanized Infantry Regiment , Gajaba Regiment , Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment , Military Intelligence Corps , Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps , Sri Lanka Rifle Corps and the Sri Lanka National Guard . The war with the LTTE was halted several times for peace negotiations, the last of which following the signing of a ceasefire agreement in 2002 with
3128-729: The Middle Indian Prakrits that had been used during the time of the Buddha . The most closely related languages are the Vedda language (an endangered, indigenous creole still spoken by a minority of Sri Lankans, mixing Sinhala with an isolate of unknown origin and from which Old Sinhala borrowed various aspects into its main Indo-Aryan substrate), and the Maldivian language . It has two main varieties, written and spoken, and
3220-773: The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , along with specialized training at trade schools of the British Army, while officers of field rank were sent to the Staff College, Camberley and to the Royal College of Defence Studies . With the economic limitations in the 1960s, focus was given for local training in order to save foreign exchange. The army initiated basic officer training at the Army Training Centre in 1968. With
3312-699: The SFHQ-KLN was disbanded in 2021. Each SFHQ and most divisions are commanded by a General Officer Commanding in the rank of Major General . A SFHQ has several divisions under its command and each division is further divided into brigades . Each brigade is commanded by an officer in the rank of Brigadier and has a number of Infantry battalions , support arms ( Artillery , Engineers and Signals ) and support services (Service Corps, Engineering Services, Ordnance Corps, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) under assigned to it. There are also several administrative brigades (Artillery Brigade, Armoured Brigade, etc.) and
3404-552: The Sri Lanka Light Infantry and the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment ) operate independently and recruit their own members. Officers tend to remain in a single battalion throughout their careers. The infantry battalion, the basic unit of organization in field operations, includes five companies of four platoons each. Typical platoon has three squads (sections) of ten personnel each. In addition to
3496-570: The Transitional period of Sri Lanka was Parakramabahu VI , who defeated Indian invaders, united the island and ruled it from capital Kotte . Although the known epigraphical records do not indicate that the Sri Lankan rulers had a full-time standing army at their disposal, there is evidence supported by legend, designation, name, place and tradition that prove there were 'stand-by' equestrian , elephant , and infantry divisions to ensure royal authority at all times. Militias were raised as
3588-587: The UNESCO National Commission of Ceylon According to Wilhelm Geiger , Sinhala has features that set it apart from other Indo-Aryan languages. Some of the differences can be explained by the substrate influence of the parent stock of the Vedda language . Sinhala has many words that are only found in Sinhala, or shared between Sinhala and Vedda and not etymologically derivable from Middle or Old Indo-Aryan. Possible examples include kola for leaf in Sinhala and Vedda (although others suggest
3680-464: The 13th century CE, recognised a category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhala. The grammar lists naram̆ba (to see) and koḷom̆ba (fort or harbour) as belonging to an indigenous source. Koḷom̆ba is the source of the name of the commercial capital Colombo . The consistent left branching syntax and the loss of aspirated stops in Sinhala is attributed to a probable South Dravidian substratum effect. This has been explained by
3772-604: The 17th-century chronicle of Sri Lanka describes the events thus: In contrast the mentions of Gajabahu in the Tamil sources represent a much more cordial visit by the Sri Lankan king. The Silapathikaram mentions him twice. On the first occasion he is with the Chera king Senguvuttan, offering sacrifices to the goddess Kannagi in an introductory passage. Later he is in the Chera king's company again, and on very good terms. It has been suggested that this mention does not necessarily preclude
Gajabahu I - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-508: The Abhayagiri stupa. He also made tank called Gamanitissa for these Vihara. Apart from that he was to build a hall called Mahejasansala in city. Gajabahu is also credited with the introduction of the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka. The Silapathikaram mentions Gajabahu's presence at the consecration of a temple to Kannagi (identified as Pattini in this case) by the Chera king Senguvuttan. Returning from India he brought back not only
3956-653: The Army is the highest appointment in the army who commands the army and is assisted by the Chief of Staff of the Army and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army . The Commander-in-Chief of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the President of Sri Lanka , who heads the National Security Council through the Ministry of Defence , which is charged with formulating, executing defence policy and procurements for
4048-427: The Combat Convoy Company (CCC), well-prepared to serve in the United Nations (UN) Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) left the island on 21 April 2021. The professional head of the army is the Commander of the Army . He is assisted by the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and a Deputy Chief of Staff . The Commandant of the Volunteer Force is head of the Army Volunteer Force and
4140-581: The Eastern Prakrits prior to this change. He cites the edicts of Ashoka , no copy of which shows this sound change. An example of an Eastern feature is the ending -e for masculine nominative singular (instead of Western -o ) in Sinhalese Prakrit. There are several cases of vocabulary doublets , one example being the words mæssā ("fly") and mækkā ("flea"), which both correspond to Sanskrit makṣikā but stem from two regionally different Prakrit words macchiā (Western Prakrits) and makkhikā (as in Eastern Prakrits like Pali ). In 1815,
4232-429: The European armies. However the British, unlike their counterparts, were not primarily restricted to maritime power, and thus had the capability to bring the entire island under their control and to integrate locals into the British defence forces. At the beginning of the 16th century, modern Europe first came in contact with Sri Lanka. In 1505 a Portuguese fleet, while operating in the Indian seas against Arab traders,
4324-415: The Guard of the British Army . The Army Headquarters, Ceylon was established in Colombo, with a General Staff Branch , an Adjutant General Branch , a Quartermaster General Branch and a Pay and Records Branch. Soon after the Headquarters, Ceylon Volunteer Force was established. The initial requirement was to raise an artillery regiment, an engineer squadron, an infantry battalion, a medical unit, and
4416-521: The JVP , forcing the army to deploy its forces in the south of the island and to fight on two fronts between 1987 and 1989. The 1980s saw a massive expiation of the army from 15,000 personal to over 30,000 and more. New regiments were raised, while others were expanded with new battalions. New weapons and equipment were introduced as the war shifted from counter-insurgency to conventional warfare tactics, with multi battalion , brigade and division scale operations. New regiments were formed which included
4508-424: The Kandyans were forced into a degree of guerilla warfare and fared well against their superior British adversaries. Initially the British stationed their forces, which included naval vessels, artillery troops and infantry, to defend the island nation from other foreign powers, using the natural harbor of Trincomalee as their headquarters in Sri Lanka. In 1796, the Swiss and Malay mercenaries who were previously in
4600-485: The Portuguese from the coastal regions of the island. Much like the Portuguese , they did not employ locals in their military and preferred to live in isolation, pursuing their interests in trade and commerce. Like the Portuguese, they defended their forts with their own forces, but unlike the Portuguese, Dutch forces employed Swiss and Malay mercenaries . The Dutch Forts in Jaffna , Galle , Matara , Batticaloa and Trincomalee were sturdily built and are considered
4692-479: The Rhine to gain field experience. Newly recruited officer cadets were sent for training at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst , stating with 10 officer cadets in 1950, which continued until the 1968 and both officers and other ranks were sent to specialist training courses in Britain, India, Pakistan and Malaya. There were no formations and all units were structured to directly function under the Army Headquarters. However temporary field headquarters were to be formed at
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#17327805855844784-464: The Sri Lankan contingent had been deployed with a force of 991 officers and other ranks, many of those deployed have been awarded the United Nations Medal for their services. In November 2007, 114 members of the 950 member Sri Lankan Army peacekeeping mission in Haiti was accused of sexual misconduct and abuse which resulted in 108 members, including three officers, being sent back after being implicated in alleged misconduct and sexual abuse where sex
4876-497: The Sri Lankan military. Other sources include India, Pakistan, the United States, Australia and Malaysia. Additionally, in an agreement reached in 1984, Israeli security personnel (reportedly from Shin Bet , the Israeli counterespionage and internal security organisation) trained army officers in counterinsurgency techniques. With the rapid expansion of the army, in recent years it has expanded its training facilities locally. The Sri Lankan Army has also provided special training to
4968-457: The alms bowl of the Buddha but Pattini's sacred anklet, and constructed a temple to the goddess 'at a place called Vattapalli near Mullaitivu'. However, there is an alternative view that the cult actually arrived in Sri Lanka in the 13th century, and the legend of Gajabahu's patronage was retrospectively created to generate legitimacy for the goddess. The annual Perahara held in Kandy is also thought to have its roots in Gajabahu's reign. Following
5060-722: The armed forces. Repeated incursions by South Indians, particularly the Cholas , into Sri Lankan territory occurred throughout the next few centuries and led to the engagement of the rival forces in battle. In one famous encounter, Sinhalese King Dutugamunu (161–37 BC) raised an army of eleven thousand in his battle against the Chola invader Elara , whom he eventually defeated. Dutugemunu's organisational skills, bravery and chivalry are famous and his battles have gone down in history as outstanding offensive operations. Other Sri Lankan monarchs whose military achievements stand out include Gajabahu I (113–35), who sailed to India to bring back his captured soldiers, and Dhatusena (455–73) who
5152-409: The army responded quickly and successfully defeated the insurgency by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna by mid 1971. In May 1972, when Ceylon was proclaimed a republic and changed its name from the Dominion of Ceylon to the Republic of Sri Lanka, all Army units were renamed accordingly. By the late 1970s the army was confronted with a new conflict, this time with Tamil militant groups in the north of
5244-399: The basic infantry forces, a commando regiment was also established in 1986. Support for the infantry is provided by an armoured regiment, five reconnaissance regiments, three mechanized infantry regiments, five field artillery regiments, a rocket artillery regiment, three commando regiments, three special forces regiments, six field engineering regiments, five signals battalions,
5336-418: The cadets to take up the positions of platoon and company commanders. The course consisted of military and academic subjects and also trained the cadets physically . The course helps to promote leadership qualities and the understanding of each one's role as an officer and a servant of the state. Due to the lack of officers within the lower levels, the training process was sped up in the 1980s by developing
5428-453: The chronicle Mahāvaṃsa , written in Pali, Prince Vijaya of the Vanga Kingdom and his entourage merged in Sri Lanka with later settlers from the Pandya kingdom . In the following centuries, there was substantial immigration from Eastern India, including additional migration from the Vanga Kingdom (Bengal), as well as Kalinga and Magadha . This influx led to an admixture of features of Eastern Prakrits. The development of Sinhala
5520-402: The country almost starved. To counter these common strikes several units were formed, who were employed in development work when there were no strikes. New regiments were formed, which included the Ceylon Armoured Corps , Ceylon Sinha Regiment and the Ceylon Pioneer Corps . In 1962 several senior officers attempted a military coup , which was stopped hours before it was launched. Thereafter
5612-654: The customs collections at the Godavaya Port at Ambalanthota be donated to the nearby Godapawath Temple. There have been three inscriptions and some 75,000 late Roman coins found in earthen vessels in the region. Sri Lanka, Past and Present. Weikersheim: Margraf Verlag, 12–37. ISBN 3-8236-1289-1 . Sinhala language Sinhala ( / ˈ s ɪ n h ə l ə , ˈ s ɪ ŋ ə l ə / SIN -hə-lə, SING -ə-lə ; Sinhala: සිංහල , siṁhala , [ˈsiŋɦələ] ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( / ˌ s ɪ n ( h ) ə ˈ l iː z , ˌ s ɪ ŋ ( ɡ ) ə ˈ l iː z / SIN -(h)ə- LEEZ , SING -(g)ə- LEEZ ),
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#17327805855845704-425: The disbandment of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment in 1874. The Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was originally administered as a single regiment. However, over the years various sections of the volunteers grew large enough to become independent regiments. The different units that emerged from the Volunteer Force were the These volunteers saw active service when a contingent of the Ceylon Mounted Infantry (CMI) in 1900, and
5796-417: The early period of the 20th century. During the First World War , many volunteers from the Defence Force travelled to Great Britain and joined the British Army , and many of them were killed in action. One of them mentioned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was Private Jacotine of the CLI, who was the last man left alive in his unit at the Battle of Lys , and who continued to fight for 20 minutes before he
5888-634: The features that may be traced to Dravidian influence are: ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නවා dannavā know ඒක අලුත් කියලා මම දන්නවා ēka aḷut kiyalā mama dannavā it new having-said I know "I know that it is new." ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new ද da Q කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නේ Sri Lanka Army The Sri Lanka Army ( Sinhala : ශ්රී ලංකා යුද්ධ හමුදාව , romanized: Śrī Laṃkā yuddha hamudāva ; Tamil : இலங்கை இராணுவம் , romanized: Ilankai iraṇuvam )
5980-534: The government mistrusted the military and reduced the size and growth of the army, especially the volunteer force, disbanding several units and forming the Gemunu Watch . In 1971, the Army found itself facing a full blown insurgency , when the JVP Insurrection broke out in April 1971. Having been caught by surprise, as a result of failure to comprehend the magnitude of the insurgency from intelligence reports. Although completely ill-prepared to deal with an insurgency, lacking weapons, ammunition, equipment and training;
6072-469: The help of international mediation. However, renewed violence broke out in December 2005 and following the collapse of peace talks, the Army has been involved in the heavy fighting that has resumed in the north and east of the country. Since 1980 the army has undertaken many operations against the LTTE rebels. The major operations conducted by the army eventually led to the recapture of Jaffna and other rebel strongholds. On 19 May 2009 Sri Lankan army declare
6164-410: The influx of illegal South Indian immigrants brought in by smugglers on the north-western coast, in support of Royal Ceylon Navy coastal patrols and police operations. This was expanded and renamed as Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration (TaFII) in 1963 and continued up to 1981 when it was disbanded. The Army was mobilised to help the police to restore peace under provincial emergency regulations during
6256-437: The invasion of Rajarata by the Chola king Karikalan. The Mahavamsa mentions Gajabahu's accession and reign of twenty-two years and mentions neither Karikalan's invasion nor the military campaigns to south India that Gajabahu became famous for. Instead he is presented as a great patron of religion; the chronicle credits him with the construction of two viharas - Matuvihara and Rumika - and a stupa called Abhayuttara. Matuvihara
6348-431: The island of Ceylon came under British rule . During the career of Christopher Reynolds as a Sinhalese lecturer at the School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London , he extensively researched the Sinhalese language and its pre-1815 literature. The Sri Lankan government awarded him the Sri Lanka Ranjana medal for his work. He wrote the 377-page An anthology of Sinhalese literature up to 1815 , selected by
6440-432: The island. After the Matale Rebellion led by Puran Appu in 1848, in which a number of Sinhalese recruits defected to the side of the rebels, the recruitment of Sinhalese to the British forces was temporarily halted. On 1 April 1881 by a proclamation issued by the Governor of Ceylon , a Volunteer Force was raised in Ceylon. It was designated the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers (CLIV) in an attempt to compensated for
6532-415: The island. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) emerged as the prominent of these Tamil militant groups. The war escalated to the point where India intervened as a peacekeeping force. This was later seen as a tactical error, as the Indian Peace Keeping Force united nationalist elements such as the JVP to politically support the LTTE in their call to evict the IPKF. This led to a second insurgency by
6624-654: The issue of accountability with regard to any alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the civil war found "credible allegations" which, if proven, indicated that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and the Tamil Tigers. As of present, the bulk of the Sri Lankan Army is deployed for domestic defensive and combat operations, while
6716-469: The meeting between Gajabahu and Senguvttan is the result of a certain amount of 'poetic licence' on the part of the compiler Gajabahu is regarded in modern Sri Lanka as an archetype of the mighty Sinhalese monarch, who avenged humiliation by the Cholas and took the sporadically fought wars between Rajarata and Chola to Indian soil. The Sri Lanka Army has an infantry regiment, Gajaba Regiment , named after
6808-677: The necessity arose, and the soldiers returned to their pursuits, mainly for farming, after their spell of military duty. Parts of Sri Lanka came under the control of three colonial European powers, namely the Portuguese in the 16th century, the Dutch in the 17th century and the British in the 18th century. Yet, until the entire island was ceded to the British in 1815, regional kingdoms maintained most of their independent defence forces and were able to successfully repulse repeated thrusts by
6900-598: The potential to advance to general officer rank are selected to attend the prestigious National Defence College (NDC) in Colombo which is the highest level of military training in Sri Lanka. The General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) formed in 1981 and situated in Ratmalana , fourteen kilometres south of Colombo , as only university specializing in defence studies in the island. Each year, approximately fifty cadets from all three services are admitted to
6992-579: The rapid expansion of the army in the 1980s and 1990s saw the establishment of local specialist and trade schools, along with staff colleges and a defence university. At present the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) with its headquarters at Diyatalawa formulates all training doctrine of the army and all its training centres. ARTRAC directs all army training establishments, regimental training establishments and battalion training schools. All pre-commissioning training for officers are carried out at
7084-672: The service of the Dutch were transferred to the British East India Company . While the Swiss Regiment de Meuron left in 1806 and was eventually disbanded in Canada in 1822, the Malays, who initially formed a Malay Corps , were converted into the 1st Ceylon Regiment in 1802 and placed under a British commanding officer. In the same year, the British became the first foreign power to raise a Sinhalese unit, which
7176-673: The signing of a ceasefire agreement was signed between the government and the LTTE in 2002, Sri Lankan forces were invited by the United Nations to be part of the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti . In the process of the peacekeeping operations, two soldiers were killed in a raid in Petit-Goave. After over 6 months of service, the first contingent of the peacekeeping force returned to Sri Lanka on May 17, 2005. In December 2007, 7th rotation of
7268-462: The successful completion of a campaign into Chola territories the temple of Vishnu in Anuradhapura is said to have staged a procession in thanks, which eventually developed into today's festival. Gajabahu was succeeded by his father-in-law Mahallaka Naga. However the sources contrast deeply on the actual events of his reign and the reality of the situation remains somewhat obscure. Rajavaliya,
7360-429: The time requirement arose. Due to a lack of any major external threats, the growth of the army was slow, and the primary duties of the army quickly moved towards internal security by the mid-1950s, the same time as the first Ceylonese Army Commander Major General Anton Muttukumaru took command of the army. The first internal security operation of the Ceylon Army began in 1952, code named Operation Monty to counter
7452-676: The university (aged 18–22) to participate in a three-year programme of academic work and as sent to their service academies for their final year of training. In addition KDU conducts postgraduate and masters programs in defence related subjects for officers who attend staff and defence courses at DSCSC and NDC. Training for the new recruits are carried out by the Army Training School in Maduru Oya and at several locations by training battalions, followed by additional specialized training in arms or trade at training centres such as
7544-476: The victory of war as they found the dead body of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran . This marked the end of the war, with the LTTE ceasing to exist in Sri Lanka as a result of prolonged military offensives conducted by Sri Lanka army. The Sri Lankan Armed Forces, including the army, have been accused of committing war crimes during the war, particularly during the final stages. A panel of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on
7636-539: The warrior king, and the Sri Lanka Navy had named a ship named after the king, the SLNS Gajabahu . To students of Indian history his reign is important as it provides the ' Gajabahu syncretism ' which is used to date many rulers of the ancient Chola and Chera. There have been a series of archaeological excavations in recent years at the ancient port Godavaya (= Godawaya, Gothapabbata), situated around
7728-475: Was blown off course and landed at Galle , on the southern coast of the island. In 1517 the Portuguese re-appeared, and with the consent of the Sinhalese King established a trading post in Colombo . Having initiated contact with Sri Lanka as traders, the Portuguese soon made themselves political masters of the western seaboard. Numerous forts were soon established, and features of European civilisation
7820-478: Was built according to the advice of his Queen mother at the thickest of Kadambha river for honoring her. As well as his Queen mother donated money for the plot of land to build a Vihara for the Great Vihara. He is also credited with making a mantle for Dutugemunu 's Mirisavetiya, and for building a reservoir to provide the Abhayagiri monastery with food. He also made improvements to the four entrance ways of
7912-590: Was composed entirely of African troops. It was later renamed as the Ceylon Rifle Regiment . Eventually, the Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to the British in 1815, and with that they gained control over the whole island. Resistance to British occupation cropped up almost instantly. During the first half-century of occupation, the British faced a number of uprisings, and were forced to maintain a sizable army in order to guarantee their control over
8004-484: Was exchanged for money and valuable items, with some acts considered rape as they involved those under 18. In January 2019, a Sri Lankan army officer and trooper on peace keeping duty in Mali were killed and three more wounded when their convoy came under an IED attack. The incident prompted the army to accelerate its Avalon program . Sri Lanka Army's newest contingent of 243 professionally-trained Army personnel in
8096-545: Was followed by the Army Act No. 17 of 1949 which was passed by Parliament on April 11, 1949, and formalised in Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of October 10, 1949 marked the creation of the Ceylon Army, consisting of a regular and a volunteer force, the later being the successor of the disbanded CDF. Therefore, October 10, 1949, is considered the day the Ceylon Army was raised, and as such October 10
8188-563: Was introduced. The Portuguese are credited with the introduction of European-style fortresses to Sri Lanka during this era. Although some locals already possessed military training and fighting experience, there is no evidence that the Portuguese employed local inhabitants into their own forces. Thus the Portuguese were forced to restrict their presence in the island due to their small numbers and their efforts were more focused toward projecting maritime power. In 1602 Dutch explorers first landed in Sri Lanka. By 1658 they had completely ousted
8280-753: Was killed. In 1922, the CDF was honoured by the presentation of the King's and Regimental colours to the Ceylon Light Infantry (CLI). In 1939, the CDF was mobilised and an enormous expansion took place which required the raising of new units such as the Ceylon Signals Corps , the Auxiliary Territorial Service (Ceylon) and also the Colombo Town Guard , which had been previously disbanded, but
8372-634: Was later re-formed to meet military requirements. During the Second World War , Britain assumed direct control over the Armed Forces of Ceylon. At the end of World War II , CDF which had increased in size during the war began demobilisation. In 1948 Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain, becoming a Dominion within the Commonwealth and a year earlier Ceylon entered into the bi-lateral Anglo-Ceylonese Defence Agreement of 1947. This
8464-519: Was named the 2nd Ceylon Regiment , also known as the Sepoy Corps . In 1803 the 3rd Ceylon Regiment was created with Moluccans and recruits from Penang . All these regiments fought alongside British troops in the Kandyan Wars which began in 1803. Throughout the following years, more Sinhalese and Malays were recruited to these regiments, and in 1814 the 4th Regiment was raised, which
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