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119-455: The commissioners were four British parliamentarians appointed by Sydney Webb , the first Labour Secretary of State for the Colonies on 13 November 1927. Their task was to draft a new constitution for Sri Lanka that would not only satisfy the aspirations of all the groups within the island, including British plantation owners, but also enable Sri Lanka to take its place as a partner in

238-527: A Government , a political party or alliance usually requires a simple majority in Parliament. Since Bangladesh's independence, the prime minister has concurrently held the position of Leader of the House . The Parliament of Barbados is the legislative branch of the government of Barbados. It is a bicameral body, composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Assembly. The Senate (upper house),

357-583: A Member of Parliament refers to a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (since 1978), the National State Assembly (1972–78) and the House of Representatives of Ceylon (1947–72), the lower house of the Parliament of Ceylon . Members are elected in a general elections or appointed from the national lists allocated to parties (and independent groups) in proportion to their share of

476-506: A general election , usually held once every five years unless Parliament is dissolved sooner by the president on the advice of the prime minister . Under the Constitution of Bangladesh , an individual is required to be a citizen of Bangladesh and must have attained the age of 25 years in order to qualify for election to Parliament. The Parliament consists of 300 directly elected members from general seats elected by use of first past

595-694: A legal fiction allows voluntary resignation between elections; as MPs are forbidden from holding an " office of profit under the Crown", an MP wishing to resign will apply for the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds or the Stewardship of the Manor of Northstead which are nominally such paid offices and thus result in the MP vacating their seat. (Accepting a salaried ministerial office does not amount to

714-443: A South Indian style saree. Within the more populated areas, Sinhalese men also wear Western-style clothing — wearing suits while the women wear skirts and blouses. For formal and ceremonial occasions women wear the traditional Kandyan ( Osariya ) style, which consists of a full blouse which covers the midriff completely, and is partially tucked in at the front. However, modern intermingling of styles has led to most wearers baring

833-835: A campaign for better education facilities in the region. Christian missionary groups were at the forefront of this development contributing to a high literacy among Christians. By 1901 schools in the South and the North were well tended. The inner regions lagged behind however. Also, English education facilities presented hurdles for the general populace through fees and lack of access. Traditional Sinhalese villages in early days had at least one chief Medical personnel called Weda Mahaththaya (Doctor). These people practice their clinical activities by inheritance. Sinhalese Medicine resembles some of Ayurvedic practices in contrast for some treatments they use Buddhist Chantings ( Pirith ) in order to strengthen

952-477: A combination of sinha (සිංහ) , literally "lion", and la (ල), for "slayer" or "taker", hence Sinhala may mean "lion-slayer". The story of the derivation of Sinhala is told in Mahāvaṃsa , and it is believed to be a reference to the founding legend of Sri Lanka; the island was conquered by a descendant of Sinhabahu , who is said to have killed his father, a lion. According to legend, a princess Suppadevi of Vanga

1071-577: A first-past-the-post basis in single-seat constituencies. The Parliament of Canada consists of the monarch , the Senate and the House of Commons . Only members of the House of Commons are referred to as members of Parliament ( French : député ); members of the Senate are called Senators (French: sénateur ). There are currently 105 seats in the Senate and 338 in the House of Commons. Members of Parliament are elected, while senators are appointed by

1190-406: A general election for a three-year term. There are 72 electorate MPs, of which seven are elected only by Māori who have chosen to be registered on a separate Māori electoral roll. The remaining members are elected by proportional representation from published party lists . Since 1907, members of the House of Representatives have been referred to as 'Member of Parliament', abbreviated MP. From

1309-589: A high level of West Eurasian maternal ancestry among the Sinhalese. The analyses show strong gene flow between the Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils, and higher gene flow from South Indian as well as some North and Northwest Indian populations. Among the Indian populations, the Sinhalese are closest genetically to certain South Indian subgroups, but the analyses also reveal deeply rooted common genetic ancestry with

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1428-567: A major trade hub, it draws influence from colonial powers that were involved in Sri Lanka and by foreign traders. Rice , which is consumed daily, can be found at any occasion, while spicy curries are favourite dishes for lunch and dinner . Some of the Sri Lankan dishes have striking resemblance to Kerala cuisine , which could be due to the similar geographic and agricultural features with Kerala . A well-known rice dish with Sinhalese

1547-409: A member of Parliament. Members of Parliament are styled Yang Berhormat ("Honourable") with the initials Y.B. appended prenominally . A prince who is a member of Parliament is styled Yang Berhormat Mulia . The prime minister, deputy prime minister and Tuns who are members of Parliament are styled Yang Amat Berhormat ("Most Honourable"), abbreviated Y.A.B. The Parliament of Malta consists of

1666-630: A mural of cave number 17 . Another suggestion on the origin of Sinhala proposes that the descendants of Sinhabahu may have been called "Sinha" or lions, either because they were descended from a lion or because they were brave like a lion, but those who conquered and settled in Sri Lanka were called Sinhala simply as a derivative of "Sinha" for the people of the lion. Likewise, the conquered lands may be called 'Sinhalaya' or 'Sinhalé' (up-country Sri Lanka), or 'Sinhala dvipa', and their language 'Sinhala' or Sinhala-Bhasha'. The early recorded history of

1785-487: A paid office under the Crown for these purposes.) The House of Lords is a legislative chamber that is part of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Although they are part of the parliament, its members are referred to as peers , more formally as Lords of Parliament , not MPs. Lords Temporal sit for life, Lords Spiritual while they occupy their ecclesiastical positions. Hereditary peers may no longer pass on

1904-594: A parliament and other expert advisers on parliamentary procedure such as the Senate parliamentarian in the United States. The term is aMembers of parliament typically form parliamentary groups , sometimes called caucuses , with members of the same political party .lso used to the characteristic of performing the duties of a member of a legislature, for example: "The two party leaders often disagreed on issues, but both were excellent parliamentarians and cooperated to get many good things done." The Westminster system

2023-399: A plea for female suffrage for educated women, and granted suffrage to all women aged 21 in Sri Lanka – at a time when British suffragettes were still fighting to have the voting age lowered from 28. Having noted that the island was riven by power struggles between competing ethnic groups , it devised a system of executive committees that would control all government departments. It rejected

2142-508: A population that has been growing at a slow pace relative to India and other Asian countries. Within Sri Lanka the majority of the Sinhalese reside in the South, Central, Sabaragamuwa and Western parts of the country. This coincides with the largest Sinhalese populations areas in Sri Lanka. Cities with more than 90% Sinhalese population include Hambantota , Galle , Gampaha , Kurunegala , Monaragala , Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa . Sinhalese people have emigrated out to many countries for

2261-547: A seat in the House of Lords to their heir automatically. The 92 who remain have been elected from among their own number, following the House of Lords Act 1999 and are the only elected members of the Lords. Members of the National Assembly , the lower house of Parliament , are styled "members of Parliament", while members of the Senate , the upper house, are referred to as "senators". Member of Parliament can be

2380-499: A variety of reasons. The larger diaspora communities are situated in the United Kingdom, Australia, United States and Canada among others. In addition to this there are many Sinhalese, who reside in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe, temporarily in connection with employment and/or education. They are often employed as guest workers in the Middle East and professionals in the other regions. The largest population centres of

2499-427: Is Kiribath , meaning 'milk rice'. In addition to sambols , Sinhalese eat mallung , chopped leaves mixed with grated coconut and red onions . Coconut milk is found in most Sri Lankan dishes to give the cuisine its unique flavour. Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices . The best known is cinnamon which is native to Sri Lanka. In the 15th and 16th centuries, spice and ivory traders from all over

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2618-619: Is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom . This term comes from the Palace of Westminster , the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . At the Commonwealth level, a "member of parliament" is a member of the House of Representatives , the lower house of the Commonwealth (federal) parliament . Members may use the postnominal "MP" after their names. "MHR" ("Member of

2737-531: Is a main foreign attraction in modern tourism. Sigirirya is famous for its frescoes. Folk poems were sung by workers to accompany their work and narrate the story of their lives. Ideally these poems consisted of four lines and, in the composition of these poems, special attention had been paid to the rhyming patterns. Buddhist festivals are dotted by unique music using traditionally Sinhalese instruments. More ancient rituals like tovils (devil exorcism) continue to enthrall audiences today and often praised and invoked

2856-678: Is a member of either of the two chambers of the Parliament of Austria ( Österreichisches Parlament ). The members of the Nationalrat are called Abgeordnete zum Nationalrat . The members of the Bundesrat , elected by the provincial diets ( Landtage ) of the nine federal States of Austria , are known as Mitglieder des Bundesrats . In Bulgaria there are 240 members of Parliament ( Bulgarian : Народно събрание / Парламент ; transliteration Narodno sabranie / Parlament), which are called 'Deputati' (singular Deputat). Moreover, there are 240 MPs in

2975-476: Is commonly used. In bicameral legislatures, members of the lower house ( legislative assembly or house of assembly ) also use the post-nominals "MLA" or "MHA" and members of the upper house ( legislative council ) use "MLC". MLCs are informally refer to as upper house MPs. The Parliament of the Bahamas is the bicameral national parliament of Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The parliament is formally made up by

3094-482: Is equal, then there is no election and the reserved seats are filled in accordance with the candidate lists prepared by parties. In the event there are more candidates than seat allocations, the 300 MPs elected from general seats vote through use of the single transferable vote system to determine the reserved seats. In reality, there has never been an election for reserved seats as parties have never nominated more candidates than they have been allocated. In order to form

3213-446: Is not subject to dissolution, and one third of the members retire every two years. Vacancies in both houses, whether because of death or resignation of a member, must be filled by using a bypoll within six months of the vacancy; the newly elected member then only serves the remainder of the term of the seat to which they are elected. The number of seats in both houses is regulated by the Constitution and parliamentary statutes . Since

3332-778: Is often made colourful with the incorporation of songs and dance adding more uniqueness to the industry. In the recent years high budget films like Aloko Udapadi , Aba (film) and Maharaja Gemunu based on Sinhalese epic historical stories gain huge success. Performing arts of the Sinhalese people can be categorised into few groups: Angampora is the traditional martial art of the Sinhalese people. It combines combat techniques, self-defence , sport , exercise and meditation . Key techniques observed in Angampora are: Angam , which incorporates hand-to-hand fighting, and Illangam , which uses indigenous weapons such as Velayudaya , staves, knives and swords. Its most distinct feature

3451-641: Is represented in many forms such as painting , sculpture , and architecture . One of the most notable aspects of Sri Lankan art are caves and temple paintings, such as the frescoes found at Sigiriya , and religious paintings found in temples in Dambulla and Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy . Other popular forms of art have been influenced by both natives as well as outside settlers. For example, traditional wooden handicrafts and clay pottery are found around

3570-495: Is the coconut sambol , made of ground coconut mixed with chili peppers , dried Maldives fish and lime juice . This is ground to a paste and eaten with rice, as it gives zest to the meal and is believed to increase appetite. Many forms of Sri Lankan arts and crafts take inspiration from the island's long and lasting Buddhist culture which in turn has absorbed and adopted countless regional and local traditions. In most instances Sri Lankan art originates from religious beliefs, and

3689-411: Is the use of pressure point attacks to inflict pain or permanently paralyse the opponent. Fighters usually make use of both striking and grappling techniques, and fight until the opponent is caught in a submission lock that they cannot escape. Usage of weapons is discretionary. Perimeters of fighting are defined in advance, and in some of the cases is a pit. Angampora became nearly extinct after

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3808-522: The 2011 Canadian Census , 7,220 people identified themselves as of Sinhalese ancestry , out of 139,415 Sri Lankans. There are a small number of Sinhalese people in India , scattered around the country, but mainly living in and around the northern and southern regions. Sri Lankan New Zealanders comprised 3% of the Asian population of New Zealand in 2001. The numbers arriving continued to increase, and at

3927-480: The Hela Atuwa were lost after their translation into Pali . Other significant Sinhala texts include Amāvatura , Kavu Silumina , Jathaka Potha and Sala Liheeniya . Sinhala has also adopted many loanwords of foreign origin , including from many Indian such as Tamil and European languages such as Portuguese, Dutch, and English. Sandesha Kavyas written by Buddhist priests of Sri Lanka are regarded as some of

4046-680: The Islamabad Capital Territory is represented by four senators. A member of the Senate of Pakistan (a senator) has a tenure of six years. Member of Parliament refers to elected members of the Parliament of Singapore , the appointed Non-constituency Member of Parliament from the opposition, as well as the Nominated Members of Parliament , who may be appointed from members of the public who have no connection to any political party in Singapore. In Sri Lanka ,

4165-549: The Maratha . Some older studies however pointed towards a predominantly Bengali contribution and a minor Tamil influence. Gujarati and Punjabi lineages are also visible. In relation to the former, other studies also show the Sinhalese possess some genetic admixture from Southeast Asian populations , especially from Austroasiatic groups . Certain Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups and genetic markers of immunoglobulin among

4284-617: The Sinhalese or Sinhala people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the island of Sri Lanka . They are the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, constituting about 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number more than 15.2 million. The Sinhalese people speak Sinhala , an insular Indo-Aryan language . Sinhalese people are predominantly Theravada Buddhists , although a significant minority of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity and other religions . Since 1815, Sinhalese people were broadly divided into two subgroups:

4403-615: The Soulbury constitution came into being with independence in 1948. Sri Lanka remained virtually independent under the Donoughmore constitution, with full control over domestic affairs, using the mechanism of universal suffrage to elect a national government at a time when only white countries in the European empires had that privilege, and continue its passage to relative prosperity without any major ethnic clashes for 16 years. Under

4522-663: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) and two houses, the Dewan Rakyat (the House of Representatives ) and Dewan Negara (the Senate ). The term "members of Parliament" only refers to members of the Dewan Rakyat . In Malay , a member of Parliament is called Ahli Parlimen , or less formally wakil rakyat (people's representative). Members of Parliament are elected from population-based single-seat constituencies using first-past-the-post voting . The prime minister must be

4641-444: The counties and 12 members are nominated representatives. Kenya also has 47 elected senators from 47 counties; who sit in the Senate parliament. The senators oversee the counties, which are run by governors- also democratically elected. There are also members of county assembly. They are elected from each ward, and seat in county assemblies to oversee and make laws for their respective counties. The Parliament of Malaysia consists of

4760-545: The governor general on behalf of the sovereign at the direction of the prime minister . Retirement is mandatory for senators upon reaching the age of 75 years. Each province (and territory) has its own legislature, with each member usually known as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). In certain provinces, legislators carry other titles: Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario , Member of

4879-546: The 1860s until 1907 they were designated as 'Member of the House of Representatives', abbreviated 'MHR'. Between the first general election, in 1853 , and the 1860s, the designation was "Member of the General Assembly", abbreviated MGA. Before 1951, New Zealand had an upper house, the Legislative Council , whose members were appointed. A member of Parliament is a member of either of the two houses of

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4998-618: The 1970s. Italy was attractive to the Sinhalese due to perceived easier employment opportunities and entry, compared to other European countries. It is estimated that there are 30,000–33,000 Sinhalese in Italy. The major Sinhalese communities in Italy are located in Lombardia (In the districts Loreto and Lazzaretto), Milan , Lazio , Rome , Naples , and Southern Italy (Particularly Palermo , Messina and Catania ). Many countries census list Sri Lankan, which also includes Sri Lankan Tamils, so

5117-589: The 2018 census there were over 16,000 Sri Lankans living in New Zealand among those 9,171 were Sinhalese. In the U.S., the Sinhalese number about 12,000 people. The New York City Metropolitan Area contains the largest Sri Lankan community in the United States, receiving the highest legal permanent resident Sri Lankan immigrant population, followed by Central New Jersey and the Los Angeles metropolitan area . Many Sinhalese have migrated to Italy since

5236-510: The Ceylon Tamils was left dumbfounded ... by the complete bouleversement of the policies they had pursued for the last decade(p. 18 ). Further, "the Sinhalese leaders were also very dubious about the new franchise, but were willing to support it in a quid pro quo for the abolition of communal electorates"(p. 17 ). The All-Ceylon Tamil league first opposed the DC on the grounds that

5355-540: The DC, but for reasons entirely different from those of the conservative Tamils. They were followers of Nehru and Gandhi , and in 1925 called for the abolition of the caste system, cooperation with the Sinhalese, adoption of the national dress and "swabasha" in place of English. They called for a complete boycott of the Donoughmore Constitution. On 25 April 1931 the Jaffna Youth congress adopted

5474-767: The Dáil", and addressed as "Teachta" (Deputy), while a Member of the Seanad is known and addressed as Seanadóir (Senator). These titles are used much more commonly in English than the official Irish. A member of Parliament was the term used to refer to a member of the pre-1801 Irish House of Commons of the Parliament of Ireland . Irish members elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland were also called members of Parliament from 1801 to 1922. Northern Ireland continues to elect MPs to

5593-408: The House of Representatives (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance. The Parliament of Nauru consists of 18 seats. Members of Parliament are entitled to use the prefix The Honourable . The New Zealand Parliament is made up of the monarch and the unicameral House of Representatives . A member of Parliament is a member of the House of Representatives, which has a minimum of 120 members, elected at

5712-574: The House of Representatives") was not used, which was affirmed by cabinet in 1901 and reaffirmed in 1951 and 1965. However, the prohibition of "MHR" does not appear to have been strictly enforced, as it was used most recently by Tony Abbott when he was in the parliament (1994–2019). A member of the upper house of the Commonwealth Parliament, the Senate , is known as a "Senator". In the Australian states and territories , "MP"

5831-611: The National Assembly (MNA) in Quebec ( French : député ) and Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) in Newfoundland and Labrador . The provincial upper houses were eliminated between 1876 ( Manitoba ) and 1968 (Quebec). In Gibraltar, members of parliament serve in the unicameral Gibraltar Parliament . There are 17 seats in the Parliament, to which candidates are elected by block voting . Each candidate represents

5950-433: The National Assembly . Parliamentary elections are traditionally held every five years with no term limits imposed. The 25 provinces of Cambodia are represented by the members of Parliament in the National Assembly. A constituency may have more than one MP, depending on the population. Sinhalese people The Sinhalese people ( Sinhala : සිංහල ජනතාව , romanized:  Sinhala Janathāva ), also known as

6069-548: The Pakistani Parliament: the National Assembly of Pakistan and Senate of Pakistan . The National Assembly of Pakistan has a total of 342 members, of whom 272 are directly elected, and 70 seats are reserved for women and minorities. A member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNA) has a tenure of five years. On the other hand, there are 104 members of the Senate of Pakistan, in which all four provinces are represented by 23 senators regardless of population, while

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6188-410: The Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Parliament of Jamaica is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It is a bicameral body, composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives. The Senate (upper house), the direct successor of a pre-Independence body known as the "Legislative Council"—comprises 21 senators appointed by the governor-general: thirteen on the advice of

6307-582: The Sinhalese by Portuguese, Dutch, and British missionary groups during their respective periods of rule. Most Sinhalese Christians are Roman Catholic ; a minority are Protestant . Their cultural centre is Negombo . Religion is considered very important among the Sinhalese. According to a 2008 Gallup poll , 99% of Sri Lankans considered religion an important aspect of their daily lives. A 2023 genetics study by Singh et al using higher resolution markers than previous studies found strong affinity between Sri Lankan and South Asian maternal gene pools as well as

6426-741: The Sinhalese diaspora are mainly situated in Europe, North America and Australia. The city of Melbourne contains just under half of the Sri Lankan Australians . The 2011 census recorded 86,412 Sri Lanka born in Australia. There are 73,849 Australians (0.4 of the population) who reported having Sinhalese ancestry in 2006. Sinhala was also reported to be the 29th-fastest-growing language in Australia (ranking above Somali but behind Hindi and Belarusian ). Sinhalese Australians have an exceptionally low rate of return migration to Sri Lanka. In

6545-573: The Sinhalese is chronicled in two documents, the Mahavamsa , compiled in Pāli around the fourth century CE, and the later Culavamsa (the first segment probably compiled in the 13th century CE by the Buddhist monk Dhammakitti). These are ancient sources that cover the histories of the powerful ancient Sinhalese kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa which lasted for 1500 years. The Mahavamsa describes

6664-405: The Sinhalese people from northern India who settled on the island in the sixth century BCE. Sinhala developed in a way different from the other Indo-Aryan languages because of the geographic separation from its Indo-Aryan sister languages. It was influenced by many languages, prominently Pali , the sacred language of Southern Buddhism, Telugu and Sanskrit . Many early texts in the language such as

6783-458: The Sinhalese, as a religious community, have a complex worldview as Buddhists. Due to the proximity and on some occasions similarity of certain doctrines, there are many areas where Buddhists and Hindus share religious views and practices. Sinhalese Buddhists have adopted religious elements from Hindu traditions in their religious practices. Some of these practices may relate to ancient indigenous beliefs and traditions on spirits ( folk religion ), and

6902-590: The Sinhalese, for example, show Southeast Asian genetic influences many of which are also found among certain Northeast Indian populations to whom the Sinhalese display increased genetic affinities. Sinhalese culture is a unique one dating as far back as 2600 years and has been nourished by Theravada Buddhism. Its main domains are sculpture, fine arts, literature, dancing, poetry and a wide variety of folk beliefs and rituals traditionally. Ancient Sinhala stone sculpture and inscriptions are known worldwide and

7021-595: The South Indians and regaining control of the kingdom. Other rulers who are notable for military achievements include Gajabahu I , who launched an invasion against the invaders, and Sena II, who sent his armies to assist a Pandyan prince. During the Middle Ages Sri Lanka was well known for its agricultural prosperity under king Parakramabahu in Polonnaruwa during which period the island

7140-482: The Youth Congress maintained up to 1934 that the boycott was justified, but later admitted that it was a grave mistake. Tamil leaders who did not take part in the boycott were Dr. Saravanamuttu (Colombo North), M. Subramanium (Trincomalee-Batticaloa), S. M. Ananthan (Mannar), Peri Sundaram (Hatton), S. P. Vytilingam (Talawakelle). G. G. Ponnambalam , an ambitious catholic lawyer from Colombo who did not belong to

7259-546: The abolition of the communal (representation) principle when coupled with the universal franchise proposal would mean "death to the minorities", as the Sinhalese would now receive over 50% of the seats. Then in 1929 there was a tactical change, the Tamils opposing it as the Donougmore Constitution did not grant full self-government (p 20,). The leaders of the Jaffna Youth congress, a radical group, also opposed

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7378-417: The absence of an opposition leader in parliament (i.e. in the case of a landslide victory where one party takes all 30 seats in the House of Assembly, as occurred in 2018 and 2022) the president will then appoint the remaining two senators in the opposition's stead allowing for 9 independents instead. The House of Assembly (lower house) is made up of 30 members of Parliament, elected to five-year terms on

7497-417: The ancient world after Great Pyramid of Giza , and Abayagiriya – third tallest brick building in the ancient world. And also with the ancient hydraulic technology which is also unique to Sinhalese people to build ancient tanks, systematic ponds with fountains moats and Irrigational reservoirs such as Parakrama Samudra , Kaudulla and Kandalama . Sigiriya which is considered by many as the eighth wonder of

7616-552: The artistic masterwork Rekava which sought to create a uniquely Sinhalese cinema with artistic integrity. Since then, Peries and other directors like Vasantha Obeysekera , Dharmasena Pathiraja , Mahagama Sekera , W. A. B. de Silva, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake , Sunil Ariyaratne , Siri Gunasinghe , G. D. L. Perera , Piyasiri Gunaratne, Titus Thotawatte , D. B. Nihalsinghe , Ranjith Lal, Dayananda Gunawardena , Mudalinayake Somaratne, Asoka Handagama , and Prasanna Vithanage have developed an artistic Sinhalese cinema. Sinhala cinema

7735-403: The basis of language or ethnicity and all Sri Lankans are classified into one group as Asian British or Asian Other. Sinhalese people speak Sinhala , also known as "Helabasa"; this language has two varieties, spoken and written. Sinhala is an Indo-Aryan language within the broader group of Indo-European languages . The early form of the language was brought to Sri Lanka by the ancestors of

7854-498: The building of reservoirs and canals was passed down from generation to generation through home training and outside craft apprenticeships. The arrival of the Portuguese and Dutch and the subsequent colonisation maintained religion as the centre of education though in certain communities under Catholic and Presbyterian hierarchy. The British in the 1800s initially followed the same course. Following 1870 however they began

7973-481: The capital to Anuradhapura and developed it into a prosperous city. Anuradhapura (Anurapura) was named after the minister who first established the village and after a grandfather of Pandukabhaya who lived there. The name was also derived from the city's establishment on the auspicious asterism called Anura. Anuradhapura was the capital of all the monarchs who ruled from the dynasty. Rulers such as Dutthagamani , Valagamba , and Dhatusena are noted for defeating

8092-722: The coastal areas. Sinhalese people, depending on where they live in Sri Lanka, may also additionally speak English and or Tamil . According to the 2012 Census 23.8% or 3,033,659 Sinhalese people also spoke English and 6.4% or 812,738 Sinhalese people also spoke Tamil. In the Negombo area bilingual fishermen who generally identify themselves as Sinhalese also speak the Negombo Tamil dialect . This dialect has undergone considerable convergence with spoken Sinhala . Folk tales like Mahadana Muttha saha Golayo and Kawate Andare continue to entertain children today. Mahadana Muttha tells

8211-564: The country came under British rule in 1815, but survived in a few families until the country regained independence. The Sinhalese have a long history of literacy and formal learning. Instruction in basic fields like writing and reading by Buddhist Monks pre-date the birth of Christ . This traditional system followed religious rule and was meant to foster Buddhist understanding. Training of officials in such skills as keeping track of revenue and other records for administrative purposes occurred under this institution. Technical education such as

8330-486: The creation of legislation. Elections to Dáil Éireann are held at least every five years using the single transferable vote; while elections to Seanad Éireann are restricted to members of both houses, elected members of local authorities, and alumni of National University of Ireland colleges. Eleven senators are nominated directly by the Taoiseach . A Member of Dáil Éireann is known as a Teachta Dála (TD) or "Deputy to

8449-531: The day on which it first met." ( Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 ). A candidate to become an MP must be a British or Irish or Commonwealth citizen, be at least 18 years of age (reduced from 21 in 2006), and not be a public official or officeholder, as set out in the schedule to the Electoral Administration Act 2006 . Technically, MPs have no right to resign their seats (though they may refuse to seek re-election). However

8568-809: The direct successor of a pre-Independence body known as the "Legislative Council"—comprises 21 senators appointed by the president. The President appoints 12 Senators on the advice of the Prime Minister and two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.The remaining seven Senators are nominated by the President at their discretion (that is, the President is not bound by other political leaders' advice in these appointments) to represent various religious, social, economic, or other interests in Barbados. In

8687-400: The elected House of Representatives, which has 41 members elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies, and the Senate which has 31 members appointed by the president: 16 government senators appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 6 opposition senators appointed on the advice of the leader of the opposition and 9 independent senators appointed by

8806-439: The elit group of the earlier Tamil leaders, also rejected the boycott. He eventually took control of the leadership of the Tamils. The Indian Tamils (Tea plantation workers who were annual immigrants or immigrants since the late 19th century) were not granted the franchise by the first State Council. The majority Sinhalese MPs also worked hard to replace the DC by a cabinet model. They finally managed to get rid of it in 1947 when

8925-413: The equitable, socialist vision of the world Webb was proselytising. Lord Donoughmore , on the other hand, was a genial Liberal peer , best known for championing women's right to university education and a gourmet palate. The Donoughmore Commission arrived in Sri Lanka in 1927 and spent four months interviewing islanders. They held 34 sittings and interviewed 140 people. The Commissioners listened to

9044-540: The existence of fields of rice and reservoirs , indicating a well-developed agrarian society . According to the Mahavamsa, Prince Vijaya and his 700 followers left Suppāraka , landed on the island at a site believed by historians to be in the district of Puttalam , south of modern-day Mannar , and founded the kingdom of Tambapanni. It is recorded that Vijaya made his landing on the day of Buddha's Parinirvana. Vijaya claimed Tambapanni as his capital and soon

9163-628: The formation of the Irish Free State in 1922 and subsequently in the Republic of Ireland , the legislature of Ireland is known as the Oireachtas , and consists of the president; the upper house, Seanad Éireann (or Senate); and lower house, Dáil Éireann (Assembly, or House of Representatives). They are functionally similar to other bicameral parliaments, with the lower house being significantly more influential and having more power over

9282-515: The good powers of the Buddha and the gods in order to exorcise the demons. Traditionally during recreation the Sinhalese wear a sarong ( sarama in Sinhala). Men may wear a long-sleeved shirt with a sarong. Clothing varies by region for women. Low country Sinhalese women wear a white Long sleeved jacket, and a tight wrap around skirt, which usually is embedded with a floral or pattern design. As for

9401-585: The greatest number of representatives in both houses. The person which secures the support of more than half the seats in the Lok Sabha forms the Government . To form the government, parties may form a coalition. The term of a member of the Rajya Sabha is six years, while Lok Sabha members are elected for a term of five years, unless the house is dissolved sooner. Rajya Sabha is a permanent house that

9520-434: The hill country while Portuguese-inspired lacework and Indonesian-inspired Batik have become notable. It has many different and beautiful drawings. Developed upon Indo-Aryan architectural skills in the late sixth century BCE Sinhalese people who lived upon greater kingdoms such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have built so many architectural examples such as Ruwanwelisaya , Jetavanaramaya – second tallest brick building in

9639-602: The immensely popular children's novel Madol Duwa . Munadasa Cumaratunga's Hath Pana is also widely known. The form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is known as Theravada (school of elders). The Pali chronicles (e.g., the Mahavansa) claim that the Sinhalese as an ethnic group are destined to preserve and protect Buddhism. In 1988 almost 93% of the Sinhala-speaking population in Sri Lanka were Buddhist. Observations of current religious beliefs and practices demonstrate that

9758-433: The influence of the Indian cooking methods and food have played a major role in what Sri Lankans eat. The island nation's cuisine mainly consists of boiled or steamed rice served with curry. This usually consists of a main curry of fish or chicken , as well as several other curries made with vegetables , lentils and even fruit curries. Side-dishes include pickles , chutneys and sambols . The most famous of these

9877-460: The island circa 543 BCE , from the legendary kingdom of Sinhapura led by Prince Vijaya , who mixed with later settlers from the Pandya kingdom . Genetic analyses have found genetic affinity between the Sinhalese and South Indian populations, as well as links to other Indian populations such as the Maratha . There are a couple of explanations for the word Sinhala. Sinhala may be considered

9996-547: The island's several subsequent constitutions, Sri Lanka has suffered communal violence. Author Shyam Selvadurai offers a fictionalized account of the Donoughmore Commission in his novel Cinnamon Gardens. Member of Parliament A member of parliament ( MP ) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district . Members of parliament typically form parliamentary groups , sometimes called caucuses , with members of

10115-560: The island. In the 15th century a Kandyan kingdom formed which divided the Sinhalese politically into low-country and up-country. In this period, the Sinhalese caste structure absorbed recent Dravidian Hindu immigrants from South India leading to the emergence of three new Sinhalese caste groups – the Salagama , the Durava and the Karava . The Sinhalese have a stable birth rate and

10234-544: The late 1930s/early 1940s. He has been followed by artists of repute such as Sunil Shantha , W. D. Amaradeva , Premasiri Khemadasa , Nanda Malini , Victor Ratnayake , Austin Munasinghe, T. M. Jayaratne , Sanath Nandasiri , Sunil Edirisinghe , Neela Wickremasinghe, Gunadasa Kapuge , Malini Bulathsinghala and Edward Jayakody . Dramatist Ediriweera Sarachchandra revitalised the drama form with Maname in 1956. The same year, film director Lester James Peries created

10353-433: The midriff. The Kandyan style is considered as the national dress of Sinhalese women. In many occasions and functions, even the saree plays an important role in women's clothing and has become the de facto clothing for female office workers especially in government sector. An example of its use is the uniform of air hostesses of Sri Lankan Airlines . Sinhalese cuisine is one of the most complex cuisines of South Asia . As

10472-607: The monarch (represented by the governor-general), an appointed Senate, and an elected House of Assembly. It currently sits at Nassau, the national capital. The structure, functions, and procedures of the parliament are based on the Westminster system. In Bangladesh , a member of parliament is an individual who serves in the unicameral Jatiya Sangsad or House of the Nation. Members of the Jatiya Sangsad are elected at

10591-550: The most sophisticated and versatile works of literature in the world. The Sinhala language was mainly inspired by Sanskrit and Pali, and many words of the Sinhala language derive from these languages. Today some English words too have come in as a result of the British occupation during colonial times, and the exposure to foreign cultures through television and foreign films. Additionally many Dutch and Portuguese words can be seen in

10710-416: The national vote at a general election. A candidate to become an MP must be a Sri Lankan citizen and can be a holder of dual-citizenship in any other country, be at least 18 years of age, and not be a public official or officeholder. The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is the legislative branch of the government of Trinidad and Tobago. The Parliament is bicameral. It consists of

10829-470: The need to establish Buddhist schools for educating Buddhist youth and organising Buddhists with new organisations such as the Young Men's Buddhist Association, as well as printing pamphlets to encourage people to participate in debates and religious controversies to defend Buddhism. There is a significant Sinhalese Christian community, in the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka. Christianity was brought to

10948-550: The normal parliament and 400 in the "Great Parliament". The Great Parliament is elected when a new constitution is needed. There have been seven Great Parliaments in modern Bulgarian history , in 1879, 1881, 1886, 1893, 1911, 1946 and 1990. MPs in Bulgaria are called депутати ( deputies) . The member of parliament ( Khmer : សមាជិកសភា ) refers to the elected members of the National Assembly . There are 125 members of parliament in total. They are also alternatively called member of

11067-456: The numbers of just Sinhalese are not as accurate when the census states Sri Lankan and not Sinhalese. Though Sinhalese people in particular and Sri Lankans in general have migrated to the UK over the centuries beginning from the colonial times, the number of Sinhalese people in the UK cannot be estimated accurately due to inadequacies of census in the UK. The UK government does not record statistics on

11186-511: The original gods. Prominent Sri Lankan anthropologists Gananath Obeyesekere and Kitsiri Malalgoda used the term "Protestant Buddhism" to describe a type of Buddhism that appeared among the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka as a response to Protestant Christian missionaries and their evangelical activities during the British colonial period. This kind of Buddhism involved emulating the Protestant strategies of organising religious practices. They saw

11305-484: The post who represent single-constituencies, while 50 seats are reserved exclusively for women and are allocated on a proportional basis . After an election, the Election Commission allocates reserved seats to parties based on the number of general seats they won. A party then presents a list of candidates, each requiring a presenter and a seconder. If the number of candidates presented and seats allocated

11424-522: The president of Malta and the House of Representatives of 69 members (article 51 of the Constitution), referred to as "members of Parliament" (article 52(1) of the Constitution). When appointed from outside the House, the speaker is also considered a member of the Parliament. The Constitution lists the qualifications and disqualifications from serving as a member of Parliament. Privileges of members of Parliament and their Code of Ethics are laid out in

11543-461: The president to represent other sectors of civil society. The United Kingdom elects members of its parliament: and four devolved legislatures: MPs are elected in general elections and by-elections to represent constituencies , and may remain MPs until Parliament is dissolved. "If it has not been dissolved earlier, a Parliament dissolves at the beginning of the day that is the fifth anniversary of

11662-407: The prime minister and eight on the advice of the leader of the opposition. The House of Representatives, the lower house, is made up of 63 (previously 60) members of Parliament, elected to five-year terms on a first-past-the-post basis in single-seat constituencies. The National Assembly of Kenya has a total of 349 seats; 205 members are elected from the constituencies , 47 women are elected from

11781-457: The principle of communal representation. Every parliamentarian in Sri Lanka would sit on one of these committees, ensuring that no one ethnic group could control all levers of power and patronage. Instead, all executive decisions would require a measure of consensus among the different ethnic representatives. The greatest misgiving of many of the Ceylonese leaders, both Sinhalese and Tamil, was

11900-471: The recommendation of universal franchise by DC. Jane Russell in her detailed study states that (p. 16) "Ponnambalam Ramnathan and most of the 'conservatives' believed and argued that the giving of the vote to the non- vellala castes and to women was not only a grave mistake, leading to 'mob rule', but Ramanathan explicitly suggested that it was anathema to the Hindu way of life". The political leadership of

12019-429: The resolution that "this conference holds 'Swaraj' to be the inalienable birth-right of every people... Whereas the DC militates itself against the attainment of 'Swaraj', this congress further pledges itself to boycott the scheme"(p 29). Thus the first State Council of Ceylon opened on 7 July 1931 with much pomp and ceremony, but without any of the established and experienced Ceylon Tamil political leaders. The leaders of

12138-461: The same political party . Many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members often have a different title. The terms congressman / congresswoman or deputy are equivalent terms used in other jurisdictions. The term parliamentarian is also sometimes used for members of parliament, but this may also be used to refer to unelected government officials with specific roles in

12257-515: The socialist British empire that Webb envisioned. Two of the Commissioners, Dr. Drummond-Shiels and Frances Butler , had been Labour Party London County Councillors for many years prior to entering Parliament and serving in the short-lived Lib-Lab government coalition stitched together by Lloyd George in 1926. They were serious-minded men in the traditional Labour " Christian Socialist " mould. Above all, they were missionaries for

12376-492: The state legislatures and 9 belongs to the union territories of Delhi , Puducherry , and Jammu and Kashmir , and are elected by using the single transferable vote method of proportional representation . The remaining 12 members are nominated by the president for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services. Each state has a fixed number of representatives allocated in each chamber, in order of their respective populations. The state of Uttar Pradesh has

12495-580: The takeover of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in August 2021, a member of parliament (MP) was a member of the lower house of the bicameral National Assembly of Afghanistan : a member of the Wolesi Jirga (House of People) held one of the in total 250 seats in the lower house. The 102 members of the upper house Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders) were called Senators. A member of Parliament

12614-605: The tale of a fool cum Pundit who travels around the country with his followers ( Golayo ) creating mischief through his ignorance. Kawate Andare tells the tale of a witty court jester and his interactions with the royal court and his son. In the modern period, Sinhala writers such as Martin Wickremasinghe and G. B. Senanayake have drawn widespread acclaim. Other writers of repute include Mahagama Sekera and Madewela S. Ratnayake. Martin Wickramasinghe wrote

12733-741: The term (often a translation) for representatives in parliamentary democracies that do not follow the Westminster system and who are usually referred to in a different fashion, such as deputé in France, deputato in Italy, deputat in Bulgaria, parlamentario or diputado in Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America, deputado in Portugal and Brazil, and Mitglied des Bundestages (MdB) in Germany. However, better translations are often possible. Prior to

12852-777: The throne. However, Vijaya had died before the letter had reached its destination, so the elected minister of the people Upatissa , the Chief government minister and leading chief among the Sinhalese became regent and acted as regent for a year. After his coronation (in 505 BC), which was held in Tambapanni, he left it, building another city Upatissa Nuwara , named after himself, 11–13 km (7–8 miles) further north of Tambapanni. When Vijaya's letter finally arrived, Sumitta had already succeeded his father as king of his country, and so he sent his son Panduvasdeva to rule Upatissa Nuwara. In 377 BC, King Pandukabhaya (437–367 BC) moved

12971-509: The up country Sinhalese, women wear a similar outfit, but with a puffed up shoulder jacket, and a tucked in frill that lines the top of the skirt (Reda and Hatte in Sinhala). Traditionally, high caste Kandyan women wear a Kandyan style sari , which is similar to the Maharashtrian sari , with the drape but with a frill lining the bottom half and sometimes puffed up sleeves. It is also called an Osariya. The low country high caste women wear

13090-492: The up-country Sinhalese of the central mountainous regions , and the low-country Sinhalese of the coastal regions. Although both groups speak the same language, they are distinguished as they observe different cultural customs. According to the Mahavamsa , a Pali chronicle compiled by Buddhist monks of the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya in Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese descend from settlers who immigrated to

13209-504: The whole island went under this name. Tambapanni was originally inhabited and governed by Yakkhas , having their capital at Sirīsavatthu and their queen Kuveni . According to the Samyutta Commentary, Tambapanni was one hundred leagues in extent. At the end of his reign, Vijaya, having trouble choosing a successor, sent a letter to the city of his ancestors, Sinhapura , in order to invite his brother Sumitta to take over

13328-567: The whole of Gibraltar as their constituency. A member of Parliament is a member of either of the two houses of the Indian Parliament : Lok Sabha (lower house) and Rajya Sabha (upper house). Lok Sabha has 543 seats, all of whom are directly elected by the citizens of India from each parliamentary constituency of states and union territories via first-past-the-post voting . Rajya Sabha can have 245 members, of which 238 members are indirectly elected. Of these 238 members, 229 belong to

13447-459: The world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques. Lamprais , rice boiled in stock with a special curry , accompanied by frikkadels ( meatballs ), all of which is then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked as a Dutch-influenced Sri Lankan dish. Dutch and Portuguese sweets also continue to be popular. British influences include roast beef and roast chicken . Also,

13566-441: The world, it is a combination of natural and man made fortress, which consists so many architectural aspects. There are extensive folk poems relating to specific jobs of the ancient society. These poems were communal songs which had a rhythm that were sung when performing day-to-day tasks like harvesting and sowing. Concerning popular music, Ananda Samarakoon developed the reflective and poignant Sarala gee style with his work in

13685-439: The worship of Hindu deities . Some of these figures are used in healing rituals and may be native to the island. Gods and goddess derived from Hindu deities are worshiped by Sinhalese. Kataragama Deviyo from Kartikeya , Upulvan from Vishnu and Ayyanayake from Aiyanar can be named as examples. Though these gods take the same place as their Hindu counterparts in mythology, some of their aspects are different compared to

13804-465: Was abducted by a lion, with whom she then bore a daughter called Sinhasivali , and a son, Sinhabahu . On the origin of Sinhala, Mahāvaṃsa says: "By whatever means; the monarch Síha Báhu slew the 'Síha' (lion), from that feat his sons and descendants are called 'Síhala' (the lion-slayers)." By this account, Sri Lanka conquered and colonised by his descendants therefore also came to be associated with 'Sinhala'. The first king of Sri Lanka, Vijaya ,

13923-541: Was famous around the world as the rice mill of the east. Later in the 13th century the country's administrative provinces were divided into independent kingdoms and chieftaincies: kingdom of Sitawaka , kingdom of Kotte , Jaffna kingdom and the Kandyan kingdom . The invasion by the Hindu king Magha in the 13th century led to migrations by the Buddhists (mostly Sinhalese) to areas not under his control. This migration

14042-454: Was followed by a period of conflict among the Sinhalese chiefs who tried to exert political supremacy. Parakramabahu VI , a Sinhalese king invaded the Jaffna kingdom and conquered it, bringing the entire country back under the Sinhalese kingdom for 17 years. Trade also increased during this period, as Sri Lanka began to trade cinnamon and a large number of Muslim traders were bought into

14161-459: Was the son of Sinhabahu, the ruler of Sinhapura . Some versions suggest Vijaya was the grandson of Sinhabahu. According to the Mahavamsa and other historical sources , King Vijaya arrived on the island of Tambapanni (Sri Lanka) and gave rise to the Sinhalese. The story of the arrival of Prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka and the origin of the Sinhalese people is also depicted in the Ajanta caves, in

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