User:Hansaja1

'''How Sri Lanka gained independence  What is Independence?''' Independence is also known as freedom when you are not under someone’s or some country’s power. We were under the colonial rule of three powerful nations for hundred and thirty three years, they were known as Portuguese (people from Portugal in Europe), Dutch (people from Holland, currently know as Netherlands) and the British (the people from Great Britain). The first Europeans to visit Sri Lanka in modern times were the Portuguese in 1505.Then the Dutch arrived and in 1638 King Rajasinghe of Kandy signed a contract with the Dutch to get rid of the Portuguese and in return the King will give the whole country except for the Kandyan region Though we were under those powerful nations we were not only their slaves. They brought in new plants like tea, rubber and coffee and new food items like bread and new clothing like shoes and trousers and many more, but we weren’t comfortable with their company so we went to war with them. Brave heroes like Kepatipola Disawa, Ven. Sri Sumangala Thero, Gongala Goda Banda, Veera Puran Appu, Variyapola Sri Sumangal etc. These few heroes helped to fight off the British. The Sinhalese people were terrified to fight against the British, because the British outnumbered the Sinhalese and they were a huge colony. Then a Tibetian monk named Mahinda encouraged the Sinhalese to fight against the British.