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Name
The name Colombo was introduced by the Portuguese,
replacing the classical name "kalan thota", or "Kolon
thota", meaning "portal" (i.e., thota in Sinhala, or
thitha in Sanskrit) of the river Kelani. It has also
been suggested, but mostly in non-academic circles, that
the name is derived from the Sinhala name Kola-amba-thota
which means "harbor with leafy mango trees". Traveler
Ibn Batuta in the 14th century referred to it as Kalanpu.
Today's Colombo is a busy vibrant city with a mixture of
modern life and colonial ruins.
History
Since Colombo was a natural harbor, it was known to
Romans, Arabs, and Chinese traders from more than 2,000
years ago . Arabian Muslims whose prime interests were
trade, settled in Colombo in the 8th century mostly
because the port helped their business and controlled
much of the trade between the Sinhalese kingdoms and the
outside world..
Portuguese Era
The Portuguese first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505. On
their first visit they made a treaty with the king of
Kandy enabling them to trade in the islands crop of
cinnamon, which lay along the coastal areas including
Colombo. They were given full authority of the coast
line with the promise of guarding the coast against
invaders. The Portuguese expelled the Muslim inhabitants
and built a fort there to protect their spice trade. The
land between the fortress and the interior was
unoccupied and covered with trees. The Portuguese were
compelled to reinforce the garrison to resist attacks by
the indigenous leaders Mayadunne, Vidiya Bandara and
Rajasinghe I.[4] This part of Colombo is still known as
Fort and houses the presidential palace and the majority
of Colombo's five star hotels. The area immediately
outside Fort is known as Pettah (or "pita kotuwa" in
Singhalese which means outer fort) and is a commercial
hub.
Dutch Era
The Dutch captured the city in 1656 after an epic siege,
at the end of which a mere 93 Portuguese survivors were
given safe conduct out of the fort. It served as the
capital of the maritime provinces under the control of
the Dutch East India Company until 1796.
The historical Wolvendhal church established during
the Dutch era in the 1749
The VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) logo of Dutch
East India Company on the gates of Wolvendhal church
British era The British made the city the capital of
their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802. They were
responsible for much of the planning of the present
city. In some parts of the city tramcar tracks and
granite flooring laid during the era are still visible.
Post Independence
This era of colonialism ended peacefully in 1948 when
Ceylon gained independence from Britain. Because of the
tremendous impact on the city's inhabitants and the
country at large, the changes that resulted at the end
of the colonial period were drastic. An entire new
culture took root. Changes in laws and customs, clothing
styles, religions and proper names were a significant
result of the colonial era. These cultural changes were
followed by the strengthening of the island's economy.
Even today, the influence of the Portuguese, Dutch and
British is clearly visible in Colombo’s architecture,
names, clothing, food, language and attitudes. Buildings
from all three regimes stand in their glory as reminders
of the turbulent past. The city and its people show an
interesting mix of European clothing and lifestyles
together with local customs. The city is by far more
modern than most others in the neighbouring countries
and continues to be a blossoming metropolis of the East.
Its growth and prosperity has been hampered only by the
effects of the protracted conflict between the
Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels in the
northeast, which has produced economic effects
throughout the island.
Historically, Colombo referred to the area around the
Fort and Pettah Market which is famous for the variety
of products available as well as the Khan Clock Tower, a
local landmark. At present, it refers to the city limits
of the Colombo Municipal Council. More often, the name
is used for the Conurbation known as Greater Colombo,
which encompasses several Municipal councils; Kotte,
Dehiwela and Colombo. It may also refer to the Colombo
District. Colombo lost its status as the capital of Sri
Lanka in the 1980s, but continues to be the island's
commercial center. Despite the official capital of Sri
Lanka moving to adjacent Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
(sometimes referred to as the administrative capital),
most countries maintain their diplomatic missions in
Colombo.
Economic history
In the past the city has included cinnamon and coconut
cultivation, but mostly throughout the history the city
has been a port city. Colombo port is one of the busiest
ports in Asia.
Colombo has a history of boom and bust, or at least
boom and quiescence. Colombo was sent into decline by
the aftermath of bomb blasts by the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE)rebel group. However the city remains
a regional economic hub and a center of supplies for the
rest of the island. |
