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How A Series Of Colonial Misteps Ruined Christianity in Sri Lanka
Possibly for good
In the 19th century, the British embarked upon one of the worst possible conversion efforts in history. The British Empire took possession of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1802. They seized the island from Dutch and Portuguese interests and immediately set out on a war of conquest against the neighboring native Kingdom of Kandy. Numerous British missionaries appeared on Ceylon’s shores on the coattails of the invasion forces with the goal of converting the local population. Instead of increasing Christianity’s influence on the island, the British missionaries damaged it substantially and irreparably.
The British have given history us a lesson on how not to try to convert a local population. Over the course of a century, the British managed to alienate existing Christians and make the local population hostile to the foreign religion. This was because the British steamrolled over local culture and religious nuances that existed on the island long before they arrived. The outcome led to a lingering distrust and hostility toward Christianity in Sri Lanka that exists to this day.
So how did the British screw up so badly, and what can people learn from their mistakes today?
