Modern Sri Lanka Studies

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Book review "Dutch and British colonial intervention in Sri Lanka 1780-1815: expansion and reform"
(University of Peradeniya, 2013) De Silva, B.
As the tile of the book points to, the study of both Dutch and British periods has been attempted by the author in this single monograph but the British phase is restricted to the intervention in the maritime areas. In this phase, the Dutch experiment formed the guiding principle in laying down the administrative policy except for Governor North's ill-conceived introduction of Madrasi tax farmers which led to revolt and their recall. The Dutch administrator of Batticaloa, the young Swiss merchant, Jacob Burnand had influenced the British system of early administration so much so that the author observes that 'by adopting the image of the former regime to his own ideals, by stressing its stability, experienced and what he called "enlightened" background, Burnand legitimized Maitland's own course in the island, based on his own idea about the progress and development of societies'