Ethnic Attachments in Sri Lanka examines the uses of ethnic identity in
Sri Lankan society from the early medieval period through the present
day. It takes account of the religious assertion of ethnicity in the
early medieval period in South India and Sri Lanka. The book also traces
the cultural geography of ethnic regions that existed under Portuguese
and Dutch rule (1506-1796). The author shows how the following British
period (1796-1948) was a time of extensive institutional collaboration
between rulers and the upper levels of the native population resulting
in a class society. Turning to the present civil war the author argues
that it is due to modern competitive politics, which has pitted religion
against language, resulting in escalating rounds of violence.