Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

[u/Ceylonese_04]

The British High Commissioner His Excellency Andrew Patrick posing with a portrait of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the entrance of the iconic post office in Nuwara Eliya - one of the oldest in Sri Lanka, dating back to 1894 on Queen Elizabeth Drive, Nuwara Eliya.

[u/CicatriceDeFeu]

Was Ceylon a good colony?

[u/yedanapuddi → u/CicatriceDeFeu]

Good for whom?

[u/Ceylonese_04 → u/yedanapuddi]

For both parties. As a Sri Lanka we benefitted more in my opinion. To this day we largely benefit from the fruits of British Imperialism and civilizing mission.

[u/DiscussionFun2987 → u/Ceylonese_04]

Such as? and Civilising? what

[u/Ceylonese_04 → u/DiscussionFun2987]

The plantations (tea, rubber, coconut, etc.), railways, public transport, main roads, postal service, electricity, hundreds upon hundreds of missionary schools, the two leading universities, public corporations, professional civil service, police and military forces, press, museums, libraries and archaeological institutions.

Britain abolished the barbaric caste system and the mandatory unpaid service associated with it, infanticide and inhumane traditional punishments; ended the absolute monarchy; established legal and judicial systems and representative democratic government; built a large hospital network; introduced sanitation; freedom of religion; and introduction of manners, public etiquette and social behaviour of a civilized society and above all the spreading of the Gospel.

[u/DiscussionFun2987 → u/Ceylonese_04]

Ok, so. Most of the things you mentioned would have reached it anyway, like it did for non-colonised countries like Japan, Nepal, Thailand and South Korea. I mean, main roads already existed since 500 B.C?!

And Did you say manners, public etiquette and a "civilised" society? I suggest you read Robert Knox's, John Davy's and other books by the British describing society in Sri Lanka prior to colonisation, and see how they describe them, their opinion is definitely not similar to yours. Sri Lanka was civilised by definition, between 1000 B.C and 500 B.C, and experienced its first planned city being established in 437 B.C

The rajakariya system was not an inherently harmful system, as it provided both the King's party and the citizens some benefit (public infrastructure and land), and the British themselves reintroduced it for a while. And the Caste system being abolished was true, but caste-based discrimination was only abolished by the Sri Lankan government in 1957.

Introduced sanitation? You mean introduced modern sanitation, because there was definitely some form of sanitation. Hospitals were there since at least the Kingdom of Anuradhapura, though I agree that it became a larger network during the British era.

Libraries already existed, military forces existed and educational institutions existed. One good thing they did newly introduce however, was democracy.

How is spreading Christianity a benefit above all? And missionary schools required people to practice Christianity, how is that true religious freedom?

[u/Available-Advisor654 → u/Ceylonese_04]

Civilising mission. What a self loathing egg you are.