Don Stephen Senanayake (; ; 20 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a
Ceylonese statesman. He was the first
Prime Minister of Ceylon
The prime minister of Sri Lanka, officially the prime minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's exec ...
, having emerged as the leader of the
Sri Lankan independence movement
The Sri Lankan independence movement was a peaceful political movement which was aimed at achieving independence and self-rule for the country of Sri Lanka, then British Ceylon, from the British Empire. The switch of powers was generally kno ...
that led to the establishment of self-rule in Ceylon. He is considered as the "
Father of the Nation
The Father of the Nation is an honorific title given to a person considered the driving force behind the establishment of a country, state, or nation. Pater Patriae was a Roman honorific meaning the "Father of the Fatherland", bestowed by th ...
".
Born to an entrepreneur from the village of Botale, Senanayake was educated at
S. Thomas' College, Mutwal before briefly working as a clerk in the
Surveyor General's Department. Joining the family business, he managed the family estates and the
Kahatagaha Graphite Mine. Along with his brothers, Senanayake became active in the
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
which grew into the
independence movement
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of a ...
following
1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots
The 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots (also known as the anti-Muslim riots of 1915 or the 1915 Buddhist Mohammedan riots or the 1915 Ceylonese riots) was a widespread and prolonged ethnic riot in the island of Ceylon between Sinhalese Buddhists and ...
, in which the Senanayake brothers were imprisoned without charges for 46 days. He was elected unopposed in 1924 to the
Legislative Council of Ceylon
The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of represe ...
from
Negombo
Negombo (, ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via the E03 expressway ...
, becoming the Secretary of the unofficial members group of the Legislative Council. In 1931, he was elected to the
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time. It ...
, where he served as Minister of Agriculture and Lands. He was elected to the first
Parliament of Ceylon
The Parliament of Ceylon was the legislative body of British Ceylon & Dominion of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1947 by the Soulbury Constitution, prior to independence on 4 February 1948. Parliament replaced the State Council of Ceylon. ...
forming a government and serving as Ceylon's first Prime Minister from 1947 until his death in 1952.
Early life and education

He was born in the village of Botale in the Hapitigam Korale (currently known as
Mirigama
Mirigama (also spelled Meerigama) (; ) is a suburb in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. It is located from Colombo, from Kurunegala and from Negombo.
Mirigama is the hometown of Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister, D. S. Senanayake and former speake ...
) on 20 October 1884 to
Don Spater Senanayake (1847–1907) and Dona Catherina Elizabeth Perera Gunasekera Senanayake (1852–1949). Spater Senanayake had made his fortune in
graphite
Graphite () is a Crystallinity, crystalline allotrope (form) of the element carbon. It consists of many stacked Layered materials, layers of graphene, typically in excess of hundreds of layers. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable ...
mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
and at the time he was expanding into plantations and investments in the
arrack
Arrack is a Distillation, distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the Fermentation (food), fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon ...
renting franchise. Later he would be awarded the title of
Mudaliyar
Thuluva Vellalar, also known as Agamudi Mudaliar or Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka. They were an elite and dominant land-owning community.
Etymology
The earliest occu ...
for his philanthropy.
[Nobodies to Somebodies: The Rise of the Colonial Bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka]
Kumari Jayawardena, pp. 192-3 & 267 (Zed) Stephen Senanayake had two elder brothers, Don Charles "D. C." Senanayake and
Fredrick Richard "F. R." Senanayake; and one sister, Maria Frances Senanayake who married F. H. Dias Bandaranaike.
Brought up in a devout
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
family, he entered the prestigious
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
school
S. Thomas' College, Mutwal. Never a studious student, he excelled in sports playing
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
and played in the
Royal-Thomian. He later played cricket for the
Sinhalese Sports Club
The Sinhalese people, Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) was a first-class cricket club in Colombo, Sri Lanka till 2025 when they were relegated after enduring a horrendous 2024-25 version of the Major Club 3 day tournament in which they could only m ...
and Nondescripts Cricket Club. His contemporaries at S. Thomas's includes
D. R. Wijewardena
Don Richard Wijewardena (Sinhala language, Sinhala:දොන් රිච්ඩ් විජෙවර්ධන) (23 February 1886 – 13 June 1950) was a Sri Lankan media proprietor who was involved in the Sri Lankan independence movement. A s ...
,
Sir Paul Pieris,
Sir Arthur Wijewardena and
Sir Francis Molamure.
Early career
After completing schooling, he worked as a clerk in the
Surveyor General's Department but left after a period of apprenticing. He joined his brother D. C. Senanayake in running his father's extensive business holdings. He worked as a
planter, introducing the new commercial crop of rubber to the family plantations. He managed the
Kahatagaha Graphite Mine, which was owned by his brother F. R. Senanayake wife's family. F. R. Senanayake had married the youngest daughter of Mudaliyar
Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle. He was a member of the Low-Country Products Association and of the
Orient Club
The Orient Club is a gentlemen's club, private members' club, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Established in 1884, it was the first Ceylonese-only social club in the country. Membership of the club is by nomination and election only.
History
The club was ...
. In 1914, he was appointed as a member of a government commission sent to
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
to study and report on their graphite mining industry.
Political career
Early political activism
The three Senanayake brothers were involved in the
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
formed in 1912. When
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
broke out in 1914 they joined the
Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard was a regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed. It was a volunteer (Military reserve force, reserve) regiment was based in Colo ...
. The brothers were arrested and imprisoned without charges during the
1915 riots. They faced the prospect of execution, since the British Governor
Sir Robert Chalmers considered the temperance movement as
seditious
Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establis ...
. He was released on a
bail bound after 46 days at the
Welikada Prison
The Welikada Prison (; also known as the ''Magazine Prison'') is a maximum-security prison and the largest prison in Sri Lanka. It was built in 1841 by the British colonial government under Governor Campbell. The prison covers an area of . It is ...
without charges. The heavy-handed suppression of the riots by the
British colonial authorities initiated the
modern independence movement led by the educated middle class.
Don Stephen and Don Charles were prominent members of the political party
Lanka Mahajana Sabha. Fredrick Richard and Don Charles were committed supporters of the
Young Men's Buddhist Association. D. S. Senanayake played an active role in the independence movement, initially in support of his brother Fredrick Richard.
Legislative Council
In 1924, Senanayake was elected unopposed to the
Legislative Council of Ceylon
The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of represe ...
from
Negombo
Negombo (, ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via the E03 expressway ...
. He became the Secretary (similar to a
whip
A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...
) of the
unofficial member
Unofficial Member is the name given to individuals who are members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and Legislative Council of Hong Kong but who are not members of the Hong Kong Government. The terms "Unofficial" (or "non-official") and ...
s group of the Legislative Council, activity engaged in proceedings with a particular interest in subjects related to agriculture, lands, and irrigation. He questioned in the Legislative Council the biased policies of the colonial administration in the plantain industry, the cost overruns of the
Batticaloa line
The Batticaloa line is a railway line in Sri Lanka. Branch line, Branching off the Northern Line (Sri Lanka), Northern line at Maho Junction, the line heads east through North Central Province, Sri Lanka, North Central Province and south-easterly ...
and the
Trincomalee line, the delays in the
Norton Bridge Dam, and advocated for the establishment of the first university in the island close to
Kandy
Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
. In 1927, he acted on behalf of
Gerard Wijeyekoon in the
Executive Council. When his brother F.R. died on a pilgrimage to
Buddha Gaya in 1925, Don Stephen assumed his leadership of the independence movement.
State Council of Ceylon

In 1931 he was elected to the newly formed
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time. It ...
representing the
Ceylon National Congress
The Ceylon National Congress ( Sinhala: ලංකා ජාතික කොන්ග්රසය ''Lanka Jathika Kongrasaya'') (CNC) was a political party in colonial-era Ceylon founded on 11 December 1919. It was founded during a period where ...
. At the first siting of the State Council, he was elected as Minister of Agriculture and Lands to chair the state council committee on Agriculture and Lands.
[
]
Minister of Agriculture and Lands
As Minister of Agriculture and Lands, he initiated a policy that effectively combated Ceylon's agricultural problems, established the ''Land Development Ordinance'', and introduced an agricultural policy to counter Ceylon's rice problems. This policy earned him respect of many, and he continued to be a minister for fifteen years, having been re-elected in 1936. He also enforced a productivity programme of "Agricultural Modernisation". He introduced the ''Land Bill'', expanded the co-operative movement in Ceylon, and assisted in the founding of the Bank of Ceylon
Bank of Ceylon (BOC; Sinhala: ලංකා බැංකුව ''Lanka Bænkuwa'', Tamil: இலங்கை வங்கி ''Ilangai Vangi'') is a state-owned, major commercial bank in Sri Lanka. Its head office is located in an iconic cyl ...
. In 1938, he introduced the ''Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance'', establishing the Yala National Park
Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka, bordering the Indian Ocean. The park consists of five blocks, three of which are now open to the public. There are also two adjoining parks, Kumana National Pa ...
. In 1940, following a heated discussion with the Governor which resulted from the Inspector General of Police
An inspector-general of police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most ...
refusing to follow a request by the Minister of Home Affairs, Senanayake gave his resignation, which was followed by the other Ministers. The resignations were withdrawn shortly following settlement with the Governor.
World War II
At the onset of World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in the far east, on 1 December 1941 a Civil Defence Department was formed with Oliver Goonetilleke as Commissioner. D. S. Senanayake, as Minister of Agriculture and Lands and a member of the Ceylon war council took an active role in food supply and control. He was tasked with many defence projects, including rapid construction of an airfield at the Colombo Racecourse
Colombo Racecourse () is a historical harness racing course in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. During the Second World War, it was used as a temporary airfield. In 2012, it was redeveloped as the Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex to become the f ...
, which he achieved, making it available for the defence of Ceylon during the Easter Sunday Raid
The Easter Sunday Raid was an air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean raid by carrier-based aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy on 5 April 1942. The Japanese objective was to destroy the Ceylon-based British Eastern Fleet ...
.
During this time a close relationship developed between Senanayake and the deputy commissioner of civil defence, Dr. Ivor Jennings
Sir William Ivor Jennings () (16 May 1903 – 19 December 1965) was a British lawyer and academic. He served as the Chancellor (education), vice chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1961–63) and the University of Ceylon (1942–55).
E ...
, who was the principal of the Ceylon University College. Dr. Jennings, an expert on constitutional law, subsequently became Senanayake's adviser on constitutional reforms aimed at gaining independence for the island.
Gaining independence
In December 1942, Senanayake became the Leader of the House and Vice Chairman of the Board of Ministers in the State Council, upon the retirement of Sir Baron Jayatilaka, Minister of Home Affairs. On 26 May 1943, the British Government
His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. made the Whitehall Declaration of 1943 on Ceylon constitutional change, which enabled ministers to make submissions.[Rajasingham K. T]
Sri Lanka: The Untold Story
''Asia Times
''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kongbased English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business, and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...
'', Ch. 10, 19 October 2001. Retrieved 12 June 2015 This bypassed the Governor, who called for a commission from the colonial office to halt the activities of the ministers. Senanayake resigned from the National Congress disagreeing with its resolution on independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
and instead approached the commission with his proposal of dominion
A dominion was any of several largely self-governance, self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of self-governing colony, colon ...
status and they accepted the ministers' submissions, publishing these in the Sessional Paper XIV of 1944.[ In 1944, the ]Soulbury Commission
The Soulbury Commission ( ''Solbari Komisyan Sabawa''; ) was a prime instrument of constitutional reform in British Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) that succeeded the Donoughmore Commission. It was announced in 1944 and headed by Herwald Ramsboth ...
was formed. In 1945, he proceeded to London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to meet the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Oliver Stanley
Oliver Frederick George Stanley (4 May 1896 – 10 December 1950) was a prominent British Conservative politician who held many ministerial posts before his early death.
Background and education
Stanley was the second son of Edward Stanley, 1 ...
. On his arrival in London, he met instead the newly appointed George Hall, who had succeeded Stanley following Labour's win in the 1945 general election. He resigned his ministry in 1946 to push for full independence. That year he formed the United National Party
The United National Party (UNP; , ) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right political party in Sri Lanka.
Founded in 1946, the party was one of Sri Lanka's two main parties for several decades. The UNP has served as the country's ruling party ...
(UNP) by amalgamating three right-leaning pro-Dominion parties.
The granting of independence to India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in 1947 and the appointment of Arthur Creech Jones
Arthur Creech Jones (15 May 1891 – 23 October 1964) was a British trade union official and politician. Originally a civil servant, his imprisonment as a conscientious objector during the First World War forced him to change careers. He was e ...
as Colonial Secretary gave a new window for Senanayake to push for his case, using the new constitution that was recommended by the Soulbury Commission. In the negotiations that followed, the British government accepted Senanayake's proposals for constitutional change and self-rule. Senanayake presented the Soulbury Constitution to the State Council which voted it in, with only three votes against it.
Parliamentary elections
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...
were held from 23 August – 20 September 1947. Senanayake was contested for the first time in the Mirigama electorate, having been elected uncontested in all previous elections. He won the seat by a majority of over 16,000 votes against Edmund Samarakkody
Edmund Peter Samarakkody (19 April 1912 – 4 January 1992) was a Ceylonese lawyer, trade unionist, politician and Member of Parliament.
Early life and family
Samarakkody was born on 19 April 1912, the fifth of seven children to Charles Peter ...
of the Bolshevik–Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma. Senanayake's party, the UNP, fell short of a majority at the general election but was able to form a government in coalition with the All Ceylon Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress (), is the oldest Tamil political party in Sri Lanka.
History
The ACTC was founded in 1944 by G.G. Ponnambalam. Ponnambalam asked for a 50-50 representation in parliament (50% for the majority Sinhalese, and 50% for ...
.
On 24 September 1947 he was invited by the Governor General of Ceylon
The governor-general of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch in the Dominion of Ceylon from the country's independence in 1948 until it became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972.
History
There were four governors-general.
Sir ...
Sir Henry Moore to form the island's first cabinet as its first Prime Minister. On 11 November 1947, Senanayake and Sir Henry signed agreements between Ceylon and Britain including a defence pact and public service agreements that paved the way for independence of Ceylon. The "Independence Bill of Ceylon" was passed in December 1947. On 4 February 1948, Ceylon marked its independence with a ceremonial opening of parliament.
First prime minister
With his accession, Senanayake began the process of establishing institutions needed for an independent state. While most domestic institutions existed, Ceylon remained dependent on Britain for trade, defence and external affairs. He turned down a knighthood
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
but maintained good relations with Britain and was the first Ceylonese to be appointed to the Privy Council in 1950.
National development
He boldly made plans to spread out the population, and his Gal Oya
The Gal Oya is a long river, in southeast Sri Lanka. It is the 16th longest river in Sri Lanka. It begins in the hills east of Badulla and flows northeast, emptying into the Indian Ocean south of Kalmunai.
The river was dammed in 1948 as part ...
scheme relocated over 250,000 people. He expanded the agrarian policies he had initiated during his tenure as Minister of Agriculture and Lands, a post now held by his son Dudley Senanayake. With a rapidly expanding population and food shortages faced during the war, Senanayake aimed to increase local food production to be self-sustainable. Renovation of sites of historic importance in Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura (, ; , ) is a major city located in the north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka, North Central Province and the capital of Anuradhapura District. The city lies north of the cur ...
and Polonnaruwa
Poḷonnaruwa, (; ) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in History of Sri Lanka, ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, ...
took place at this time. Senanayake also proposed expansion of hydro-electric power in the island.
Citizenship
Senanayake's government introduced the Ceylon Citizenship Act
The Ceylon Citizenship Act No. 18 of 1948 was a controversial law passed by the Ceylon Parliament which did not grant citizenship to Indian Tamils, who were 11% of the population.
Background
During the 19th and early 20th centuries the British ...
which was passed by parliament on 20 August 1948 and became law on 15 November 1948. Only about 5,000 Indian Tamils qualified for citizenship. More than 700,000 people, about 11% of the population, were denied citizenship and made stateless. The bill had been opposed fiercely in Parliament by the Ceylon Indian Congress
The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) (; ''Lanka Kamkaru Kongrasaya'') is a political party in Sri Lanka that has traditionally represented Sri Lanka Tamils (Indian origin), Sri Lankan Tamils of Indian origin working in the plantation sector of th ...
, which represented the Indian Tamils, and the Sinhalese leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...
parties, as well as the All Ceylon Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress (), is the oldest Tamil political party in Sri Lanka.
History
The ACTC was founded in 1944 by G.G. Ponnambalam. Ponnambalam asked for a 50-50 representation in parliament (50% for the majority Sinhalese, and 50% for ...
, which represented the Sri Lankan Tamils
Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern Province, form the pluralit ...
, including its leader G.G. Ponnambalam. This was followed by the '' Indian and Pakistani Residents (Citizenship) Act No.3 of 1949'' and the ''Ceylon (Parliamentary Elections) Amendment Act No.48 of 1949''.
Foreign policy
Senanayake held the portfolio of Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
The Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was a cabinet ministry of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.
History
The ministry was for ...
. He developed Ceylon's post-independence foreign policy, establishing formal relations with foreign nations. Initially gaining membership of the Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
and establishing diplomatic ties other member countries, he established diplomatic relations with the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. He established the Ceylon Overseas Service to build a cadre of career diplomats. He hosted the Commonwealth Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Colombo in January 1950. One of the significant outcomes of this conference was the establishment of the Colombo Plan
The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri ...
.
Defence
Although Ceylon had maintained a small volunteer force for the defense of colony, Senanayake introduced the Army Act (1949), Navy Act (1950), and the Air Force Act (1951) establishing the Armed forces of Ceylon. Having engaged in Defence Agreement with Britain when gaining independence, Senanayake retained British bases in Ceylon and gained her assistance in training and arming its new military.
Political challenges
In the early years of Senanayake's premiership he faced opposition and a lot of criticism from many of the leftist parties. He soon had difficulties with one of the strongest members of his cabinet and leader of the largest factions of his party, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (8 January 1899 – 26 September 1959), also known as "The Silver Bell of Asia" (ආසියාවේ රිදී සීනුව), was a Sri Lankan statesman who served as the fourth Prime Minister of ...
. Bandaranaike joined his Sinhala Maha Sabha
The Sinhala Maha Sabha () was a political party in colonial-era British Ceylon, Ceylon founded by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in the mid-1930s to promote Sinhalese people, Sinhalese Buddhist culture and community interests. In 1946, it joined the Un ...
in forming the UNP in 1947, having given the impression that Senanayake would soon retire and he would succeed him. With no signs of Senanayake retiring and conflicts with Senanayake on hardline nationalist policies he had, in 1951, Bandaranaike resigned from his posts, dissolved the Sinhala Maha Sabha, and established the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP; ; ) is a centre-left political party in Sri Lanka. Founded by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in 1951, the party was one of Sri Lanka's two main parties from the 1950s to the 2010s, serving as the main rival of the c ...
(SLFP). Senanayake assumed the portfolio of Health and Local Government held by Bandaranaike and began countering his break in parliament for the next few months.
Death
On the morning of Friday, 21 March 1952, Don Stephen Senanayake took his usual pre-breakfast ride on Galle Face Green
Galle Face Green is a ocean-side urban park, which stretches for along the coast, in the heart of Colombo, the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, alth ...
, a short distance from his official residence Temple Trees
Temple Trees is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. It is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Several recent presidents have used it as their official residence as well.
History Private residence
The history of ''Temple Tree ...
. He was riding one of his favorite horses, ''Chitra'', a mare
A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...
belonging to the mounted police
Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. Their day-to-day function is typically picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and increasingly in th ...
. Accompanying him on that day was Sir Richard Aluwihare, the IGP; G.G. Ponnambalam, a cabinet minister, and Inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...
Eddie Grey. The horse broke into a gallop from a canter and went on for a mile, when suddenly the Prime Minister fell off the saddle.
He was taken to a nursing home where he remained unconscious for the next thirty-two hours. It was believed that he had suffered a stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
. He was treated by Dr. M. V. P. Pieris, Ceylon's seniormost surgeon, and a team of Professors from the University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
who had been visiting Ceylon as part of a WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...
medical mission. A radio message was sent for Sir Hugh Cairns, who decided to fly out to Ceylon to attend the Prime Minister. Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
ordered an RAF Hastings
Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
with a double crew to take Sir Hugh. However, the aircraft, with three more doctors and two nurses, was taxiing to take off when the message was received that it was too late, as the Prime Minister's situation was deteriorating. Two more neurosurgeons from India and Pakistan had reached Colombo too late to make a difference. Senanayake died at 3:30 pm on 22 March 1952.
His remains were taken to Temple Trees, where they lay until the next morning, when they were moved to the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
to lay in state, with over half a million persons showing their respects. His state funeral followed with over 32,000 people taking part in the funeral procession and with the stage barring the coffin drawn by sailors of the Royal Ceylon Navy. The procession ended at Independence Square where the remains were cremated in accordance with Sinhalese Buddhist rites.
Personal life
Senanayake cared for animals and owned a wide range of pets such as elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
s, horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
s, pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...
s, cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...
; many kept at his estate and at the Bothale Walawwa. A keen horticulturist, he grew orchids and would typically wear an orchid in the lapel of his suit. He suffered from diabetes most of his later life.
Marriage and children
D. S. Senanayake married Molly Dunuwila in 1910. She was the daughter of R. R. Dunuwila, then secretary of the Colombo Municipal Council
The Colombo Municipal Council is the municipal governing body of Colombo, the largest city and financial centre in Sri Lanka. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of Colombo, and elected 119 municipal councilors. The council was f ...
and Grace Jayatilaka, daughter of Frederick Jayatilaka of the Ceylon Civil Service
The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, was the premier civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule and in the immediate post-independence period. Established in 1833, it functioned as part of th ...
and District Judge of Kalutara. They had two sons, Dudley Shelton Senanayake (19 June 1911 – 13 April 1973) and Robert Parakrama Senanayake (8 April 1913 – 26 April 1986). His eldest son, Dudley Shelton Senanayake, succeeded him as Prime Minister in 1952, followed by his nephew, Sir John Kotelawala
General (Sri Lanka), General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala (; 4 April 1897 – 2 October 1980) was a Sri Lankan statesman, who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from 1953 to 1956.
Born to a wealthy landholding and mining f ...
(1897–1980) in 1953, but this nine-year family dynasty ended with the landslide victory
A landslide victory is an election result in which the winning Candidate#Candidates in elections, candidate or political party, party achieves a decisive victory by an overwhelming margin, securing a very large majority of votes or seats far beyo ...
of Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike in 1956, campaigning under the "Sinhala Only
The Official Language Act (No. 33 of 1956), commonly referred to as the Sinhala Only Act, was an Act of Parliament, act passed in the Parliament of Ceylon in 1956. The act replaced English language, English with Sinhalese language, Sinhala as th ...
" slogan. Dudley Senanayake regained the premiership briefly in 1960, and served again from 1965 to 1970. Rukman Senanayake, one of his grandsons, served as a cabinet minister and member of parliament. Two of his great-grandsons, Vasantha Senanayake, and Ruwan Wijewardene
Dinendra Ruwan Wijewardene ( Sinhala: දිනේන්ද්ර රුවන් විජෙවර්ධන) (born 4 August 1975) is a Sri Lankan politician and currently the Senior advisor to president Ranil Wickremesinghe on Climate chang ...
, served as state ministers and members of parliament.
Legacy
D. S. Senanayake is respected by Sinhalese and some Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
. However, Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
s were not happy with his citizenship laws, which disenfranchised virtually all Tamils of recent Indian origin living in the central highlands. His bold agricultural plans and pro-Western policies drew criticism for their modern and untraditional nature. Under his family's leadership, Sri Lanka's economy flourished, and he is still known as "The Father of Sri Lanka".
Statues of D. S. Senanayake have been erected in many parts of the island, including one at the Independence Memorial Hall
Independence Memorial Hall (also known as ''Independence Commemoration Hall'') is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from the British rule with the restoration of full governing responsibil ...
and at the Old Parliament Building, Colombo
The Old Parliament Building, is the building that houses the Presidential Secretariat (Sri Lanka), Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka. Situated in the Fort (Colombo), Colombo fort area facing the sea, it is in close proximity to the Presiden ...
. The lake created by the Gal Oya Dam has been named as the Senanayake Samudraya after him. Many schools, libraries and public buildings have been named in his honor and the ''Rt Hon D S Senanayake Memorial Shield'' is awarded at the Royal–Thomian
The Battle of the Blues (Also known as Royal–Thomian Cricket Encounter) is an annual Big Match in Sri Lanka played between Royal College, Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia since 1879. It is known as ''The Battle of the Blues'' ...
in which he played for S. Thomas' in 1901 and 1902.
Electoral history
See also
*List of political families in Sri Lanka
This is a partial listing of prominent political families in Sri Lanka.
Abdul Majeed
*A. L. Abdul Majeed (15 November 1933 – 13 November 1987) also known as Mutur Majeed, former Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Member Par ...
*'' Nidahase Piya DS'', a biographical film based on DS's life
References
External links
The Senanayake Ancestry
Website of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
United National Party website
Funeral Of D.S. Senanayake 1952
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Senanayake, Don Stephen
1884 births
1952 deaths
Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
Ceylonese military personnel
Ceylonese people of World War II
Converts to Buddhism
Ministers of defence of Sri Lanka
Leaders of the United National Party
Members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon
Ceylonese members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Members of the 1st State Council of Ceylon
Members of the 2nd State Council of Ceylon
National Heroes of Sri Lanka
Prime ministers of Sri Lanka
Prisoners and detainees of British Ceylon
DS
Sri Lankan Buddhists
Sri Lankan independence movement
Sri Lankan mining businesspeople
Sri Lankan prisoners and detainees