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A Brief History of Slavery in Sri Lanka – by Randika Jayakody & Jerome Perera Source:Brisbane Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – May 2022 Slavery in Sri Lanka has a long and storied history that predated European colonialism. Records show that many communities in ancient Sri Lanka participated in the slave trade, including the Moors, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and the Sinhalese and Sri Lankan kingdoms. Sri Lanka’s slave population originated in the islands of the Indian ocean including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Burma, and individuals from the east and southern coast of the African continent. Though no less cruel, unlike Chattel slavery in the United States, slave populations in ancient Sri Lanka occupied various forms of bondage, which often involved pathways to emancipation. Far from being ineffectual, the female slave populous formed integrated networks of cooperation, facilitating cultural and gastronomic exchange. Once emancipated, these individuals integrated into the ...