Columbo Mosque
Sri Lanka is a multi-religious society. Though Theravada Buddhism is the major religion, with about 70% of the population considered followers, other religions such as Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are also practised.
Hinduism is mainly practiced by Tamils who ethnically belong to South India where Hinduism was the predominant practice. Around the fifth and the sixth century A.D., the Chola dynasty of South India usurped the throne of the Sinhalese Kingdom and conquered the island, attracting immigrants from South India into the northern Sri Lanka. During reigns of Tamil kings, Hindu shrines were widely constructed. Like mainland India, the Hindu Gods worshipped in Sri Lanka are Vishnu, Shiva, Kali, Ganesha and Skanda.
Muslims comprise nearly 7% of Sri Lanka’s population. In ancient times Arab traders from the Middle East visited the southern part of Sri Lanka for their business and later settled in the island. The Muslim community in Sri Lanka attained dominant growth by 10th century A.D.
By the 15th century, Arab traders controlled trade on the Indian Ocean including that of Sri Lanka’s. Many of these traders settled down in Sri Lanka, encouraging the spread of Islam. However, when the Portuguese arrived at Sri Lanka during the 16th century, many of their Muslim descendants were persecuted, thus forcing them to migrate to the Central Highlands and to the east coast. Today, about 8% of Sri Lankans adhere to Islam; most are descended from the Moor and Malay ethnic communities on the island.
The Portuguese introduced Christianity in the sixteenth century. Under their rule, Roman Catholicism spread widely over the Island with many Roman Catholic schools established for the Sinhalese and the Tamils. With the attempts of the Portuguese to Christianize native people, Buddhism and Hinduism were severely affected with an increasing number of both Sinhalese and Tamils converting to Roman Catholicism. When the Portuguese were driven out by the Dutch, Protestantism and the Dutch Reformed Church was introduced. Then during the British rule conversions to Christianity increased. Since the end of colonial rule, Christianity has declined with an even further erosion of numbers due to the nationalism movement among the Sinhalese who have held political power and influence.