Sinhale
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Sinhale Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has a written history dating back more than 2500 years. For people belonging to the Sinhala race, Sri Lanka is their homeland. They are responsible for the development of its civilization. Origins of the 'Sinhala' race still remain an unresolved issue. Historically, Sinhalese are descendants of Prince Vijeya who is said to have been deported from India for acts of crimes and aggression against the people and government of that country some 2550 years ago.
Hence it is still widely believed in some quarters that, Sinhala people are descendants from Indian origin. However the original Sinhala people deny this belief.
Reseachers
As has been researched and prophesied by historians and scholars such as Professor Mendis Rohanadheera, Dr. Suriya Gunasekera, Dr. Nath Amarakone, Messrs J.R.P. Sooryapperuma, Arisen Ahabudhu etc. the Sinhala race are not descendants of any Indian origin. India is a multi-national land.
Several races and tribes of people, numbering over a hundred, lived and still live on Indian soil. They speak several different languages amongst which, Hindi, Gujerati, Malayali, Bengali, Tamil, Pali, Sanskrit etc. are the most popularly used. But the 'Sinhala' language had not been either used or spoken anywhere in India.
Then it is not possible, that the Sinhalese, speak a specific language of their own 'Sinhala' or descend from Prince Vijeya who would have certainly spoken some other language.
Origins of the Sinhala Race
The origins of the Sinhala race, it is believed, trace beyond the King Rawana era and the Sinhala Royalty beyond even King Pandukabhaya era. This little country, Sri Lanka in the ancient past, was known as 'Helaya' or 'Heladiva'. There were at the time four tribes of people known as 'Yaksha', 'Raksha', 'Naga' and 'Deva' who lived on this land. Though named such, probably due to their behavioural patterns, their habits, their thinking, and their way of livelihood etc., they were only human and not animals or mammals at all. Due to the existence of these four tribes Helaya, later became to be known as "Sivu-Helaya" which later turned out to be called "Sinhale". When the country was invaded by foreign traders and powers, it was known as "Sinhale".
Ceylon
Since the foreign invaders could not correctly pronounce the word "Sinhale", they started to call it 'Seylan' which later in use turned out to be 'Ceylon' and remained so until it gained independence from colonial rule in 1948.
The name 'Lanka' which was later confirmed as 'Sri Lanka' by the Constitution of 1972, was introduced during the colonial era.
Some Sri Lankans lobby for reintroducing the original name of the country, "Sinhale" instead of present "Sri Lanka".
Separatist Tamil rebels of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) claim Sri Lanka as an island.
