![[Ceylon Colonial Badge]](../images/l/lk)1875.gif)
Last modified: 2016-06-29 by ian macdonald
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image by Martin Grieve, 28 December 2008The round shaped badge depicts a brown elephant facing hoist on green ground in front of a pinkish Buddhist temple on a dark blue background. The badge has a yellow-fimbriated red ring bearing 16 yellow four pointed stars and 16 yellow small balls
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 May 2000
The building in the badge is called a Dagoba; a tope or dome shaped monumental structure containing relics of Buddha or of some Buddhist saint.
Glen Hodgins, 18 May 2000
In a dispatch dated 17 August 1870, the Governor Sir Hercules Robinson sent a drawing of the badge to the Colonial Office and wrote,
The design which has been prepared by Mr. Smithers of the Public Works Department appears to my Executive Council to be more suitable than the arms of the colony as represented in the Public Seal of the Island of which an impression is annexed. But if the latter device shall be preferred there will be no objection on the part of this Government to its adoption.(CO 54/457)
The nearest I have come to being able to trace the origin of this
badge is the Dutch (VOC) arms for Ceylon, (which is an elephant
standing between 2 rows of coconut/palm trees, with three bundles of
cinnamon in the foreground). I far as I can tell, it was these Dutch arms
which set the precedent of linking the elephant and palm tree with Ceylon
in European heraldry. Afterwards, circa 1860, the Ceylon Government
Railway (CGR) adopted an elephant, palm tree, and dagoba (i.e., Buddhist
religious dome-shaped edifice) as the main charge in their arms, which are
still employed by the CGR today. From these CGR arms, I put it to you
that it was only a short mental hop to the badge
Glen Hodgins, 4 June 2000
![[Government Ensign]](../images/l/lk_gens75.gif)
image by Martin Grieve, 28 December 2008
The badge was used in the fly of the Blue Ensign flown by government owned or chartered vessels from c1875 to 1948
David Prothero, 18 May 2000
![[Government Ensign]](../images/l/lk_gov877.gif)
image by Martin Grieve, 28 December 2008
The badge was used surrounded by a garland in the centre of the Union Jack flown from the masthead by the governor when afloat from c1875 to 1948, and additionally, from Government House (sunrise to sunset) from 1941 to 1948
David Prothero, 18 May 2000
![[Colonial Police]](../images/l/lk_polgb.gif)
image by António Martins
The Colonial Police in Ceylon used a Blue Ensign, plain except for the word POLICE in white letters in the fly. It was unauthorised and its use was discontinued in about 1930.
Glen Hodgins, 18 May 2000
XIX Century Sri Lankan personal flags (Sinhala struggle for independence)
During the British Ceylon era 1815–1948 Gongalegoda Banda alias
Peliyagoda David's full name was Wansapurna Deva David, had a personal flag seen
here in this post stamp:
http://www.slpost.gov.lk/philatelic/2004/569.gif. Also the Buddhist Priests
and the leaders of the Nobility who were antagonised by the administration of
the British who were ruling this land during this era wished the elimination of
the British rule from their areas even by means of a rebellion. As such the
Sinhalese people launched revolts against the British rule on numerous occasions
notably in 1817, 1822 and 1834. One such National Independence struggle launched
in 1848 was due to the the imposition of series of unjustifiable taxes such as
the cart, boat, stamp, gun, tax, personal, road and the dog taxes by Lord
Torrington who was the Governor during the British occupation of the country.
The ultimate motive of this national struggle was the establishment of an
independent sovereign state in Sri Lanka breaking off the yoke of imperialism.
Besides the late hero Gongalegoda Banda, Puran Appu of Moratuwa alias
Francisku Femando (flag used here:
http://www.slpost.gov.lk/philatelic/2004/thumbs/569_fdc.gif), Dingirala of
Hanguranketha and Dines played leading roles in this national independence
struggle of 1848. After making sojourns in to the Kandyan territories with the
king elect Gongalegoda Banda from 6th July, 1848, these leaders reached the
premises of the historic Temple in Dambulla on the 26th of July, 1848, and there
the late hero was crowned the King of the Kandyan Kingdom by the most Venerable
Girannegama Indrajothi Thero, the Chief incumbent of the above with the
blessings of thousands of people gathered. He was crowned King by the name of
"Sri Wickrema Siddipathi".
As a result of the failure of this armed
national struggle due to various reasons, which was indeed the last major revolt
launched by the Sinhalese people, the late hero Gongalegoda Banda and others
were captured by the British. The British shot dead a number of leaders
including the Ven. Kadahapola Thero sending shock waves across the entire
country, banished the late hero Gongalegoda Banda to Malacca, where he died on
1st December, 1849.
Source:
http://www.slpost.gov.lk/philatelic/2004.htm
Esteban Rivera, 25
October 2009
The battle flag of Sri Lanka, captured by the British from Vaduga king Sri
Wikrama Rajasinghe’s army. It displays the kettle drum which was beaten before
battles and the five weapons (panchaudha). The flag is seen here:
http://karava.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/180px-Davunde_Flag.8162404.jpg.
In the past, a medallion with panchaudha symbols used to be tied on Karava
infants for protection. The practice still survives in rural Sri Lanka and has
been now adopted by other communities as well.
Esteban Rivera, 25
October 2009
