ABSTRACT
Thus described at the turn of the nineteenth century, Sri Lanka has an irresistible charm not only to lovers of nature but also, equally, to the comparativist. Sri Lanka’s attraction to the comparativist is its rich mix of legal traditions influenced by oriental and occidental cultures as well as a wide range of religions. With its original settlers from India, Sri Lanka came under the influence of Hindu law and Buddhism. With Arab traders, came Islam. With the Western powers—the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British—came the modernizing influence of Christianity.
