ABSTRACT
South Asia has a long history of formally structured states with, until the advent of colonialism, some of its polities rivaling or surpassing those of the West for sophistication and organization. The case studies represents different iterations of post-colonial state organization and the foundations for and manifestations of separatist claims. Sri Lanka was and remains a clear example of where colonial overlays failed to recognize prior historical competition, in which two ancient kingdoms remained at loggerheads on an island which, ironically, lent one of its earlier names to the word 'serendipity'. Events in post-war Sri Lanka have been underpinned by three key themes: Colombo's triumphalist 'victor's peace' (Pararajasingham 2019); the way in which Beijing's has pursued its ties with Colombo as part of its own wider geo-political strategy, and New Delhi's and Washington's somewhat belated attempts to return themselves to positions of influence in Colombo.
