ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the long history of conflict in Sri Lanka with a focus on the last century. Using three lenses of identity, ideology, and victim narratives, the chapter explores different types of conflict in Sri Lanka, including ethno-religious, ethno-linguistic, and class conflict. It goes beyond the civil war that has dominated analyses of Sri Lanka's conflict landscape and highlights pivotal events in history such as the 1915 anti-Moor pogrom, the two youth insurrections, and the more recent episodes of anti-Muslim discrimination and violence. The chapter suggests that a deeper understanding of such conflict histories is essential to preventing recurrence along similar lines in the future.
