List of wars involving Sri Lanka

This is a list of wars involving the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and its predecessor states.

Legend
  Victory
  Defeat
  Other result
  Ongoing conflict

Anuradhapura Kingdom

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Conflict Sri Lanka and allies Opponents Results Sri Lankan commanders Sri Lankan losses
King General SL
forces
Civilians
Battle of Vijithapura
(162/161 BCE)
  Anuradhapura Kingdom  Chola dynasty Victory Unknown Unknown
Anuradhapura invasion of Chola
(120)
  Anuradhapura Kingdom  Chola dynasty Victory Unknown Unknown
Anuradhapura invasion of Pandya
(862)
  Anuradhapura Kingdom  Pandya dynasty Victory Unknown Unknown
Anuradhapura invasion of Pandya
(917)
  Anuradhapura Kingdom  Pandya Dynasty Unknown Unknown

(946)
  Anuradhapura Kingdom  Pandya dynasty Unknown Unknown
Chola invasion of Anuradhapura kingdom   Anuradhapura Kingdom  Chola dynasty Victory
  • The whole Chola force with the generals retreated.
Unknown Unknown
Invasion of Anuradhapura by Rastrakuta empire   Anuradhapura Kingdom Rashtrakuta dynasty Victory
  • Rashtrakuta forces were defeated in kayts
  • General sena and Rashtrakutas have an alliance after the defeat
Unknown Unknown
Chola conquest of Anuradhapura
(992–1017)
  Anuradhapura Kingdom  Chola dynasty Defeat
  • Anuradhapura Kingdom destroyed by the Chola dynasty
  • Rajarata annexed as a Chola province
  • Polonnaruwa made as the administrative capital of the Chola in Sri Lanka
Unknown Unknown

Polonnaruwa kingdom

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Conflict Sri Lanka and allies Opponents Results Sri Lankan commanders Sri Lankan losses
King General SL
forces
Civilians
Polonnaruwa–Pagan War
(1165–1181)
Polonnaruwa kingdom
Angkorian Empire
Pagan Kingdom
 Chola dynasty (in Pegu)
Victory
  • Chola stronghold in Pegu lost to Polonnaruwa
  • Pathein and Pegu occupied by the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa
  • Angkorian Empire occupies certain parts of Pagan Kingdom
  • Grant of land to Sinhalese commanders
Unknown Unknown
Pandyan Civil War
(1169–1177)
Polonnaruwa kingdom
 Pandya dynasty (Parakrama Pandyan I)
 Chola dynasty
 Pandya dynasty (Kulasekhara Pandyan)
Victory Unknown Unknown
1173 Polonnaruwa invasion of Chola
(1173)
Polonnaruwa kingdom  Pandya dynasty
 Chola dynasty
Victory Unknown Unknown

Transitional period

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Conflict Sri Lanka and allies Opponents Results Sri Lankan commanders Sri Lankan losses
King General SL
forces
Civilians
Ming–Kotte War
(1410 or 1411)
  Kingdom of Kotte
Ming Dynasty
Alagakkonara dynasty Victory Unknown Unknown
Kotte conquest of the Jaffna kingdom
(1449–1454)
  Kingdom of Kotte   Kingdom of Jaffna
  Vanni chieftaincies

Supported by:
Vijayanagar Empire

Victory Unknown Unknown
Kotte invasion of Vijayanagar
(1456)
  Kingdom of Kotte Vijayanagar Empire Victory
Various
Various
Unknown Unknown
Sinhalese–Portuguese War
(1518–1658)
  Kingdom of Sitawaka
  Kingdom of Kandy
  Kingdom of Jaffna
Principality of Raigama
  Dutch East India Company
  Portuguese Empire

  Kingdom of Kotte

Victory
  • End of the kingdoms of Kotte, Sitawaka, Jaffna and Raigama
  • Establishment then destruction of Portuguese Ceylon
  • Sinhalese and Dutch divide territories of the island
  • Establishment of Dutch Ceylon
Various
Various
Unknown Unknown
Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom
(1560–1619)
  Kingdom of Jaffna
  Kingdom of Kandy

Supported by:
Thanjavur Nayak kingdom

  Portuguese Empire Defeat
  • Cankili II imprisoned and executed by the Portuguese
  • Fall of the Jaffna kingdom
Unknown Unknown
Dutch–Portuguese War
(1602–1663)
  Kingdom of Kandy
  Dutch Republic
  Kingdom of England
(until 1640)
  Johor Sultanate
  Kingdom of Kongo
Kingdom of Ndongo
Rio Grande Tupis
Nhandui Tarairiu Tribe
  Kingdom of Portugal

Supported by:
  Crown of Castile
(until 1640)
Kingdom of Cochin
Potiguara Tupis

Treaty of Hague Unknown Unknown
First Kandyan–Dutch War
(1670–1675)
  Kingdom of Kandy
  France
  Dutch Republic Defeat Unknown Unknown
Second Kandyan–Dutch War
(1764–1766)
  Kingdom of Kandy   Dutch Republic Defeat Unknown Unknown
Vanniyar Rebellion
(1782)
  Vanni chieftaincies
  Kingdom of Kandy
  Dutch Republic Victory
  • Vanni region liberated from Dutch rule
Unknown Unknown
Kandyan Wars
(1796–1818)
  Kingdom of Kandy
  Vanni chieftaincies
  British Empire
  Kandyan Opposition
Defeat
  • Kandyan convention signed between the British and the Kandyan chiefs, abolishing the Kandyan monarchy
  • Vanni region lost to the British
  • End of 2357 years of Sinhalese independence
Unknown
Unknown

British Ceylon

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Conflict British Ceylon and allies Opponents Results Governor(s) British Ceylon losses
British Ceylon
forces
Civilians
Matale Rebellion
(1848)
  British Empire   Kandyan rebels Victory
Second Boer War
(1899–1902)
  British Empire   Orange Free State

  South African Republic


Foreign volunteers from:

Victory
  • Treaty of Vereeniging:
    • All Boers to surrender arms and swear allegiance to the Crown
    • Dutch language permitted in education
    • Promise to grant Boer republics self-government
    • £3,000,000 compensation "reconstruction aid" to Afrikaners
World War I
(1914–1918)
The Allies
Central Powers and Allies
Victory

Treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Trianon:

Russia pulls out in 1917

Creation of League of Nations:

World War II
(1931–1945)
The Allies
Axis Powers
Victory
Easter Sunday Raid
(1942)
  British Empire   Empire of Japan Defeat
Cocos Islands mutiny
(1942)
  British Empire   Ceylonese mutineers Victory

Dominion of Ceylon

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Conflict Ceylon and allies Opponents Results Ceylon commanders Ceylon losses
Head(s) of Government Defence Minister(s) Ceylonese
forces
Civilians
1971 JVP insurrection
(1971)
  Ceylon

Military support:
  India
  Pakistan
  Soviet Union

  Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna

Supported by:
  North Korea (alleged)

Victory
  • Rebel forces surrender
  • Ceylonese government reestablishes control over the island
53 1,200

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

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Conflict Sri Lanka and allies Opponents Results Sri Lankan commanders Sri Lankan losses
Head(s) of Government Defense Minister(s) SL
forces
Civilians
Sri Lankan Civil War
(1983–2009)
  Sri Lanka
  India (1987–1990)
  Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Supported by:   India (until 1987)

Victory 28,708 60,000–100,000
1987–1989 JVP insurrection
(1987–1989)
  Sri Lanka
  India

Pro-government paramilitaries: Eagles of the Central Hills
Black Cats

  JVP

Supported by:   North Korea
  PLOTE (until 1988)

Victory
  • Emergency conditions in South, Western and Central provinces lifted
  • Insurgency fails following the fall of the Eastern bloc
Operation Prosperity Guardian
(2023–present)
  Sri Lanka
  United States
  United Kingdom
  Australia
  New Zealand
  Canada
  Denmark
  Greece
  Netherlands
  Norway
  Bahrain
  Singapore

Supported by:
  Seychelles

  Supreme Political Council Ongoing
  • SLNS Gajabahu completes its maiden patrol of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and is set to return to the island.[1][2]
  • Government of Sri Lanka confirms that future patrols would take place.[3]

Sri Lankan peacekeeping

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Conflict Sri Lanka and allies Country Results Sri Lankan commanders Sri Lankan losses
Head(s) of Government Defense Minister(s)
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(1978–present)
  Sri Lanka   Lebanon Ongoing
Various
United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti
(2004–present)
  Sri Lanka   Haiti Ongoing
Various
United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad
(2007–2010)
  Sri Lanka   Central African Republic
  Chad
Ended
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
(2013–present)
  Sri Lanka   Mali Ongoing 3[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ "Red Sea crisis: Navy OPV heads home after maiden patrol". The Morning. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  2. ^ "SLNS Gajabahu returns from Red Sea". Ceylon Today. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Red Sea crisis: SLN prepped to continue patrols". The Morning. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Three Sri Lankan soldiers die in Mali attack | Daily FT".
  5. ^ "Sri Lanka's first combat deaths since 2009: Families mourn fallen UN peacekeepers". www.sundayobserver.lk. 2019-02-03.