| 1653 - 1796 | Ceylon a Dutch colony | Leaders |
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| Aug 1795 | British East India Company rule | Leaders |
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| 1 Jan 1802 | British crown colony | Leaders |
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| 4 Feb 1948 | independence (Dominion of Ceylon) | Leaders |
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| 22 May 1972 | Republic of Sri Lanka | Leaders |
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| 7 Sep 1978 | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | Leaders |
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| 22 Feb 1697 - 26 Nov 1702 | Gerrit de Heere | Governors |
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| 11 May 1703 - 22 Nov 1707 | Cornelis Joannes Simonsz | Governors |
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| 22 Nov 1707 - 5 Dec 1716 | Hendrick Becker | Governors |
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| 5 Dec 1716 - 21 Jun 1723 | Isaak Augustyn Rumpf | Governors |
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| 21 Jun 1723 - 12 Jan 1724 | Arnold Mold (acting) | Governors |
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| 12 Jan 1724 - 19 Oct 1725 | Johannes Hertenberg | Governors |
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| 19 Oct 1725 - 16 Sep 1726 | Jan Paulus Schagen (acting) | Governors |
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| 16 Sep 1726 - 27 Aug 1729 | Petrus Vuyst | Governors |
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| 27 Aug 1729 - 25 Aug 1732 | Stephanus Versluys | Governors |
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| 25 Aug 1732 - 2 Dec 1732 | Gualterus Woutersz (acting) | Governors |
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| 2 Dec 1732 - 27 Jan 1734 | Jacob Christian Pielaat | Governors |
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| 27 Jan 1734 - 7 Jun 1736 | Diederick van Domburg | Governors |
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| 7 Jun 1736 - 23 Jul 1736 | Jan Maccare (acting) | Governors |
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| 23 Jul 1736 - 12 Mar 1740 | Gustaaf Willem baron van Imhoff | Governors |
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| 12 Mar 1740 - 8 Jan 1742 | Willem Maurits Bruyninck | Governors |
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| 8 Jan 1742 - 11 May 1743 | Daniel Overbeek | Governors |
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| 11 May 1743 - 6 May 1751 | Julius Valentyn Stein van Gollenesse | Governors |
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| 6 May 1751 - 26 Feb 1752 | Gerrard Joan Vreeland | Governors |
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| 26 Feb 1752 - 10 Sep 1752 | Jacob de Jong (acting) | Governors |
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| 10 Sep 1752 - 17 Mar 1757 | Joan Gideon Loten | Governors |
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| 17 Mar 1757 - 17 Sep 1762 | Jan Schreuder | Governors |
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| 17 Sep 1762 - 1 Apr 1765 | Lubbert Jan baron van Eck | Governors |
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| 13 May 1765 - 7 Aug 1765 | Anthony Mooyart (acting) | Governors |
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| 7 Aug 1765 - 6 Feb 1785 | Iman Willem Falck | Governors |
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| 7 Feb 1785 - 15 Jul 1794 | Willem Jacob van der Graaf | Governors |
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| 15 Jul 1794 - 16 Feb 1796 | Johan Gerrard van Angelbeek | Governors |
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| Aug 1795 - 1 Mar 1796 | Patrick Alexander Agnew | Military governors |
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| 1 Mar 1796 - 1 Jan 1797 | James Stewart | Military governors |
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| 1 Jan 1797 - 2 Jul 1797 | Welbore Ellis Doyle | Military governors |
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| 2 Jul 1797 - 12 Jul 1797 | Peter Bonnevaux | Military governors |
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| 12 Jul 1797 - 12 Oct 1798 | Pierre Frédéric de Meuron | Military governors |
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| 12 Feb 1796 - 12 Oct 1798 | Robert Andrews | Resident |
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| 12 Oct 1798 - 19 Jul 1805 | Frederick North | Governors |
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| 19 Jul 1805 - 19 Mar 1811 | Thomas Maitland | Governors |
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| 19 Mar 1811 - 11 Mar 1812 | John Wilson (1st time) (acting) | Governors |
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| 11 Mar 1812 - 1 Feb 1820 | Robert Brownrigg | Governors |
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| 1 Feb 1820 - 2 Feb 1822 | Edward Barnes (1st time) (acting) | Governors |
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| 2 Feb 1822 - 6 Nov 1822 | Edward Paget | Governors |
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| 6 Nov 1822 - 18 Jan 1824 | James Campbell (acting) | Governors |
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| 18 Jan 1824 - 13 Oct 1831 | Edward Barnes (2nd time) | Governors |
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| 13 Oct 1831 - 23 Oct 1831 | John Wilson (2nd time) (acting) | Governors |
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| 23 Oct 1831 - 7 Nov 1837 | Robert Wilmot-Horton | Governors |
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| 7 Nov 1837 - 15 Apr 1841 | James Alexander Stewart Mackenzie | Governors |
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| 15 Apr 1841 - 19 Apr 1847 | Colin Campbell | Governors |
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| 19 Apr 1847 - 29 May 1847 | James Emerson Tennent (acting) | Governors |
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| 29 May 1847 - 18 Oct 1850 | George Byng, Viscount Torrington | Governors |
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| 18 Oct 1850 - 27 Nov 1850 | Charles Justin MacCarthy | Governors |
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| 27 Nov 1850 - 18 Jan 1855 | Sir George William Anderson | Governors |
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| 18 Jan 1855 - 11 May 1855 | Charles Justin MacCarthy | Governors |
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| 11 May 1855 - 30 Jun 1860 | Henry George Ward | Governors |
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| 30 Jun 1860 - 30 Jul 1860 | Henry Frederick Lockyer (acting) | Governors |
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| 30 Jul 1860 - 22 Oct 1860 | Charles Edmund Wilkinson (acting) | Governors |
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| 22 Oct 1860 - 1 Dec 1863 | Charles Justin MacCarthy | Governors |
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| 1 Dec 1863 - 21 Mar 1865 | Terence O'Brien (acting) | Governors |
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| 21 Mar 1865 - 4 Jan 1872 | Sir Hercules Robinson | Governors |
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| 4 Jan 1872 - 4 Mar 1872 | Henry Turner Irving (acting) | Governors |
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| 4 Mar 1872 - 4 Sep 1877 | William Henry Gregory | Governors |
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| 4 Sep 1877 - 10 Jul 1883 | Sir James Robert Longden | Governors |
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| 10 Jul 1883 - 3 Dec 1883 | John Douglas (acting) | Governors |
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| 3 Dec 1883 - 28 May 1890 | Sir Arthur Charles Hamilton-Gordon | Governors |
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| 28 May 1890 - 24 Oct 1895 | Arthur Elibank Havelock | Governors |
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| 24 Oct 1895 - 10 Feb 1896 | Edward Noël Walker (acting) | Governors |
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| 10 Feb 1896 - 19 Nov 1903 | Joseph West Ridgeway | Governors |
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| 19 Nov 1903 - 3 Dec 1903 | Edward F. im Thurn (acting) | Governors |
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| 3 Dec 1903 - 11 Jul 1907 | Sir Henry Arthur Blake | Governors |
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| 11 Jul 1907 - 24 Aug 1907 | Hugh Clifford (1st time) | Governors |
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| 24 Aug 1907 - 24 Jan 1913 | Sir Henry Edward McCallum | Governors |
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| 24 Jan 1913 - 18 Oct 1913 | Reginald Edward Stubbs (1st time) | Governors |
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| 18 Oct 1913 - 4 Dec 1915 | Robert Chalmers | Governors |
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| 4 Dec 1915 - 15 Apr 1916 | Reginald Edward Stubbs (2nd time) | Governors |
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| 15 Apr 1916 - 24 Mar 1918 | Sir John Anderson | Governors |
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| 24 Mar 1918 - 10 Sep 1918 | Reginald Edward Stubbs (3rd time) | Governors |
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| 10 Sep 1918 - 1 Apr 1925 | Sir William Henry Manning | Governors |
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| 1 Apr 1925 - 18 Oct 1925 | Cecil Clementi (acting) | Governors |
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| 18 Oct 1925 - 30 Nov 1925 | Edward Bruce Alexander (acting) | Governors |
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| 30 Nov 1925 - 1927 | Sir Hugh Clifford (2nd time) | Governors |
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| 20 Aug 1928 - 11 Feb 1931 | Sir Herbert James Stanley | Governors |
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| 11 Feb 1931 - 11 Apr 1931 | Bernard Henry Bourdillon (acting) | Governors |
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| 11 Apr 1931 - 20 Sep 1933 | Sir Graeme Thomson | Governors |
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| 20 Sep 1933 - 23 Dec 1933 | Francis Graeme Tyrrell (acting) | Governors |
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| 23 Dec 1933 - 30 Jun 1937 | Reginald Edward Stubbs (4th time) | Governors |
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| 30 Jun 1937 - 16 Oct 1937 | Maxwell MacLagan Wedderburn | Governors |
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| 16 Oct 1937 - 19 Sep 1944 | Sir Andrew Caldecott | Governors |
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| 19 Sep 1944 - 4 Feb 1948 | Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore | Governors |
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| 4 Feb 1948 - 6 Jul 1949 | Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore | Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state) |
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| 6 Jul 1949 - 17 Jul 1954 | Herwald Ramsbotham, Baron Soulbury | Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state) |
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| 17 Jul 1954 - 2 Mar 1962 | Sir Oliver Goonetilleke | Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state) |
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| 2 Mar 1962 - 22 May 1972 | William Gopallawa | Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state) |
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| 22 May 1972 - 4 Feb 1978 | William Gopallawa | Presidents |
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| 4 Feb 1978 - 2 Jan 1989 | Junius Richard Jayewardene | Presidents |
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| 2 Jan 1989 - 1 May 1993 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Presidents |
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| 1 May 1993 - 12 Nov 1994 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunge | Presidents |
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| 12 Nov 1994 - 19 Nov 2005 | Chandrika Kumaratunga (f) | Presidents |
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| 19 Nov 2005 - | Mahinda Rajapakse | Presidents |
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| 24 Sep 1947 - 22 Mar 1952 | Don Stephen Senanayake | Prime ministers |
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| 26 Mar 1952 - 12 Oct 1953 | Dudley Shelton Senanayake | Prime ministers |
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| 12 Oct 1953 - 12 Apr 1956 | Sir John Kotelawala | Prime ministers |
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| 12 Apr 1956 - 26 Sep 1959 | S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike | Prime ministers |
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| 26 Sep 1959 - 21 Mar 1960 | Wijayananda Dahanayake | Prime ministers |
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| 21 Mar 1960 - 21 Jul 1960 | Dudley Shelton Senanayake | Prime ministers |
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| 21 Jul 1960 - 27 Mar 1965 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike (f) | Prime ministers |
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| 27 Mar 1965 - 29 May 1970 | Dudley Shelton Senanayake | Prime ministers |
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| 29 May 1970 - 23 Jul 1977 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike (f) | Prime ministers |
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| 23 Jul 1977 - 6 Feb 1978 | Junius Richard Jayewardene | Prime ministers |
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| 6 Feb 1978 - 3 Mar 1989 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Prime ministers |
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| 3 Mar 1989 - 7 May 1993 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunge | Prime ministers |
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| 7 May 1993 - 19 Aug 1994 | Ranil Wickremesinghe (1st time) | Prime ministers |
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| 19 Aug 1994 - 14 Nov 1994 | Chandrika Kumaratunga (f) | Prime ministers |
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| 14 Nov 1994 - 10 Aug 2000 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike (f) | Prime ministers |
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| 10 Aug 2000 - 9 Dec 2001 | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | Prime ministers |
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| 9 Dec 2001 - 6 Apr 2004 | Ranil Wickremesinghe (2nd time) | Prime ministers |
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| 6 Apr 2004 - 21 Nov 2005 | Mahinda Rajapakse | Prime ministers |
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| 21 Nov 2005 - | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | Prime ministers |
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