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Sinhala Only Act

1956 · 20th century · Also known as Official Language Act No. 33 of 1956

The Sinhala Only Act, formally the Official Language Act No. 33 of 1956, was passed by the Parliament of Ceylon under Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. It replaced English with Sinhala as the sole official language, excluding Tamil, and many Tamil-speaking public servants lost their posts. It deepened the divide between Sinhalese and Tamils that later fed the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Mentioned in 1 state history

Dominion of Ceylon

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APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sinhala Only Act. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sinhala-only-act
MLA: “Sinhala Only Act.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sinhala-only-act. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Sinhala Only Act.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sinhala-only-act.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sinhala Only Act’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sinhala-only-act (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻