Sir James Peiris (20 December 1856 – 5 May 1930) was a prominent leader in the Sri Lankan independence movement, the first

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

Vice-President of the

Legislative Council of Ceylon The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of British Ceylon, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first f ...

and the first native

Governor of Ceylon {{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019 The Governor of Ceylon can refer to historical vice-regal representatives of three colonialism, colonial powers: Portuguese Ceylon * List of Captains of Portuguese Ceylon (1518–1551) * List of Captain-majors of ...

(Acting).PEACE AT LAST IN PARADISE
Ananda Guruge p.213 (AuthorHouse Publishing)
K.T.Rajasingham

Asia Times ''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kong-based English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business, and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...

Retrieved 7 November 2015Seventy five years of Rotary
The Sunday Leader, Retrieved 8 January 2016

Early life and education

Born on 20 December 1856 to T Martinus Pieris and Apolonia de Soysa, a wealthy and a traditional ship-owning family, who faced comparative poverty 15 years later along with the death of his father.Life of Sir James Peiris
W. T. Keble and Devar Surya Sena, pp. 24, 59 & 62 (University of California)Ceylonese Participation in Tea Cultivation: Coastal Trade & LCPA
by Maxwell Fernando: History of Ceylon Tea Website, Retrieved 5 December 2014 Peiris was educated at Colombo Academy (now

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janua ...

) where he excelled in studies winning the Turnour Prize and the Shakespeare prize. He won the English University Scholarship in 1877 and proceeded to

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. At Cambridge he had the rare distinction of obtaining a double first – a first class in the Law Tripos and a first class in the Moral Science Tripos. There he was the first non-European to be elected President of the Cambridge Union, in the Michaelmas term of 1882. Peiris was called to Bar at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

in England thus becoming a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

. He refused to join the

Ceylon Civil Service The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, was the premier civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule and in the immediate post-independence period. Established in 1833, it functioned as part of the ...

and instead started a law practice. In 1902 he accepted for a short time the office of District Judge of

Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Souther ...

. As an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

he played a pioneering role in constitutional reform.Encyclopedia of Sri Lanka, by Charles A. Gunawardena, p.278 (Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.) Repub building

Political career

In 1892, as President of the Ceylon National Association (founded by Sir

Charles Henry de Soysa Charles Henry de Soysa Dharmagunawardana Vipula Jayasuriya Karunaratna Disanayaka popularly known as Charles Henry de Soysa, Justice of the peace#Sri Lanka, JP (3 March 1836 – 29 September 1890) was a Demographics of Sri Lanka, Ceylonese entrepr ...

), Peiris led the campaign to abolish the 'paddy (grain) tax', for which he was recognised by the

Cobden Club The Cobden Club was a society and publishing imprint, based in London, run along the lines of a gentlemen's club of the Victorian era, but without permanent club premises of its own. Founded in 1866 by Thomas Bayley Potter for believers in Free ...

.Sir James Peiris (Public Life)
by L.J.M. Cooray (Ourcivilisation Web), Retrieved on 28 November 2014 It was the first instance that the tax was abolished in the recorded history of the island. Peiris's entry into politics was as a Member of the

Colombo Municipal Council The Colombo Municipal Council is the municipal governing body of Colombo, the largest city and financial centre in Sri Lanka. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of Colombo, current elect is Rosy Senanayake, and 119 elected 119 muni ...

from 1898 to 1908 representing the

Slave Island Slave Island ( si, කොම්පඤ්ඤ වීදිය, ta, கொம்பனித்தெரு) also known as Kampong Kertel and Kompanna Veediya is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka, located directly south of the Fort. The suburb contain ...

ward, and served on the Public Works Council. Though a reluctant politician at first, Peiris initiated

constitutional A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princip ...

reforms Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...

such as the abolition of the then system of racial representation and the introduction of the elective principle in place of nomination.Working towards reform

The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) ''The Sunday Times'' is a weekly Sri Lankan broadsheet initially published by the now defunct Times Group, until 1991, when it was taken over by Wijeya Newspapers. The paper features articles of journalists such as defence columnist Iqbal Athas a ...

Retrieved 23 April 2015Sir James Peiris – Sri Lanka’s champion of the elective principle

The Island (Sri Lanka) ''The Island'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Sri Lanka. It is published by Upali Newspapers. A sister newspaper of ''Divaina'', ''The Island'' was established in 1981. Its Sunday edition, ''Sunday Island'', commenced publishing in 199 ...

Retrieved 23 December 2015 In 1915 Peiris led the campaign for a Royal Commission of Inquiry and the vindication of the reputations of those who had been falsely accused during the riots of 1915. Peiris was the chairman of the committee which was protesting the British Governor's handling of the riots and the unfair and discriminative treatment being meted out to Sinhala

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

leaders. As a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, although he was offered privileges and pressured by the ruling British, he fearlessly refused them and stuck to his principles. Seeing the horror unleashed by the governor and his advisers, he initiated and drafted a memorandum in great secrecy supported by other prominent members of society to bring it to the attention of the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and

His Majesty's Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

. It was taken to England hidden in the sole of a shoe by

E. W. Perera Edward Walter Perera (11 December 1875 – 15 February 1953) was a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) barrister, politician and freedom fighter. He was known as the "Lion of Kotte" and was a prominent figure in the Sri Lankan independence movement, served ...

, later joined by Peiris. As a result of this the governor Sir

Robert Chalmers Robert Chalmers, 1st Baron Chalmers, (18 August 1858 – 17 November 1938) was a British civil servant, and a Pali and Buddhist scholar. In later life, he served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Background and education Chalmers was ...

was recalled. In 1920 Peiris was elected President of the

Ceylon National Congress The Ceylon National Congress ( Sinhala: ලංකා ජාතික කොන්ග්‍රසය ''Lanka Jathika Kongrasaya'') (CNC) was a Nationalist political party which was formed in Ceylon on 11 December 1919. It was founded after national ...

staunchly supported by D.S. Senanayake and F.R. Senanayake. Forming the Congress was a self-sacrificing effort by Peiris and the National Association, up until that time the most powerful lobby in Ceylon. He continued the struggle for reforms and promoted greater representation of natives in the government

bureaucracy The term bureaucracy () refers to a body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group. Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected offi ...

and the

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

. He also campaigned to abolish the

poll tax A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments fr ...

. There was wide support for Peiris' nomination to the

. On two occasions when nominations had to be made for the position of "''an educated Ceylonese''" James Peiris was passed over, notwithstanding his ability and integrity. Peiris also was opposed to the principle of nomination. Immediately the elective principle was introduced into the Legislative Council, Peiris was elected unopposed. At the same election his brother-in-law Sir Henry De Mel was also elected unopposed, on behalf of the Low Country Products Association. In 1922 Peiris led the fight against the Supply Bill which sought to increase taxation and led a walkout from the Legislative Council in protest. In 1924 the legislative council was reconstituted with a majority of elected representatives. Peiris was elected as Vice-President – a position he held until his death in 1930. The post of President was held nominally by the Governor and Peiris presided over the Council and acted as Officer Administering the Government. Peiris accepted in 1925 a

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

from the

and was a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for the whole island. He was the first Ceylonese occupant of Queens House as Acting-Governor. Peiris was first to propose the creation of a University College in Colombo and the means of financing it. Following the establishment of the University College, Colombo (later to become the

University of Ceylon The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Univer ...

), Peiris was a Member of the Advisory Council of the new University College.

Family and personal life

In 1889, Peiris married Grace de Mel, daughter of

Jacob De Mel Lakshapathiya Mahavidanalage Jacob De Mel also simply known as V. Jacob De Mel (1839-1919) was a pioneering Demographics of Sri Lanka, Ceylonese mining magnate and philanthropist who is still regarded as one of the finest entrepreneurs to have ...

(1839-1919) and Dona Helena née Ferdinando (1850-1906) and had two sons and two daughters; Ethel, Louise, Leonard and Devar Suriya Sena. His nephews were artists

Harold Peiris Harold Peiris (1904–1988) was a Sri Lankan lawyer, author, scholar, teacher, patron of the arts, and philanthropist. He was the co-founder of the Lionel Wendt Art Centre and its sole life-trustee.Harry Peiris Harry Peiris (10 August 1904 – 14 March 1988) was a Sri Lankan painter. He was one of the founders of the Colombo '43 Group, and has been considered the finest Asian portraitist of the 20th century working in a European style. Charles H ...

and Bishop

Lakdasa De Mel Most Rev. Lakdasa Jacob De Mel (1902–1976), MA was the first Bishop of Kurunegala, Sri Lanka and the last Metropolitan Archbishop of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylo Lakdasa De Mel was born on 24 March 1902 in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, to a prom ...

. He was a devoted Christian and a standing committee member of the

Church of England synod The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. Anglican Communion The General Synod of the Church of England, which was established in 1970 replacing the Church Assembly, is the legislative body of the Church of ...

. He was a Fellow of the Colonial Institute, a President of the

Sinhalese Sports Club The Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) is a first-class cricket club in Sri Lanka. Singhalese is the most successful club in Sri Lankan domestic cricket, having won the Premier Trophy a record 32 times to 2017. Although the name is correctly spelt wi ...

, founding Secretary of the

Royal College Union The Royal College Union (RCU) is the alumni association of the Royal College Colombo. Founded in 1891 as a society for alumni of the college, it is the oldest such alumni society in Sri Lanka. The Royal College Union was set up to further the ...

, member of the

Orient Club The Orient Club is a private members' club, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Established in 1884, it was the first Ceylonese-only social club in the country. Membership of the club is by nomination and election only. History The club was founded in 1894, ...

, founder of the Low-Country Products' Association, the Ceylon Social Service League, the Ceylon Social Reform Association and the Cheshire Home.OUR REVERED BENEFACTORS - SIR JAMES AND LADY PEIRIS
(cheshirelanka.org) Retrieved 23 December 2014

, Retrieved 23 December 2014 He was also known for his ability and interest in horsemanship and farming.

Legacy

Peiris is considered as one of the few distinguished Sri Lankan statesmen prior to its independence and is often referred to as ''the Father of Constitutional Reforms''. Those vindicated due to his efforts became the subsequent leaders of the nation. When his portrait was unveiled in Parliament, the then Prime Minister,

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike ( si, සොලොමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක; ta, சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிட்ஜ்வே டயஸ் ப� ...

stated: ''"Like Moses, James Peiris brought his people within sight of the promised land, but did not live to see its fulfilment"''. In his honour one of the major streets in Colombo is named ''Sir James Peiris Mawatha'' and so is ''Sir James Peiris Hall'' a Hall of Residence at the

University of Peradeniya The University of Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය, ta, பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a Public research university, public university in Sri Lanka ...

. The ''Sir James Peiris Memorial Prize'' is one of the prizes awarded annually at Royal College, Colombo.

Sources & External links

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF SIR JAMES PEIRIS, by L.J.M. COORAY
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080724230038/http://lakdiva.com/island/i981213/sat/satmagzn.htm Life and times of Sir James Peirisbr>The Orient Club

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peiris, James 1856 births 1930 deaths 19th-century Sri Lankan lawyers Alumni of Royal College, Colombo Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Ceylonese Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire District Courts of Sri Lanka judges Knights Bachelor Members of Lincoln's Inn Members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon National Heroes of Sri Lanka People from Colombo People from Moratuwa People of British Ceylon Presidents of the Cambridge Union Sinhalese judges Sinhalese lawyers Sri Lankan barristers Ceylonese advocates Sinhalese politicians Sri Lankan Christians Sri Lankan independence movement Sri Lankan justices of the peace