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The Senanayake family
is a
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
n family that is prominent in enterprise and politics. Along with many members who have been successful politician across generations, the family includes two
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
s of Sri Lanka.
History
Don Spater from the village of
Bothale became a successful mine owner. Making his fortune in graphite mining, he invested in plantations and in the
arrack
Arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin ...
renting franchise. He assumed the name Senanayake and was awarded the title of
Mudaliyar
Thuluva Vellalar (Thondamandala Tuluva Vellalar), also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka, India. They were originally significant lando ...
by the colonial government. His sons continued his business ventures, and was in the forefront of the
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
that transitioned into the
modern independence movement led by his sons
Fredrick Richard Senanayake and
Don Stephen Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake ( si, දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක,; ta, டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 21 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Min ...
following the brutal suppression of the
1915 riots by the British.
in 1947, having won the first
Parliamentary elections
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
after forming the
United National Party
The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP ( si, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය, translit=Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya, ta, ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி, translit=Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci), ...
. On his sudden death, while in office, his son
Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Shelton Senanayake ( Sinhala: ඩඩ්ලි ශෙල්ටන් සේනානායක: ta, டட்லி சேனநாயக்கா; 19 June 1911 – 13 April 1973), was a Sri Lankan statesman who served as Prime Min ...
succeeded him as Prime Minister and went on to server several terms.
Family Tree
* Don Bartholomew
**
Don Spater Senanayake
Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake (1847–1907) was a Ceylonese, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a successful graphite mine owner and was given the titular title of Mudaliyar for social service by the British colonial administration. He ...
(1848–1907),
Mudaliyar
Thuluva Vellalar (Thondamandala Tuluva Vellalar), also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka, India. They were originally significant lando ...
+ Dona Catherina Elizabeth Perera Gunasekera Senanayake (1848-?)
*** Don Charles Senanayake (1878–1931) + Euphemia Grace Millicent
**** Ivy Senanayake (1911–1984) + Dr Edmond Asoka Bulankulame (1900–1978)
*****
Visakha Bulankulame (1935–1999) +
Tissa Wijeyeratne
Suratissa Diyasena Wijeyeratne ( Sinhala: සුරතිස්ස දියසේන විජයරත්න) (17 February 1923 – 11 July 2002) (known as ''Tissa Wijeyeratne'') was a Sri Lankan politician, diplomat, barrister and businessman. ...
(1923–2002)
*** Maria Frances Senanayake + Fredrik H. Dias Bandaranaike
**** Effie Manthri Dias Bandaranaike +
Sir John Kotelawala
General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala ( si, ශ්රිමත් ජෝන් ලයනල් කොතලාවල; 4 April 1897 – 2 October 1980) was a Sri Lankan statesman, who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) fro ...
(divorced),
Prime Minister of Ceylon
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head and most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president, w ...
, Member of Parliament, Member of State Council
***** Lakshmi Kotelawala + Henry Gerald Kotalawala
**** Ranee Dias Bandaranaike + Shirly Alwis
**** Nita Dias Bandaranaike + Seneviratne (divorced)
**** Ramachandra Dias Bandaranaike + Constance Don Carolis (divorced)
***
Fredrick Richard Senanayake (1882–1926), 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 ...
and independence activist +
Ellen Attygalle
****
Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake
Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake (4 November 1911 – 22 December 1970; popularly known as R.G. Senanayake) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was Minister of Trade and Commerce during the period 1952-56 and 1956-60. He was elected a Member of Parliame ...
(1911–1970) Government Minister, Member of Parliament
**** Phyllis Nedra "Girlie" Senanayake +
Siripala Samarakkody
Siripala Samarakkody (1907 – 22 August 1944) was a Ceylonese lawyer and politician.
Early life and education
Samarakkody was born in 1907, the eldest of seven children to Charles Peter Augustus de Fonseka Tillekeratne Samarakkody and Anne Catha ...
, Member of
State Council of Ceylon
***
Don Stephen Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake ( si, දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක,; ta, டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 21 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Min ...
(1884–1952),
Prime Minister of Ceylon
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head and most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president, w ...
, Member of Parliament, Member of State Council, Member of Legislative Council +
Mollie Dunuwila Senanayake
****
Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Shelton Senanayake ( Sinhala: ඩඩ්ලි ශෙල්ටන් සේනානායක: ta, டட்லி சேனநாயக்கா; 19 June 1911 – 13 April 1973), was a Sri Lankan statesman who served as Prime Min ...
(1911–1973),
Prime Minister of Ceylon
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head and most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president, w ...
, Government Minister, Member of Parliament
**** Robert Parakrama Senanayake (1913–1986) + Swarna Neela Senanayake (daughter of Fredrick Richard Senanayake)
***** Ranjani Senanayake + Ranjith Wijewardene (of the
Wijewardene family
The Wijewardene family is a Sri Lankan family that is prominent in enterprise and politics. Along with many members who have been successful politician across generations, the family includes two Chief Justices, two Prime Ministers and two Presi ...
)
******
Ruwan Wijewardene (1975- ), Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament
******
Irushi Wijewardene (1972-) + Shastha Bulathsinhala
******* Shakun Bulathsinhala (2002-)
*****
Rukman Senanayake (1948- ), Assistant Leader of
United National Party
The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP ( si, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය, translit=Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya, ta, ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி, translit=Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci), ...
, Government Minister, Member of Parliament
*****
Ranjit Senanayake + Suwanitha
******
Vasantha Senanayake (1973- ), Member of Parliament
Other distant members of the family include;
*
Wijewardene family
The Wijewardene family is a Sri Lankan family that is prominent in enterprise and politics. Along with many members who have been successful politician across generations, the family includes two Chief Justices, two Prime Ministers and two Presi ...
**
Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene ( si, ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන, ta, ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா; 17 September 1906 – 1 November 1996), commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as ...
**
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Ranil Wickremesinghe ( si, රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ, ta, ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who is the current president of Sri Lanka since 21 July 2 ...
*
Ranjan Wijeratne
General Ranjan Wijeratne (4 April 1931 – 2 March 1991) was a Sri Lankan planter and politician. He served in the Premadasa cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs and then Minister of Plantation Industries, while holding the office of State ...
Houses built by family
*
Bothale Walawwa
*
Woodlands, Colombo
*
Grassmere, Colombo
See also
*
List of political families in Sri Lanka
This is a partial listing of prominent political families in Sri Lanka.
Abdul Majeed
*A. L. Abdul Majeed (15 November 1933 – 13 November 1987) also known as Mutur Majeed, former Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Member Parl ...
References
{{Reflist4. http://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/gen3810.html