Page 62 - Vimarsha Volume 2

Sinhalese people get married as per their class and caste. If the man can afford to
maintain more women he can marry more than one woman. However, this polygamy

was not more general during that period. However, the Sinhalese husband respects
his wife and consider her as his companion.

In chapter nine, Percival considered the religion of the Ceylonese. According to him,
there is no any nation who highly believe the superstitions than Sinhalese people.
“The religion of the Ceylonese is one of the most prominent features in a description

of them, and mixes with every circumstance of their lives and manners. There is no
people who labor more under the influence of superstitious fears. Omens regulate
their whole conduct, and even decide upon their birth. When a child is born, the first

step is to call the astrologer, and enquire of him whether it is destined to be fortunate
or unfortunate. If the astrologer declares that it was born to misfortune, they
frequently anticipate its future evils by destroying it” (Percival, 1975:138).

As per the account of Percival, Sinhalese people mostly tend to believe black magic.
And they believe that magics provide them with a sense of security from diseases.

Moreover, he mentioned that the priests are cheating to the people who believe those
superstitious ideologies and they make more money from this cheating techniques.
He further describes Buddhism, and how this religious institution influences the

social order and the political system. Chapter ten distinguishes the different
characteristics of coastal Sinhalese and Kandyans. Percival describes and
differentiates these characteristics based on his observations. He explains that

Kandyans are more pride, haughty and erect people, on the other hand, coastal
Sinhalese are patient, dependent and helpless people.

“The countenance of the Candian is erect, his look haughty, his mien lofty, and his
whole carriage marked by the pride of independence. The humble yielding
deportment of the Cinglese, on the other hand, with the patient or rather abject

endurance which is painted in their faces, plainly denotes the dependent and helpless
state to which they are reduced.” (Percival, 1975:216) In chapter eleven and twelve,
Percival further describes the characteristics of Kandyans and civil and military

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