Nationalist scholars framed Buddhism and Sinhalese identity as inseparable, dehumanizing non-Buddhists

Evidence

According to Walpola Rahula, “The entire Sinhalese race was united under the banner of the young Gamini [i.e., Duthagamani]. This was the beginning of nationalism among the Sinhalese… . A non-Buddhist was not regarded as a human being. Evidently all Sinhalese without exception were Buddhists” (Rahula 1956: 79). Rahula is no doubt influenced by the Duthagamani myth in dehumanizing non-Buddhists. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 79

Categorization

• XREF: Relevant to the reader’s question of whether professed conviction predicts or masks bias — here a prominent Buddhist monk-scholar openly equates non-Buddhist with non-human. — connects to: Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist ideology casts minorities as tolerated guests in a Sinhalese island — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 35; Sinhalese nationalist identity is constructed as inseparable from Buddhism — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 193; Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism rests on a foundational belief in Buddhist sufferance toward minorities (+2 more)
• DEFINE: Walpola Rahula as a key source text in the Sinhalese nationalist canon that later nationalists cite uncritically.

Broader Connections

• Sinhalese nationalist identity is constructed as inseparable from Buddhism #corroborates (0.95) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 193
• Modern Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism’s founding figure emerged from Buddhism’s colonial marginalization #expands (0.80) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 111
• The intolerant faction of Buddhism triumphed over the tolerant one in Sri Lanka’s sangha. #expands (0.80)
• Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism rests on a foundational belief in Buddhist sufferance toward minorities #qualifies (0.75)