Sri Lanka was historically fragmented into several kingdoms before European colonization.

Evidence

Sri Lanka was divided into three kingdoms when the Portuguese landed in 1505 (a division that those today clamoring for maintaining the unitary state conveniently disregard). The Kingdoms of Jaffna and Kotte in the north and south, respectively, resisted yet succumbed to the colonial powers, while the Kingdom of Kandy, mainly due to the treacherous terrain in the south-central highlands, fought doggedly and maintained its independence. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 101

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 101
• XREF: connects to: The Portuguese established early land presence in Asia during the early 1500s. — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1159; Sri Lanka comprised three separate kingdoms at first European contact — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 101; British colonial rule manufactured the Sinhala-Tamil fissure that later elites exploited. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 605

Broader Connections

• The Portuguese established early land presence in Asia during the early 1500s. #expands (0.75) — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1159