Serendib Scenes from Colonial Ceylon
Serendib Scenes from Colonial Ceylon by Eugenia W. Herbert, published by Levellers Press on December 12, 2019, offers a detailed exploration of Ceylon, known today as Sri Lanka. This edition spans 451 pages and is presented in English. The book delves into the rich history of the island, recounting the experiences of various groups, including the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, who were drawn to its beauty and wealth. Through their narratives, readers gain insight into the fortunes made and lost, not only in the spices that initially attracted them but also in the coffee and tea that later became central to the island’s economy.
In this work, Herbert captures the diverse stories of those who came to Ceylon for various reasons—governance, conversion, exploration, and appreciation of its natural wonders. The book highlights the island’s allure and the impact of colonial endeavors on its landscape and culture. Readers will find a nuanced portrayal of the interactions between different cultures and the transformations that occurred over time, set against the backdrop of Ceylon’s historical significance in global trade and exploration.
Official synopsis Publisher
Since antiquity Ceylon?–?long known as Serendib, now Sri Lanka?–?has been renowned for its beauty and its wealth. Shipwrecked on its shores, Sindbad the Sailor found it a land of “unrivalled splendor and magnificence,” the air filled with the fragrance of spices and rare gems glittering in the streams of a lofty mountain. He returned home loaded with riches, as many were to do after him: Portuguese, Dutch, and finally, in the nineteenth century, the British. Serendib tells the stories in the voices and through the eyes of those who ultimately made and lost fortunes not in the cinnamon and pearls that first lured them but in coffee and tea; it tells the stories, too, of those who came to govern, to convert, to hunt, to unearth the island’s antiquities, and simply to delight in its natural wonders.
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