Ceylon (the British name for the island) becomes a Crown Colony.

For over a century, Ceylon was ruled as a British crown colony. The British established a new administrative system and focused on plantation agriculture, particularly coffee and later rubber. This led to economic growth but also social changes and the introduction of Indian Tamil labor.,British rule had a lasting impact on Sri Lanka. Infrastructure like railways and roads were built, but there were also drawbacks. The cash crop focus led to deforestation and a decline in subsistence farming. Social tensions arose between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority.