Henry Pedris
Encyclopedia
Captain Duenuge Edward Henry Pedris CTG
(Sinhala:හෙන්රි පෙදිරිස්) (16 August 1888 – 9 July 1915) was a militia officer and a prominent socialite
in colonial Ceylon (present Sri Lanka
) who was executed by British
officials for alleged incitement of racial riots in 1915, which were proven false. His execution at a young age was viewed as extremely unjust by most Sri Lankans, it hastened the movement towards independence
for Sri Lanka and became a martyr
providing motivation to those who pioneered the movement.
, Ceylon, the youngest of five children and the only son of Duenuge Disan Pedris and Mallino Pedris. Both his father and uncle N.S. Fernando Wijesekara were leading businessmen of the time, and his family was among the wealthiest and most influential in Sri Lanka.
Pedris first attended the Colombo Academy (later renamed as Royal College) situated in the Pettah
. From there he joined St. Thomas' College where he excelled in sports and shone as a good cricket
er, playing for the school's first eleven cricket team. After some time he returned to Royal College where he again played cricket and engaged in other sporting activities.
Pedris was a teetotaler and his father had great hopes that Pedris would one day take over his business enterprises and become a leader in the commercial world.
the British
mobilized the Ceylon Defence Force and raised the Colombo Town Guard
a regiment of volunteers to defended Colombo if attacked. Pedris opted to join the Colombo Town Guard
as a private
and first Sinhalese
to be enlisted to the new regiment. He soon became an excellent marksmen and due to his excellent horsemanship was made a commissioned officer in the mounted section. Within a year, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. This, along with his immense wealth, resulted Pedris being much envied by many.
when a group of Muslim attacked a Buddhist pageant
with stones soon spread across the island. The British
Governor of Ceylon
Sir
Robert Chalmers
fearing he might loss control of the colony, on advice of Brigadier General Malcolm came down with a heavy hand on the Sinhalese community and declared martial law
on 2 June 1915 and ordered the police and the Army to shoot any one who they deemed a rioter without a trial. It is said the numbers of Sinhalese killed this way were thousands. With the escalation of the violence looting brook out within Colombo. Capt. Pedris as he was responsible for the defence of the city successfully managed to disband several rioting groups after peaceful discussions.
The vanity and jealousy towards Capt. Pedris and the rich Pedris family of both the British and their sinhalese henchmen, led by Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike the Maha Mudaliyar
(chief native interpreter and adviser to the Governor
) culminated in false charges being drawn up against Capt. Pedris and which would result him being court martialed
. It was alleged Pedris shot at a group of Muslim and had incited people to march to the city of Colombo from Peliyagoda. Based on these accusations, he was swiftly arrested.
Following his arrest the British
, fearing open rebellion, imprisoned more than 80 prominent Sinhalese leaders. Among those imprisoned were D. S. Senanayake, D. R. Wijewardena, Edwin Wijeyeratne
, Dr. Cassius Pereira, E. T. De Silva, F.R. Dias Bandaranaike, H. Amarasuriya, A.H. Molamure and several others.
Chalmers passed on the decision to confirm the death sentence to Brigadier General
Malcolm. The only person who was able to intervene in this case was Sir Hector Van Cuylenberg who was the elected representative in the legislature, but his representations were not taken seriously by the military. Many prominent citizens and educationists, both British and Ceylonese alike appealed against the judgment, without any impact. An appeal was made to King George V
. The execution was promptly carried out to prevent these action from taking any effect. On 7 July, 1915 Capt. Pedris was stripped of his rank and executed by firing squad. Its said that he refused the blindfold offered to him, requesting to face death fearlessly. After the execution in keeping with military tradition, his body was buried in an unmarked grave against the wishes of his family. In 1987 Capt. Pedris’s grave was unearthed and the remains were verified as his and reburied with military honors (it is said his father knew exactly were his son was buried).
A Court inquiry that followed, found Pedris not guilty and his and his family name cleared.
Many claim the execution of Pedris and the actions of the British, marked the beginning of the independence movement with many people specially from the educated middle class taking an active role in it. Their action resulted in Ceylon gaining independence in 1948.
Governor Chalmers was removed from the post and made Under-Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Wimborne. The powers of the Mudaliyars were abolished when the Native Department was closed down in 1938.
Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard was regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed. It was a volunteer regiment was based in Colombo.-History:...
(Sinhala:හෙන්රි පෙදිරිස්) (16 August 1888 – 9 July 1915) was a militia officer and a prominent socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
in colonial Ceylon (present Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
) who was executed by British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
officials for alleged incitement of racial riots in 1915, which were proven false. His execution at a young age was viewed as extremely unjust by most Sri Lankans, it hastened the movement towards independence
Sri Lanka Independence Struggle
The Sri Lankan independence movement was a peaceful political movement which aimed at achieving independence & self rule for Ceylon from the British Empire. It was initiated around the turn of the 20th century lead mostly by the educated middle class and ultimately was successful when February 4,...
for Sri Lanka and became a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
providing motivation to those who pioneered the movement.
Early life
Henry Pedris was born in ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Ceylon, the youngest of five children and the only son of Duenuge Disan Pedris and Mallino Pedris. Both his father and uncle N.S. Fernando Wijesekara were leading businessmen of the time, and his family was among the wealthiest and most influential in Sri Lanka.
Pedris first attended the Colombo Academy (later renamed as Royal College) situated in the Pettah
Pettah, Sri Lanka
Pettah is a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located east of the City centre Fort. The Pettah neighborhood is famous for its open air bazaars and markets....
. From there he joined St. Thomas' College where he excelled in sports and shone as a good cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, playing for the school's first eleven cricket team. After some time he returned to Royal College where he again played cricket and engaged in other sporting activities.
Pedris was a teetotaler and his father had great hopes that Pedris would one day take over his business enterprises and become a leader in the commercial world.
Colombo Town Guard
With the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mobilized the Ceylon Defence Force and raised the Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard was regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed. It was a volunteer regiment was based in Colombo.-History:...
a regiment of volunteers to defended Colombo if attacked. Pedris opted to join the Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard was regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed. It was a volunteer regiment was based in Colombo.-History:...
as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
and first Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
to be enlisted to the new regiment. He soon became an excellent marksmen and due to his excellent horsemanship was made a commissioned officer in the mounted section. Within a year, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. This, along with his immense wealth, resulted Pedris being much envied by many.
Sinhalese Muslim Riots
The Sinhalese Muslim Riots (known as the 1915 riots) which began in KandyKandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
when a group of Muslim attacked a Buddhist pageant
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
with stones soon spread across the island. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Governor of Ceylon
Governor of Ceylon
The British Governor of Ceylon was an official who ruled Ceylon during the British colonial period between 1798 and 1948....
Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Robert Chalmers
Robert Chalmers, 1st Baron Chalmers
Robert Chalmers, 1st Baron Chalmers GCB PC , was a British civil servant.-Background and education:Chalmers was born in Stoke Newington, Middlesex, the son of John Chalmers and his wife Julia...
fearing he might loss control of the colony, on advice of Brigadier General Malcolm came down with a heavy hand on the Sinhalese community and declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
on 2 June 1915 and ordered the police and the Army to shoot any one who they deemed a rioter without a trial. It is said the numbers of Sinhalese killed this way were thousands. With the escalation of the violence looting brook out within Colombo. Capt. Pedris as he was responsible for the defence of the city successfully managed to disband several rioting groups after peaceful discussions.
The vanity and jealousy towards Capt. Pedris and the rich Pedris family of both the British and their sinhalese henchmen, led by Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike the Maha Mudaliyar
Sri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
(chief native interpreter and adviser to the Governor
Governor of Ceylon
The British Governor of Ceylon was an official who ruled Ceylon during the British colonial period between 1798 and 1948....
) culminated in false charges being drawn up against Capt. Pedris and which would result him being court martialed
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
. It was alleged Pedris shot at a group of Muslim and had incited people to march to the city of Colombo from Peliyagoda. Based on these accusations, he was swiftly arrested.
Following his arrest the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, fearing open rebellion, imprisoned more than 80 prominent Sinhalese leaders. Among those imprisoned were D. S. Senanayake, D. R. Wijewardena, Edwin Wijeyeratne
Edwin Wijeyeratne
Sir Edwin Aloysius Perera Wijeyeratne, KBE was a Sri Lankan politician, diplomat, and one of the founding members of United National Party. He was a Senator and Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development in the government of DS Senanayake...
, Dr. Cassius Pereira, E. T. De Silva, F.R. Dias Bandaranaike, H. Amarasuriya, A.H. Molamure and several others.
Death
Soon after his arrest and incarceration he was tried by a military court. Pedris was tried by a special court of three military officials and declared guilty and a traitor on 1 July 1915 thus was sentenced to death by firing squad. The date of the execution was set for 7 July 1915 without any form of appeal.Chalmers passed on the decision to confirm the death sentence to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Malcolm. The only person who was able to intervene in this case was Sir Hector Van Cuylenberg who was the elected representative in the legislature, but his representations were not taken seriously by the military. Many prominent citizens and educationists, both British and Ceylonese alike appealed against the judgment, without any impact. An appeal was made to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. The execution was promptly carried out to prevent these action from taking any effect. On 7 July, 1915 Capt. Pedris was stripped of his rank and executed by firing squad. Its said that he refused the blindfold offered to him, requesting to face death fearlessly. After the execution in keeping with military tradition, his body was buried in an unmarked grave against the wishes of his family. In 1987 Capt. Pedris’s grave was unearthed and the remains were verified as his and reburied with military honors (it is said his father knew exactly were his son was buried).
A Court inquiry that followed, found Pedris not guilty and his and his family name cleared.
Legacy
Capt. Pedris’s death was also meant as a warning for other Ceylonese leaders who were leading the Independence struggle. After the execution the blood soaked chair on which Capt. Pedris was shot was taken to the prison cells that contained many Sinhalese leaders including D. S. Senanayake and shown to them with the warning that they would be next.Many claim the execution of Pedris and the actions of the British, marked the beginning of the independence movement with many people specially from the educated middle class taking an active role in it. Their action resulted in Ceylon gaining independence in 1948.
Governor Chalmers was removed from the post and made Under-Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
Lord Wimborne. The powers of the Mudaliyars were abolished when the Native Department was closed down in 1938.
External links and sources
- Edward Henry Pedris: his untimely death forged the way to freedom
- Edward Henry Pedris: great patriot
- Edward Henry Pedris: his untimely death forged the way to freedom, by Dr. H.N.S. Karunatilake
- Turning point in freedom struggle , by Dr. H.N.S. Karunatilake
- In defence of Empire
- Soldat fusillé pour l'exemple