From Civil War to Soft Authoritarianism

This book shows how Sri Lanka's civil war gradually undermined liberal democracy and caused the country to regress toward the current soft authoritarian dispensation. In doing so, it introduces the concept of 'ethnic supererogation,' a governing system built around the notion that a majority ethnic group and/or the state could go beyond the standard expectations to accommodate minority concerns and institute incentives for ethnic minorities to operate within a united state so as to preclude dissension and secession. Ethnic supererogation will be juxtaposed with various forms of ethnocentrism and control regimes, arguing that the former stands to promote stability while the latter inevitably unleash instability.

Product details

• Authors: Neil Devotta, Neil (Wake Forest University Devotta, DeVotta Neil
• Publisher: Routledge Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 31.12.2026
• EAN: 9780415665452
• ISBN: 978-0-415-66545-2
• Series: Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series; Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series
• Subjects: Education and learning > Teaching preparation > Vocational needs; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Sri Lanka, Ethnic Studies, Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Policy, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Asian, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, Asian History, Central / national / federal government policies, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Central government policies, HISTORY / Asia / South / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / Asian Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / General