There was a sufficient opportunity for the people with regard participate of politics and administrative functions. Therefore, a puzzle is creating regarding period of pre- and post-independence administrative and local governance process in Sri Lanka. This trend has been shown not only under the colonial period but also after independency as well. Due to this privileges and civil authorities of this elite group that people did not have sufficient opportunity to engage in administrative activities or politics on what they need to wish. Entire administration system was completely controlled by the king and his subordinates’ class who had more privileges and civil powers than ordinary people on various social capacities. The ancient administration system was highly centered and autocratic in the king domain period in Sri Lankan society.
ABSTRACT The main purpose of this paper is to explore, how the changing social structure was crucially impact on formation of local administration in the context of local democracy in pre- and post -independence Sri Lanka.
