Social divisions arise over the centuries between…

Social divisions arise over the centuries between those engaged in agriculture and those engaged in nonagricultural occupations.

The Govi (cultivators) belong to the highest Sinhalese caste (Goyigama) and will remain so in the late twentieth century.

All Sri Lankan heads of state have, since independence, belonged to the Goyigama caste, as do about half of all Sinhalese.

The importance of cultivation on the island is also reflected in the caste structure of the Hindu Tamils, among whom the Vellala (cultivator) is the highest caste.