Burgher is the name of a Eurasian people and, less commonly, a Creole language based on Portuguese. In Sri Lanka the term is used to identify people of this community. English is the mother tongue of the Burghers of Sri Lanka. See Portuguese Creole.
For the most part, the Burgher people of Sri Lanka are the Eurasian descendents of Portuguese, Dutch and British colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries. Burghers were legally defined by law in 1883, by the then Chief Justice of Ceylon, Sir Richard Ottley, given before the Commission which was appointed in connection with ...
Burgher culture is a rich mixture of east and west, reflecting their ancestry. They are the most westernised of the ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. Most of them wear western clothing, although it is not uncommon for a man to be seen wearing a sarong, or for a woman to wear a sari.
A number of elements in Burgher culture have actually extended to become part of the cultures of other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. For example, baila music, which has its origin in the music of 16th century Portugal, has found its way into mainstream popular Sin ...
The Portuguese arrived in what was then known by outsiders as Ceylon, in 1505. Since there were no women in the Portuguese navy, the Portuguese sailors married local Sinhalese women. This practice of intermarriage with local people was encouraged by the Portuguese, not only in Ceylon, but also in other Portuguese colonies, such as Macau in China and Malacca in Malaysia. Their mestiço children were often called 'micos' (a corruption ...
