Leslie Gunawardana

Ranaweera Appuhamilage Leslie Herbert Gunawardana (17 August 1938 – 16 November 2010) was a Sri Lankan historian, academic, politician and government minister.

Early life and family Gunawardana was born on 17 August 1938 in Tholangamuwa, Ceylon. Both of his parents died when he was young and he was brought up his uncle. He was educated at Tholangamuwa Central College. Having won the 1956 the University Entrance Arts Scholarship, he joined the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, graduating in 1960 with a first class B.A. honours degree in ancient history. He received a PhD degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1965 for his research, guided by Arthur Llewellyn Basham and Johannes Gijsbertus de Casparis, on Buddhist monastic institutions in Ceylon during the early medieval period. He lost his ministerial position in September 2001 following a cabinet reshuffle.

Gunawardana died on 16 November 2010 following a prolonged illness.