The Royal Asiatic Society of Ceylon (now renamed “of Sri Lanka”, RASSL) established on 7th February, 1845 is the pioneering organ for “oriental” research in Sri Lanka. Its founding interests varied from the religion, history, literature, sociology, geology, botany and zoology of Sri Lanka.

Based initially on templates of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and the Asiatic Society of Calcutta provided a bridge for East-West discourse. Among those who contributed to this rich exchange at the RASSL are founders of the Buddhist Renaissance in Sri Lanka and in the West, of oriental studies especially Buddhist studies. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the RASSL through its discussions, journals and other publications became the main centre for academic exchange in the country.

The RASSL undertook translations of key Pali and Sinhala texts. Later it helped establish the Museums, the Meteorology Department, the Archaeological Department, the Registrar Generals Department, the Statistics Department, the Archives, the Sinhala Dictionary, Historical Manuscripts Commission and the University.

It pioneered the studies on Study of the Etymology of the Sinhalese Language, the Veddas (the indigenous of Sri Lanka), an English translation of the Mahavamsa (the Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka), Research and Translation of the Dutch Archives, Maldivian Studies, Toponymy of Sri Lanka and Translations of Pali Buddhist Commentaries into Sinhala.