Charles Henry de Soysa’s 188th Birth Anniversary A philanthropist who gave regardless of caste, religion and ethnicity

The statue of Charles Henry De Soysa

The 188th birth anniversary of Warusahennedige Charles Henry De Soysa (1836- 1890) takes place on March 3, 2024. De Soysa goes down in history as the greatest Sri Lankan philanthropist of all times. “A grateful public” erected his statue, which stands at the center of the De Soysa Circus opposite the old Eye Hospital in Colombo, in 1917. It is the first statue of any Sri Lankan erected in the city of Colombo. For the past 106 years, without a break- even during the Second World War- his birth has been commemorated at this statue on March 3. It is appropriate that this year the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama will be the chief guest at the commemoration ceremony organised at the foot of the statue at 3.30 pm on Sunday (March 3). For, no single person in Sri Lankan history has spent so much of his own personal wealth for developing the Health and Education Sectors of this nation. He built using his own wealth the De Soysa Hospital for Women in 1877. This is recorded in history as the oldest hospital for women in Asia and the third oldest in the world. This hospital was built at a time when there was no focus on Women’s Health and Maternity in any part of Asia or for that matter in most parts of Europe and America as well. His decision to build a hospital for women 147 years ago shows how far-sighted and progressive he was. 

The Medical College 

It is recorded in John Ferguson’s “Ceylon in the Jubilee Year”- published in 1887- that Charles Henry de Soysa also constructed at his expense the first building of the Ceylon Medical College on land donated by Mudliyar Samson Rajapakse. De Soysa also built- at his own expense- the Bacteriological Institute, now known as the Medical Research Institute (MRI). This was the first Bacteriological Institute in the whole of Asia. His support for Medical Research so long ago shows how much he was ahead of his times where the Health Sector is concerned. De Soysa also built at his own expense the De Soysa Hospital in Lunawa. He also built the Government Hospital in Panadura and the Government District Hospital in Marawila. 

His doctor sons-in-law 

Three of De Soysa’s sons-in-law were famous doctors who had qualified themselves in England. His eldest son-in-law, Dr. Solomon Fernando, a national hero of the early twentieth century, was one of the first two Sinhalese to qualify as doctors – the other being Dr. John Attygala. He later became the first Sinhala person to become the Director of Health Services before retiring and taking to politics. He died as a martyr in 1915 fighting for a public inquiry into the British mishandling of the Muslim Riots of 1915. His second son-in-law, Dr. Marcus Fernando, later Sir Marcus, was one of the first Sinhala surgeons. He too later took to politics and fought a bitter election against Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan for the seat reserved for Educated Ceylonese, in the then Legislative Council. 
The foundation stone was laid in 1903 and the beautiful building at De Soysa Circus was completed in 1905. Dr. De Silva functioned as the senior surgeon in charge of the hospital. De Soysa, who used loads of his own wealth to do so much for the Health Services of this country was the only child of an Ayurvedic Physician, Jeronis de Soysa, who had mastered indigenous medicine from the Nayaka Thera of the Palliyagodella Temple in Moratuwa. It is also significant that while he was ever ready to build hospitals where the western system of medicine was followed, where his own health and that of his family was concerned, he depended heavily on our time-honoured system of Ayurveda. Even when he last fell ill, it is recorded that doctors from the many hospitals- which he himself had founded- worked side by side with Ayurvedic Physicians to save his life. But those efforts were in vain. For De Soysa died at the early age of 53 of an unfortunate accident. Had he lived another 20 years there is no doubt that he would have built several more hospitals and medical institutions in many parts 
of the country. 
He was very critical of the British for neglecting the health needs of our country. Since he could not get the British rulers of the time to focus adequately on the Health Sector, he spent his own wealth to build hospitals and medical institutions. While criticizing the British rulers for neglecting our health needs, De Soysa showed the British by his own practice what the Buddhist values of Compassion (Karuna) and Loving Kindness (Metta) are all about. He gave lavish donations therefore to hospitals in England that served the British working class such as the Great Ormonde Street 3 Hospital for Children, the Brompton Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, the Hospital for Accidents to Dock Labourers and the Victoria Chest Hospital. 

His service to education

De Soysa’s philanthropy was by no means confined to the Health Sector. He also built several schools, the most outstanding of which are the Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges in Moratuwa; gifted by him 148 years ago. From the very start he ensured that both schools offered an education in both Sinhala and English media. His ambition for his hometown was a farsighted one. His dream was that Moratuwa should one day be the town that has produced the most number of educated people. Today, a hundred and forty six years later, Moratuwa is able to boast of having the highest educational levels not merely in Sri Lanka but in the whole 
of South Asia. 
Modernisation of agriculture 
He was also a pioneer in the modernizing of Sri Lankan agriculture. Towards agriculture he donated 10,000 sterling pounds and 87 acres of land in Kanatta (Cemetery), Colombo, for a Model Farm, which was called Alfred Model Farm. He was also a patron of Sinhala literature and funded the publication of several books written by leading Buddhist scholars of his time. 

Religious outlook 

His modern worldview finds expression in his attitude to religion. Though he was a Christian, he readily supported Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim religious institutions. And in the two popular schools he founded in 1876, Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges Moratuwa, he ensured that they are open to children of all religions and ethnicities and declared that no one religion or ethnicity should ever enjoy a pride of place within the schools. He also decreed that no shrine or symbol of any one religion should be erected within the premises of these two schools. While he himself was a Christian, and the era in which he lived was one of British colonial rule, this man had a vision that was strictly futuristic and a view that our society should be open and not divisive in any way. Against this background it is sad that within the past few years the school authorities of Prince of Wales have thought it fit to jolt the very ideals of the school’s far sighted founder by allowing a conspicuous shrine of one particular religion 
inside the school. 

Father of private enterprise 

All this philanthropy he was able to do with the wealth he earned as the Father of Sri Lankan private enterprise in the mid nineteenth century. He planted nearly 34,000 acres of cash crops in diverse parts of the country, managing his vast plantations with skill and acumen. He not only was the first Sri Lankan planter and exporter of plantations products, but also the first Sri Lankan banker for he was instrumental in establishing the Bank of Kandy in 1860 with De Soysa Capital. The Warusahannedige family held the administration of the Devinuwara Maha Vishnu Dewala as its Basnayaka Nilame. 
He was a great crusader who skillfully combined private enterprise with social concern. He is the Sri Lankan role model for a humanistic private sector, which we hope, will emerge in our country in the years to come. To commemorate the 188th anniversary of his birth, a commemorative song dedicated to De Soysa, has been composed by Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne. The composer of the song is Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe. According to a press release issued by the Charles Henry De Soysa Commemoration Committee, the song will be officially released by the Principals, staff, students and past students of Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges and the Charles Henry De Soysa Commemoration Committee (CHDSCC) at the De Soysa Statue in Colombo at 3.30 pm on March 3 and again on the following day (March 4) at Holy Emmanual Church, Moratuwa at 9.00 am. There are also plans to put garlands on Charles Henry de Soysa statue and offer floral tributes in memory of this philanthropist. The 105th annual commemorative meeting of the CHDSCC will be held at the Baptist Church Hall opposite the statue. Dr Ananda Wijewickrema, Chairman of the SLMC, will be the chief guest at this meeting and is expected to deliver a short oration.
(The writer of this article is a former Secretary to the President)