Religio-nationalism has been a significant aspect of the politico-cultural landscape of post-colonial Sri Lanka. It has influenced many aspects of national politics, including state formation, constitution making, public policy related to education, distribution of public land, official language, settlement of landless peasants in rural areas, and the formation of exclusive ethno-religious identities among many citizens.

This paper explores issues of religio-nationalism in the spheres of education and social protection in Sri Lanka, and how religio-nationalism has evolved in the country over time, during pre-colonial and colonial times, and following political independence. The review draws on relevant literature and analysis of more recent developments based on secondary data.