Introduction: the question -- The period of Buddhist revivalism, 1860-1915 -- Politics and constitutional progress, 1915-1946 -- Radical monks and the legitimation of monks' participation in politics -- The betrayal and restoration of Buddhism: accusations and remedies -- The betrayal of Buddhism: report of the committee of inquiry -- The social revolution of 1956 and its aftermath -- The restoration of Buddhism and the transformation of education in the 1960s and 1970s -- The 1970s and 1980s: the deepening crisis -- The Mavbima Surakime Vyaparaya (MSV): the movement for the protection of the motherland -- Monks and violence face to face -- The parameters of Buddhist nationalism and Buddhist democracy -- Epilogue: Sinhalese identity, the legacy of the past.