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Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, gained its independence from British rule on February 4, 1948. After the Kandyan Convention of 1815, the island's administration had been under the direct control of the British Crown. The independence movement, spearheaded by prominent leaders like D.S. Senanayake and F.R. Senanayake, culminated in negotiations that resulted in the transfer of power and Ceylon becoming a self-governing dominion within the Commonwealth.