D. S. Senanayake

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Right Honourable Don Stephen Senanayake
දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක
Senanayake in 1934
1st Prime Minister of Ceylon
In office 24 September 1947[1] – 22 March 1952[1]
Monarchs	George VI Elizabeth II
Governors General	Henry Monck-Mason Moore Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Dudley Senanayake
Leader of the House
In office 2 December 1942 – 4 July 1947
Preceded by	Don Baron Jayatilaka
Succeeded by	S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Minister of Agriculture and Lands
In office 1931–1946
Preceded by	Post created
Succeeded by	Dudley Senanayake
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Mirigama
In office 14 October 1947 – 22 March 1952
Preceded by	Constituency Created
Succeeded by	John Amaratunga
Personal details
Born	(1884-10-20)20 October 1884 Botale, Mirigama, British Ceylon
Died	22 March 1952(1952-03-22) (aged 67) Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon
Nationality	Ceylonese
Political party	United National Party
Spouse	Molly Dunuwila[2]
Children	Dudley Senanayake Robert Senanayake
Parents	Don Spater Senanayake (father) Dona Catherina Elizabeth Perera Gunasekara (mother)
Residence	Woodlands
Education	S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
Occupation	Planter businessman politician

Don Stephen Senanayake (Sinhala: දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක; Tamil: டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 20 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon having emerged as the leader of the Sri Lankan independence movement that led to the establishment of self-rule in Ceylon. He is considered as the "Father of the Nation".^[3]

Born to an entrepreneur from the village of Botale, Senanayake was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mutwal before briefly working as a clerk in the Surveyor General's Department. Joining the family business, he managed the family own estates and the Kahatagaha Graphite Mine. Long with his brothers, Senanayake became active in the temperance movement which grew into the independence movement following 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots, in which the Senanayake brothers were imprisoned without charges for 46 days. He was elected unopposed in 1924 to the Legislative Council of Ceylon from Negombo, becoming the Secretary of the unofficial members group of the Legislative Council. In 1931, he was elected to the State Council of Ceylon, where he served as Minister of Agriculture and Lands. He was elected to the first Parliament of Ceylon forming a government and serving as Ceylon's first Prime Minister from 1947 until his death in 1952.