The 20th century's first elected female head of state was a Prime Minister of this ethnicity named Sirimavo.
Some scholars argue that this ethnic group's advancement was impeded because they received mainly British missionaries like Benjamin Clough, instead of American ones like Samuel Newell. The "standardization" policy of affirmative action aimed to increase [emphasize] the success of this ethnic group in university admissions. Politicians of this ethnicity disenfranchised highland peoples en masse in 1949 and made this group's language the only official one in 1956, replacing English. Mobs of this ethnic group carried out pogroms during (*) Black July. The 20th century's first elected female head of state was a Prime Minister of this ethnicity named Sirimavo. D. S. Senanayake came to power by appealing to this ethnic group through Buddhist nationalism. For 10 points, identify this majority ethnic group of Sri Lanka, often in conflict with the Tamils.
Some scholars argue that this ethnic group's advancement was impeded because they received mainly British missionaries like Benjamin Clough, instead of American ones like Samuel Newell.
Sinhalese people [or Sinhala people]