Sri Lanka boasts a history of 2500 years, which began when the first Sinhalese arrived from Northern India. The island was ruled by numerous Sinhalese and Tamil kings throughout its history. The country was colonised for a period of 400 years, first by the Portuguese and then by the Dutch and the British. Sri Lanka obtained its independence from the British in 1948. The newly independent country adopted a British Westminster style Parliamentary system of governance with a Prime Minister as the Head of State. In 1978, Sri Lanka shifted to the French Parliamentary model with an Executive Presidential system.