<![CDATA[The global ecological crisis has invigorated academic interest in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) as an important resource for sustainable environmental governance. While the environmental history of Sri Lanka has been extensively studied in terms of Buddhist ecological ethics and the hydraulic civilisation of the ancient Sinhalese kingdoms, the ecological contributions of early Sri Lankan Muslim communities have not been studied enough. This study addresses this gap in historiography by examining the relationship of Muslim communities settled along the coastal belt of Sri Lanka from the eighth century onwards, with terrestrial and marine ecosystems through agriculture, agroforestry based homegardens, traditional Unani medicine, fisheries and maritime livelihoods. This study employs a qualitative historical methodology through textual analysis and comparative ecological interpretation to examine Islamic environmental ethics. It investigates the principles of khilāfah (stewardship), amānah (trust), mīzān (ecological balance), ʿadl (justice), and the prohibition of isrāf (wastefulness) as ethical principles guiding environmental practices. The analysis critically distinguishes between religious ideals and historical evidence of ecological behaviour rather than romanticising pre-modern societies. The results suggest that many traditional livelihood systems displayed characteristics consistent with biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience and sustainable resource management. The study argues that recovering these neglected ecological traditions adds to Sri Lanka’s environmental historiography and provides practical lessons for contemporary sustainability. Integrating cultural ecological knowledge and modern conservation science can enhance participatory environmental governance and biodiversity conservation in multicultural societies.]]>
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