Crucible of Conflict is an anthropological study that explores Muslim and Tamil social formations in eastern Sri Lanka. Maggilvry particularly focuses on matrilineal family structure, popular religious traditions, and ethnic conflict that marked Sri Lankan politics after the late 1970s. It is the first full-and up to now among the few mainstream ethnographic studies on the easter areas of Sri Lanka. According to the author, any long-term resolution to the ethnic conflict that impacted Sri Lankan society and its long term stability must necessarily accommodate this region where Sinhala Buddhists, Tamil Hindus, and Tamil-speaking Muslims share the land in significant numbers each a significant share of the population. The book is based on long-term fieldwork conducted over three decades and augmented by Tamil and Dutch historical sources.