Bhuvanaikabahu VII of Kotte

Bhuvanaikabahu VII
King of Kotte
Reign 1521–1551
Predecessor Vijayabahu VII
Successor Dharmapala
Issue Samudra Devi
House House of Siri Sanga Bo
Father Vijayabahu VII
Mother Anula Kahatuda
Born 1468
Died 29 December 1550
Kingdom of Kotte

Bhuvanaikabahu VII was King of Kotte in the sixteenth century, who ruled from 1521 to 1551. He was the eldest son of Vijayabahu VII of Kotte, whom he succeeded, and his chief queen Anula Kahatuda.[1] He was born in 1468 [2] and his brothers were Mayadunne of Sitawaka and Rayigam Bandara. After his father married a second time, his new queen brought a son from another relationship called Deva Rajasinghe, who the king intended to pass on the crown to,[3] and Bhuvanaikabahu and his two brothers responded by fleeing the kingdom, and on their return they had an army given by the King of Kandy.[4]

Bhuvanaikabahu VII was succeeded by his grandson Dharmapala. Mayadunne of Sitawaka was his brother.

Reign

Main article: Wijayaba Kollaya

After Mayadunne successfully led the men of Jayavira, the king of Kandy, against his father in Kotte, the Kingdom was divided into three among Vijaya Bahu VII's legitimate sons in 1521:[5] Bhuvanaikabahu was crowned the King of Kotte as Bhuvanaikabahu VII, Sitawaka was given to Mayadunne of Sitawaka and Rayigam was given to Rayigam Bandara, who was also known as Parajasinghe or Maha Raigam Bandara. However, after their brother, Rayigam Bandara, died in 1538,[6] Mayadunne seized his kingdom and became an enemy of his elder brother, who had already been suspicious of him due to the large role he played in the assassination of their father.

During Bhuvanaikabahu's reign, Mayadunne, along with his son Rajasinghe I, fought continuously against the Portuguese in order to drive them out, and they also attempted to get rid of Bhuvanaikabahu to get the Kingdom of Kotte. This resulted in the King siding with the Portuguese, and he required their power to defend himself against his younger brother [7] During his reign he was a weak king, being overly dependent on the Portuguese [8] and eventually allied with them.

Meeting with St. Francis Xavier

However, he also went against the Portuguese, in terms of religion. In the mid 1500s, St. Francis Xavier was sent by King John III of Portugal to India and Ceylon to preach Catholicism.[9] He met with the king of Kotte, and discussed with him the conversion of his religion. Fernao De Queyroz describes the conversation between them: "I understand father that your religion is the only true one. All others have so much errors and is clear to anyone. I know fully well that continuing the path that I follow I can end only in hell. It is true that my father and my ancestors died pagans. But I see that the religion of Buddum contains errors as intolerable as they are incompatible with reason.

I have come to understand that the penitence of the Christians is the true remedy for sins. Though I know the truth Christ, on account of the place which I hold, I am unable to receive Baptism at once, for the least suspicion that they should have of me in this regard would be enough to ruin the whole of my realm. I beg you to patronize cause in front of the Governor of India, that he may come to my assistance more readily and give me 100 soldiers to protect my person, lest my adversaries prevail against me as well as against the prospects of the total conversion of my lieges". Antonio Barreto assisted Xavier in trying to convert the King,[10] however he was reluctant as he would upset the people of his kingdom who were Buddhist, and would further show him as a puppet of the Portuguese. The Portuguese finally gave up on their endeavour, and the monarchy in Portugal were notified.

Death

After the Portuguese halted their attempts in converting the king, plans were made to assassinate him on the orders of Viceroy D. Afonco de Noronha.[11] While the king was at his palace, a gunman who possessed a musket waited to murder the King. As the king passed one of his windows, the gunman fired and the bullet passed through his head and he fell. He was attended to and various medicines were used to treat him, but he died after three hours on December the 29th 1550 (some sources suggest 1551).[12] Other books state that the King was murdered on the orders of his brother Mayadunne, who reigned in Sitawaka. Bhuvanaikabahu was succeeded by Dharmapala of Kotte

Family

Bhuvanaikabahu had no male heirs to the throne. By his queen he had a daughter, Samudra Devi. The king had organised for her to be married to Jugo Bandara,[13] however she was in love with a king called Vidiya Bandara, who murdered Jugo and married Samudra Devi. They had a son called Dharmapala, who succeeded his grandfather as the king of Kotte and worked alongside the Portuguese.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RFxCJ9__KBMC&pg=PA130&dq=son+of+vijaya+bahu+VII&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hE7jUOzlCuaY1AX01oC4BA&ved=0CFEQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=son%20of%20vijaya%20bahu%20VII&f=false
  2. ↑ De Queyroz, Fernao (1930). Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon. p. 293.
  3. ↑ Gunasekera, B. Rajavaliya. p. 74.
  4. ↑ "The Kingdom of Sitavaka 1521-1594". Retrieved 2013-01-01.
  5. ↑ Wright, Arnold (1907). Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon. Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company, LTD. p. 46.
  6. ↑ Pieris, Paulus Edward (48). Ceylon and the Portuguese, 1505-1658. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ↑ "The king's dependence on the Portuguese".
  8. ↑ Wright, Arnold (1907). Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon. Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company, LTD. pp. 46, 735.
  9. ↑ Perera, Simon Gregory (1941). Jesuits in Ceylon: (in the XVI and XVII Centuries). pp. 1–3.
  10. ↑ "Anthonio Barreto tried to convert the King to Catholicism".
  11. ↑ "Portuguese kill Bhuvanaikabahu VII". Retrieved 2013-01-01.
  12. ↑ De Qyeyroz, Fernao. Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon. p. 293.
  13. ↑ "Marriage of Samudra Devi and Jugo Bandara".

External links

Bhuvanaikabahu VII of Kotte
Born: 1468 Died: 1550
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Vijayabahu VII		 King of Kotte
1521–1551 		Succeeded by
Dharmapala