Sinhalese–Portuguese War

Sinhalese–Portuguese War

The Portuguese army at Kandy during the campaign of Danture, by Philippus Baldaeus
Date1527–1658
LocationSri Lanka
Result
  • End of the Portuguese colonial rule in Sri Lanka.
  • End of the Kotte, Sitawaka and Jaffna kingdoms
  • Incorporation of principalities of Kotte and Sitawaka kingdoms to the Kingdom of Kandy
  • Capture of Colombo,Galle and Jaffna divisions by the Dutch and the establishment of Dutch Governorate of Ceylon.
Belligerents
 Kingdom of Sitawaka
 Kingdom of Kandy
Supported by:
Kingdom of Jaffna
 Dutch East India Company
Zamorin of Calicut

 Portuguese Empire


Supported by:
Kingdom of Kotte
Lascarins
Casualties and losses
High High

The Sinhalese–Portuguese War was a series of conflicts waged from 1527 to 1658 between Sinhalese kingdoms and their allies against the Portuguese Empire[1] as an indigenous resistance to the Portuguese expansion in Sri Lanka.

Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505[2] and established trade relations with the Kotte kingdom.[3] During the early 16th century their intentions were directed towards defending their trading interests.[4] However, with time this policy gradually changed to territorial ambitions with the objective of outright conquest.[5] Island resources, Sri Lanka's strategic location for both trade and naval security and rise of Mughal empire in India were influencing this change.[6][note 1]

In 1521, tripartite division of the Kotte kingdom during the “Spoiling of Vijayabahu” and the subsequent rivalries among these new kingdoms gave the Portuguese an opportunity to get involved in internal politics.[7][8] During the initial encounters, the Portuguese lend their assistance to the Bhuvanekabahu VII of Kotte to defend against the attacks from Sitawaka.[9] Their influence over the Kotte grew with the military aid they provided.[4] In 1551, this uneasy alliance came to an end with the death of Bhuvanekabahu VII as a result of a shot fired by a Portuguese soldier which claimed to be an accidental discharge of the weapon.[10][11] Following his death his young grandson was established on the Kotte throne under the protection of the Portuguese. Later his conversion to Christianity and becoming a vassal of Portuguese emperor[12] sparked a series of campaigns between the Portuguese and the Sinhalese[13] who were led first by the kingdom Sitawaka and then by the kingdom of Kandy.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Rise of Mughal empire led to an increase in efforts on Sri Lanka by the Portuguese, as evident by a claim made by Lisbon. "If someday India should be lost it could be recovered from Ceylon.."[5]

References

  1. ↑ Ring, Trudy (1996). International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania. Taylor & Francis. p. 443.
  2. ↑ S.G. Perera p 8.
  3. ↑ S.G. Perera p 11.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gaston Perera p 144.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gaston Perera p 145.
  6. ↑ Gaston Perera p 145 - 146.
  7. ↑ Rajavaliya p 77.
  8. ↑ S.G. Perera p 20.
  9. ↑ S.G. Perera p 18 - 23.
  10. ↑ Paul E. Peiris p 115 - 116.
  11. ↑ Rajavaliya p 79.
  12. ↑ S.G. Perera p 37 - 44.
  13. ↑ Queyroz p 326 - 341.

Bibliography