Portuguese Ceylon

Portuguese Ceylon Ceilão Português (Portuguese) පෘතුගීසි ලංකාව (Sinhalese) போர்த்துகீசியம் இலங்கை (Tamil)
1597–1658
Flag Coat of arms
Extent of Portuguese rule in Ceylon
Status	Portuguese colony
Capital	Colombo
Common languages	Portuguese Sinhalese Tamil
Religion	Roman Catholicism
King of Portugal
• 1597–1598	Philip I
• 1598–1621	Philip II
• 1621–1640	Philip III
• 1640–1656	John IV
• 1656–1658	Afonso VI
Governors
• 1597–1614	Jerónimo de Azevedo
• 1656–1658	António de Amaral de Meneses
Historical era	Colonialism
• Portuguese arrival	1505
• Death of Dharmapala of Kotte	27 May 1597
• Luso–Kandyan Treaty	1633
• Surrender of Jaffna	June 1658
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Kotte File:Personalflag.jpg Kingdom of Jaffna Dutch Ceylon
Today part of	Sri Lanka

Portuguese Ceylon (Portuguese: Ceilão Português) was the control of the Kingdom of Kotte by the Portuguese Empire, in present-day Sri Lanka, after the country's Crisis of the Sixteenth Century and into the Kandyan period.

The Portuguese presence in the island lasted from 1505 to 1658. Their arrival was largely accidental, as they sought control of commerce, rather than territory. Their appearance coincided with the political upheaval of the Wijayaba Kollaya, and they were drawn into the internal politics of the island as they sought to establish control over the lucrative cinnamon trade that originated there. The Portuguese used these internal divisions to their advantage during the Sinhalese–Portuguese War. Direct Portuguese rule inside the island did not begin until after the death of Dharmapala of Kotte, who died without a heir. He bequeathed the Kingdom of Kotte to the Portuguese monarch in 1580. That allowed the Portuguese sufficient claim to the Kingdom of Kotte upon Dharmapala's death in 1597. Portuguese rule began with much resistance by the local population.

Eventually, the Kingdom of Kandy sought help from the Dutch Empire in their efforts to rid the island of the Portuguese. The Dutch Empire initially entered into agreement with the Kingdom of Kandy. After the collapse of the Iberian economy in 1627, the Dutch–Portuguese War saw the Dutch conquest of most of Portugal's Asian colonies. Eventually, Portugal's Ceylonese territories were ceded to the Netherlands. Nevertheless, elements of Portuguese culture from this colonial period remain to this day, in Sri Lanka.

History

The first contact between Sri Lanka and the Portuguese happened in 1505-6. It was largely accidental and it wasn't until 12 years later that the Portuguese sought to establish a fortified trading settlement.

Jaffna kingdom–Portuguese War

Main article: Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom

Sinhalese–Portuguese War

Main article: Sinhalese–Portuguese War

Portuguese rule

Direct Portuguese rule began after the death of Dharmapala of Kotte who bequeathed the Kingdom of Kotte to the Portuguese monarch. By 1600 the Portuguese had consolidated the main centers of rebellion, the Kelani and Kalu ganga basins, leaving the border regions to Sinhalese resistance.

Revolts

In the two decades after the establishment of Portuguese rule there were four major revolts:

• Kangara arachchi Revolt, 1603
• 1st Kuruvita rala Revolt, 1603
• 2nd Kuruvita rala Revolt, 1616–19
• Nikapitiye Bandara Revolt, 1616–17

Dutch–Portuguese War

Main article: Dutch–Portuguese War

Administration

Portuguese Captains (1518–1551)

Main article: List of Captains of Portuguese Ceylon

Portuguese Captain-majors (1551–1594)

Main article: List of Captain-majors of Portuguese Ceylon

Portuguese Captain-generals (1594–1658)

Main article: List of Governors of Portuguese Ceylon

See also

• Dutch Ceylon
• British Ceylon

Bibliography

• De Silva, K. M. (1981). A History of Sri Lanka. India: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-04320-0.
• C. Gaston Pereira, Kandy fights the Portuguese. Sri Lanka: Vijitha Yapa Publications, July 2007. ISBN 978-955-1266-77-6
• Channa Wicremasekera, Kandy at War. Sri Lanka: Vijitha Yapa Publications, 2004. ISBN 955-8095-52-4
• Michael Roberts, Sinhala Consciousness in the Kandyan Period. Sri Lanka: Vijitha Yapa Publications, 2004. ISBN 955-8095-31-1,
• Abeysinghe, Tikiri (2005). Jaffna under the Portuguese. Colombo: Stamford Lake. p. 66. ISBN 955-1131-70-1.
• Kunarasa, K (2003). The Jaffna Dynasty. Johor Bahru: Dynasty of Jaffna King’s Historical Society. p. 122. ISBN 955-8455-00-8.
• Gnanaprakasar, Swamy (2003). A Critical History of Jaffna (review of Yalpana Vaipava Malai). New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. p. 122. ISBN 81-206-1686-3.
• Senaka Weeraratna, Repression of Buddhism in Sri Lanka by the Portuguese (1505 – 1658)

External links

• Ceylon and the Portuguese, 1505-1658 (1920). Author: Pieris, P. E. (Paulus Edward), 1874-; Naish, Richard Bryant, 1891- Subject: Sri Lanka -- History
• Portuguese History in Ceylon