3 THE ARRIVAL OF THE PORTUGUESE IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka an attractive, prosperous island centrally situated in the Indian Ocean has constantly captivated the attention of foreigners. Accordingly, it appears that before the 16 th century mainly the Eastern nations , and after the 16 th century Western nations focussed their attention on Sri Lanka. We will now study the factors that led to the arrival of the Western nations in the East, the policy followed by the Portuguese in Sri Lanka and the impact of their activities on Sri Lankan society.

The Europeans who came to the East

Motherland Portugal Holland France Britain Nation Portuguese Dutch French British Eastern Headquarters Goa Batavia Pondicherry Calcutta /Madras Bombay ( Mumbai)

From very ancient times Muslim traders carried goods from the Eastern countries to Europe. Countries from which Merchandise transported merchandise was obtained The East Indies India China Japan Sri Lanka Cloves, cardamoms, nutmegs Pepper , opium, textiles, rice , diamonds, tanned hide, cotton, Silk, gold, musk,tea, Silver, Cinnamon, arecanut, pearls, gems, Tusks, elephants

From ancient times Muslim traders carried a variety of merchandise from Eastern countries to Europe. The Europeans obtained these items from the Muslim intermediary traders, but never thought of coming to the East in search of them. The main trading centre from which the Europeans bought the goods brought by the Muslims from the East was Constantenople.
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Trade routes between East and West

Factors which influenced the arrival of the Europeans in the East

The crusade, the wars that lasted between the Muslims and the Christians for a long period ended in 1453, bringing victory for the Muslims. They captured Constantinople which caused various obstacles to the Europeans in obtaining merchandise. The Muslims made large profits in selling goods and the prices were constantly raised. They could not provide goods on time and levied high tariffs on goods. These reasons made the western powers unhappy. The Europeans realized that the economic strength gained by obtaining goods from the East, helped in the victory of the Ottoman Turks in the crusades. Therefore they decided to go to the East and breakdown their trade monopoly. Futhermore they intended to monopolize the Eastern trade. The defeat of the Christians who were dominant in Europe for centuries at the hands of the Muslims brought great dishonour to them. In order to overcome this humiliation they intended to come to the East and expected to establish a state with Christian subjects .
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The arrival of the Portuguese in the East

The Potuguese knew that if a route to India could be found by sailing round Africa, it would be possible to acquire the trade that was in the hands of the Muslims. In order to achieve their ambition the kings encouraged Portuguese citizens and provided them with necessary help for navigation. Since Lisbon harbour in Portugal is situated facing the Atlantic Ocean , its citizens fearlessly came forward to undertake travel by sea. King Henry, who became known as Henry the Navigator due to his experiments in navigation persuaded the people to undertake voyages. In 1488, Bartholomew Diaz sailing along the Atlantic Ocean was able to reach the Cape of Storms (Cape of Good Hope) on the south coast of Africa. In 1497, Vasco da Gama began his journey to the East. Following the route taken by Bartholomew Diaz he passed the Cape of Storms and was able to reach the port of Calicut in India

British Islands

United Kingdom

Europe Lisbon
Medite rranean Sea

Asia Persia India Goa Calicut Sri Lanka Indian Ocean

M ad ag asc ar
ea dS Re

China

Bojador

Pacific Ocean Crome Ea ste rn Ind ian Isla nd s Timor

Colombo

Mozambique

Cape Town Cape of Good Hope

Nathaliya

Route taken to the East by Vasco da Gama Route taken to the East by Vasco da Gama

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The king was very pleased that Vasco da Gama had brought many valuable treasures on his return to Portugal. The king desired to make profits by trading with India. With this in view, he decided that storehouses and fortresses should be erected along the coast of India. In order to achieve this intention he dispatched a large fleet of ships to India. On March 24,1505 , the Portuguese general Francisco de Almeida reached India. He took steps to get rid of the Muslim traders in the Indian Ocean and wrest the trade from them. At this time the trade in the Indian Ocean was in the hands of the Muslims. They obtained spices from Malacca , then reached Constantinople through the Maldives, Aden and Persia making great profits. In order to secure the trade in the Indian Ocean, Francisco de Almeida sent a fleet of ships towards the Maldives under the command of his son Lourenco de Almeida. This fleet caught in a fierce storm was tossed in another direction and landed in the harbour of Galle. Albuquerque , who came as the ruler of the East in 1507, captured Ormuz , Malacca and Socotra and established their trading supremacy in the Indian Ocean. Goa which was captured in 1510, was made the trading centre of the East.

Portuguese ship

The Portuguese who had first arrived in India , in 1498, were able to establish their trading supremacy around the coast of India and the Indian Ocean by 1510. They endeavoured further to obtain commercial supremacy in the East as well as spread Christianity. Exercise 1. Name five countries situated in the Indian Ocean. 2. Name five harbours situated in the Indian Ocean.

The political background of Sri Lanka at the time of the arrival of the Portuguese
In 1505 there were three main administrative centres in Sri Lanka. 01. Kotte 02. Kandy 03. Jaffna
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In addition , there were the Vanni states in the North Central , Eastern and South Eastern regions under provincial rulers. The Vanni states were located in the Vanni, Tamankaduwa, Nuvara Kalaviya, Panama and Yala regions.

THE KINGDOM OF KOTTE

Kotte, also known as Sri Jayawardhanapura, was established by an able general named Alagakkonara . The city of Kotte surrounded by the Kolonnawa and Diyawannawa Oya can be regarded as a water pass ( jala durga ) The Kingdom of Kotte was the largest in size and the greatest in power and its ruler was recognized as the supreme ruler of Sri Lanka. He was given the epithet "Lankadisvara Chakrawarthi" ( Overlord or Emperor of Lanka ) When powerful kings ruled in Kotte there existed a tradition that the rulers of other administrative centres should pay tribute to them in recognition of their sovereignty. By the 16 th century this status which existed with regard to the Kotte Kingdom earlier seemed to have been gradually deteriorating. The Kingdom of Kotte was economically the richest administrative unit. It was self - sufficient in food.

.......

Plan of the city of Kotte

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Jaffna

Mullaitheevu

Mannar Vanni
O
Nuwara Kalaviya

M al va tu

ya

Kottiyarama

Puttalum

Tamankaduwa

Batticaloa Chilaw Sath Koralaya

Du m Kandy ba Bintenna Udunuwara H ra ewa Yatinuwara het a

Harispattuwa

Palugama

Negombo Colombo Kelaniya

Kelan

Kotte

Vellassa

Kalutara
la Wa

Yala

Hambantota

Galle Matara

Sri Lanka at the beginning of the 16 th Century

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Pan am a

ga i Gan

we gan ga

The boundaries of the Kingdom of Kotte North West East South Malvathu oya Indian Ocean Western slope of the central hills Walawe Ganga

Seven Korales

Four Korales Regions under the Kingdom of Kotte

Three Korales

Denawaka

Matara

When the Portuguese set foot in the island in 1505 , the ruler of Kotte was King Weera Parakkramabahu VIII.

The Kandyan Kingdom

At the time of the arrival of the Portuguese , the ruler of the Kandyan Kingdom was Sena Sammata Vikramabahu.

The provincial Kingdom of Jaffna

The Jaffna Kingdom was consisted of the Northern region and the neighbouring islands. From the 14 th century , the descendants of the Arya Chakravarthi lineage were its rulers. When the Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka , the ruler of Jaffna was Pararajasekaram.

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The Vanni administrative region The Vanni administrative region was consisted of areas from North Central and Eastern provinces of the country. The rulers of the Vanni region were called Vanniars.

Activity 01. Complete the following table Motherlands of the Western nations who came to the East 01. 02. 03. Capital Eastern Headquarters

02. Mark the information contained in the above table on a map of the world. 03. Complete the following table. The main administrative units in Ceylon when the Portuguese arrived in the island 01. 02. 03. 04. Mark the following places and rivers on a map of Sri Lanka. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The city of Kotte The city of Kandy Tamankaduwa Kottiyarama Palugama Yala Panama
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Rulers

Regions under each administrative unit

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Jaffna Kelani Ganga Walawe Ganga Malwathu Oya Kumbukkan Oya Gal Oy Mahaweli Ganga

The Establishment of Portuguese Power in the Kingdom of Kotte

When Lourenco de Almeida who came to the port of Galle by accident realized that he had set foot in Sri Lanka he was overjoyed. The Portuguese had heard of Sri Lanka as a country which was abundant in cinnamon , pepper , pearls and gems. With the intention of visiting the king and obtaining the merchandise he desired , Lourenco de Almeida reached Colombo on 15 November 1505. The Muslims who were agitated by the arrival of the Portuguese , set upon them and tried to chase them away. However the Portuguese were able to repel the Muslims by firing the cannon fitted to their ships. The Sinhalese who had never heard the firing of cannon before were extremely surprised and frightened and ran to the king to report the matter. There is in our harbour of Colombo a race of people , fair of skin and comely withal. They don jackets and hats of iron; rest not a minute in one place but walk here and there. They eat hunks of stone and drink blood .. The report of their canon is louder than thunder when it bursts upon the rock of Yugandhara ( Rajavaliya) On hearing this, the king invited the Portuguese to meet him. Lourenco de Almeida who accepted the invitation made arrangements to send an emissary to the king's court. The Sinhalese who escorted the Portuguese emissary took him on a circuitous route and reached the court after three long days. The Portuguese emissary who heard the report of the cannon realised that there was only a short distance between Colombo and the king's court in Kotte. The folk adage" As the Portuguese went to Kotte", would have come into use based on this incident. Lourenco de Almeida who was overjoyed that his emmissary had been well received decided to send another emissary to the king to enter into a permanent treaty. After the cordial discussion between the king and the emissary, the first treaty between the king and the Portuguese ensued. Lourenco de Almeida with the permission of the king set up a storehouse and a chapel. As a token of their visit to Sri Lanka he got the Portuguese Coat of Arms inscribed. You can see this memorial in Gordon Gardens today.
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The Portuguese Coat of Arms in Gordon Gardens

The Muslims who did not approve of the erection of the storehouse objected to it and protested against it with the help of the Sinhalese. The Portuguese who closed down the storehouse in the face of opposition , retuned to India. However, they came back to Sri Lanka from time to time to purchase cinnamon. After the death of King Weera Parakramabahu VIII, Dharma Parakramabahu IX became king. On 10 th September 1518, a strong fleet of ships under the command of general Lopo Soares de Albergaria reached Colombo. In this instance too, with the assistance of the Sinhalese, the Muslims attacked the Portuguese.

The Colombo Fort

The Portuguese were successful in repelling the enemy by firing their cannon. Subsequently, the Portuguese put up a fort on the small headland adjoining the Colombo harbour. The Sinhalese who were agitated by the erection of the fort demolished it with the help of the Muslims . Although the Portuguese informed the king of this situation he failed to find a solution for it. King Vijayabahu VI who came to power in 1519, followed a policy hostile to the Portuguese. The King surrounded the fort of Colombo with the help of the Muslims. In 1521, the Portuguese started Constructing another fort, but the King openly protested against it. The Sinhalese got together with the Muslim army and attacked the Portuguese but they were unsuccessful.

Vijayaba Kollaya (Spoiling of Vijayabahu ) 1521

King Vijayabahu VI had three sons by his first marriage named Bhuvanekabahu, Raigam Bandara ( Pararajasingha ) and Mayadunne. Queen Kiravella, whom the king married second , had a son named Devaraja by her first marriage. The princes who came to know that the king intended to make Devaraja the heir to the throne, at the request of his second queen, became hostile to the king. The king was murdered in the palace itself. This event is know as the Vijayaba Kollaya. As the result of the Vijayaba Kollaya, which took place in 1521, the Kingdom of Kotte was divided into three parts.
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Attempts made by Mayadunne to capture the Kingdom of Kotte

Year Assistance King King of Obtained Mayadunne Kotte from Bhuvaneka bahu VII Viceroy of Goa Assistance obtacned On the request of King Mayadunne the Zamorin of Calicut attacks Colombo fort The Zamorin's fleet which came to assist Mayadunne was defeated in the Battle of Vedalai The Zamorin assists Mayadunne Result

1528

Attacks Kotte

The defeat of Mayadunne

1537

Bhuvaneka Captain bahu VII general Afonso de Souza

Attacks Kotte

King Mayadunne arrived at a truce with King Bhuvaneka bahu VII There arose dissension between Myadunne and the Zamorin because he agreed to Miguel Ferreirai demand for the surrender of the Zamorin's generals. The deafeat of Mayadunne The defeat of Mayadunne The rout of the Potuguese

1539

Bhuvaneka Miguel bahu VII Ferreira

Attacks Kotte

1543

Bhuvaneka Anotonio Seige of bahu VII Barreto Kotte

of Mulleriyava

King Lacerda Prince Tikiri King 1557 Dharmapala Mayadunne 1562 De Prince Tikiri King King The Battle Dharmapala Lacerda Mayadunne King Dharmapala Attacks Colombo fort and Kotte at the same time

1564

The shift of the capital from Kotte to Colombo

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The ruler of Kotte was constantly suspicious of his younger brother. King Bhuvanekabahu was aware that Myadunne would not be satisfied with being the ruler of Sitawaka alone. King Bhuvanekabahu who realized his brother's strength often sought the assistance of the Portuguese. The partitioning of Kotte led to the decline of his power. It was as a result of this situation that the opportunity arose for the Portuguese to frequently interfere in the affairs of the Kingdom of Kotte and finally become the possession of the Portuguese. All the attempts made by Mayadunne to capture the Kingdom of Kotte for twelve years between 1527 and 1537 were unsuccessful. During every such attempt King Bhuanekabahu had to obtain the assistance of the Portuguese. Therefore the Portuguese were able to establish their power in the Kotte Kingdom. From 1537 to 1547 there prevailed a peaceful environment between Kotte and Sitawaka.

Prince Dharmapala
King Bhuvanekabahu's sole intention was to make his grand son Prince Dharmapala the ruler of Kotte. King Buvanekabahu who knew that Mayadunne would obstruct him in achieving his goal, sought the help of the Portuguese for the protection of Prince Dharmapala. King Buvanakabahu got a statue of Prince Dharmapala made and sent it with treasures and tributes to the king of Portugal reqesting him, To recognize Prince Dharmapala as the heir to the state after him and to help him to obtain his royal heritage. In oder to please the Portuguese king further, King Bhuvanekabahu requested that a few missionaries should be sent to propagate Christianity among people. In 1543 the effigy of Dharmapala was crowned with much grandeur in the city of Lisbon. According to the request of King Bhuvanekabahu, five Franciscan friars arrived in 1543. These priests were enthusiastic in propagating their faith successfully with royal patronage. To a large extent, the people of Negombo, Modara (Mutwal) Moratuwa, Panadura, Maggona and Beruwala embraced the Catholic faith.
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The Portuguese were displeased with King Bhuvanakabahu because he refused to embrace the Catholic faith and also due to the fact that he did not wish to betray Mayadunne.

The death of King Bhuvanekabahu VII

King Bhuvanekabahu came to his palace in Kelaniya to relax in his old age. He regretted his father's assassination and the constant need to obtain the assistance of the Portugucse. The king died of a gunshot injury while he was pacing on the top story of his palace in Kelaniya. On the death of the king in 1551 , the heir to the throne, Prince Dharmapala was still a child . Therefore, his father Vidiya Bandara took over the administration. He developed conflicts with Mayadunne and the Portuguese and fled to Jaffna . During a conflict that ensued subsequently, Vidiya Bandara died in Jaffna. With the demise of Vidiya Bandara the young prince Dharmapala became the King of Kotte .

In 1557 King Dharmapala was baptized as Don Juan Periya Bandara.

The Buddhist monks and a large number of Buddhist layman who were displeased that their king was a non Buddhist took the Sacred Tooth Relic and moved to Sitawaka, the Kingdom of Mayadunne. Mayadunne and Prince Tikiri who won the battle of Mulleriyawa attacked Kotte and Colombo fort simultaneously . The Portuguese who realized that it was difficult to defend both Kotte and Colombo at the same time abandoned Kotte and shifted to Colombo taking King Dharmapala with them. The Kingdom of Kotte which had been the capital for over 150 years declined swiftly with the abandoning of Kotte by the king in 1565. King Dharmapala who reached Colombo became a puppet ruler in the hands of the Portuguese. On 12 August 1580, due to the insistence of the Portuguese, King Dharmapala, vested the Kingdom of Kotte in the Portuguese by a deed of gift.

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One clause in the deed of gift was that , should King Dharmapala have no heir, the Kingdom of Kotte would pass into the hands of the Portuguese. As King Dharmapala, known as Periya Bandara did not have any offspring at the time of his death on 29th May 1597 , the Kingdom of Kotte came under Portuguese possession. Two days after the demise of the king, General Jeronimo De Azevedo held an assembly in Malwana and hoisted the Portuguese flag and proclaimed that the Kingdom of Kotte was now under the King of Portugal . The Captain General promised the chieftains assembled at Malwana that the administration would be carried on according to the traditional laws and customs that had hither to existed. From then onwards the Portuguese became the lawful heirs to the Kingdom of Kotte. Activity 01. The actions of Mayadunne and those of King Bhuvanekabahu VII led to the establishment of the power of the Portuguese in the Kingdom of Kotte. Briefly express your idea on this view. 02. Prepare an article for a wall newspaper describing the factors that led to the acquiring of the Kingdom of Kotte by the Portuguese. 03. On a map of Sri Lanka indicate how the Kingdom of Kotte was partitioned.

The relations between the Portuguese and the Kingdom of Sitawaka

The Kingdom of Sitawaka came into existence as a result of the Vijayaba kollaya. The first ruler of Sitawaka was the valiant Mayadunne. Though he hoped to capture the Kingdom of Kotte, the King of Kotte, constantly seeking the assistance of the Portuguese was an obstacle to it. Mayadunne who realized that he could not get rid of the Portuguese without a naval force sought the assistance of the Zamorin of Calicut for this purpose.

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Kotte - Bhuvanekabahu VII Raigama-Raigam Bandara Sitawaka- Mayadunne became the rulers of the three divisions.

Area annexed to Kingdom of Kotte in 1565

The rise of the Kingdom of Sitawaka

Colombo

Ko

tte at dar a U try nd Ka c o u n Up Sit Ra aw aka a

Kotte

iga

ma

In 1538 after the death of Raigam Bandara, Mayadunne extended the territory of Sitawaka by annexing Raigama. Since all his attempts to capture Kotte between 1527 and 1539 had failed Mayadunne changed his policy and entered into a truce with King Bhuvanekabahu.

Causes which led to the growth of the power of Sitawaka

The valour of king Mayadunne and his son Prince Rajasinha. The baptism of King Dharmapala in 1557. A large number of Buddhist priests and lay Buddhists leaving Kotte and moving to Sitawaka. People accepted Mayadunne as the guardian of Buddhism. The taking of the sacred Tooth Relic to Sitawaka. Mayadunne gaining custody of the Tooth Relic which was considered as the symbol of royal inheritance. The Tooth Relic being protected and venerated. The sacred Tooth Relic was placed in a "Kurahan gala" at Delgamu Viharaya.
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Mayadunne, became the overlord of the whole of the Kotte Kingdom, except Colombo Fort. Accordingly , Kotte, Sitawaka, Raigama, Denawaka and Seven korales came under his rule. Sitawaka which originated as a small provincial state in 1521 , became the most powerful kingdom in the island by 1579.

The Battle of Mulleriyawa - 1562

Mayadunne who acted with great determination to expel the Portuguese from Sri Lanka launched attacks on the Portuguese. His valiant son Prince Tikiri was in the forefront in these. The Portuguese who could not tolerate his rise, sent an army under de Lasarda to invade Sitawaka. Mayadunne too sent an army under Prince Tikiri and the two armies faced each other at Mulleriyawa where a fierce battle took place when the Portuguese were ruled. The debacle experienced by the Portuguese at the Battle of Mulleriyawa is considered their worst defeat during that period. It was a landmark in the expansion of Portuguese power. The Annexation of the Territories of the Kotte Kingdom By the invasion of the Kingdom of Kotte by Mayadunne and Prince Tikiri in 1565 all areas of the kingdom except Colombo fort were annexed to Sitawaka.

King Rajasinha I
Mayadunne passed away in 1580 and Prince Tikiri became the king of Sitawaka as King Rajasinha. He showed great prowess in the battle field from his childhood and his sole determination was to expel the Portuguese from the island. The Annexation of the Kandyan Kingdom The Annexation of the Kandyan Kingdom by King Rajasinha I in 1582 was the zenith in the rise of the Sitawaka Kingdom.

The siege of the Colombo fort

In 1587, King Rajasinha I attacked the Colombo fort with an army consisting of fifty thousand soldiers. He was able to confine the Portuguese to the Colombo fort for twenty two months. Those within the fort underwent immense hardships, due the shortage of food. The main reason for the defeat of King Rajasinha I, was the assistance which the Portuguese received from Goa which enabled them to recover their vigour.

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The decline of the Kingdom of Sitawaka

With the accession of King Wimaladharmasuriya I in Kandy, King Sitawaka Rajasinha faced challenges from Kandy. The 1 st chapter showed how he was defeated by King Wimaladharmasuriya I in 1592 . King Rajasinha I was embittered by the failure of his effort, which he carried out with great dedication and untold hardships. His anger made him resort to a violent course of action. He embraced Saivism and embarked on an anti-Buddhist policy. He indiscriminately eliminated everyone whom he thought were opposed to him. On his return after his defeat at the hands of King Wimaladharmasuriya I at Pethangoda Gardens, a sharp bamboo thorn pierced the sole of his foot and caused his death. You too can see the thorny bamboo trees at " Pethangoda Uyana." As there was no legitimate heir to the Kingdom of Sitawaka at the time of the death of King Rajasinha I, it caused great dissension within the kingdm. In the end the Portuguese who united the Kingdoms of Kotte and Sitawaka collected the treasures of the city of Sitawaka and maintained it as a garrison. Exercise 1. Describe the causes that let to the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Sitawaka. 2. If King Rajasinha I had naval power he would certainly have defeated the Portuguese. Collect facts for or against this view. 3. Write a folk song (ck lhla) which describes the piercing of King Rajasinha I s foot with a bamboo thorn. 4. Write a short account of the Berendi Kovil.
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Thorny bamboo tree

Garrison

The relations between the Portuguese and the Kingdom of Kandy

The Kings of Kandy were in the habit of seeking the assistance of the Portuguese against the threats from Kotte and Sitawaka. One such instance was when Mayadunne and Bhuvanekabahu VII invaded Kandy, Jayaweera Bandara I sought the assistance of the Portuguese.

The Battle of Danture 1594

The Portuguese had extensive relations with the Kandyan Kingdom only after the accession of King Wimaladharmasuriya I to the throne. We studied in the 1 st chapter, how King Wimaladharmasuriya ascended the throne. King Wimaladharmasuriya I gave up Christianity and embraced Buddhism and worked towards the development of Buddhism. This course of action greatly displeased the Portuguese. As Wimaladharmasuriya had been brought up under the Portuguese, learnt warfare from them and had become a worrior, they thought that his actions were treacherous. In order to punish King Wimaladharmasuriya and place Dona Catherina as the queen of the Kandyan Kingdom an expedition was sent to Kandy under the leadership of Pero Lopes de Souza. King Wimaladharmasuriya fled and with the blessings of the people Dona Catherina was acclaimed the queen of Kandy. However, the people became hostile when the Portuguese began to spread their power in Kandy, under the guise of serving the Queen. Souza who realized that staying in Kandy was not safe , left for Colombo taking queen Dona Catherina with him. King Wimaladharmasuriya who was supported by the people , routed Souza and his party at a place called Danture. A large number including Souza were killed.

The Battle of Balana

The Portuguese who were defeated at Danture invaded Kandy in 1602, under Captain General Don Jeronimo de Azevedo King Wimaladharmasuriya retaliated and at the "Balana" pass the Portuguese were completely routed.

Azevedos second expedition to Kandy

Azevedo, invaded the Kandyan Kingdom for the second time in 1610. King Senerat retreated and Azevedo pillaged and burnt the city and returned to the low country. Subsequently King Senarth entered into a treaty with the Portuguese.
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The Treaty between King Senerat and the Portuguese in 1617 To provide two elephants per year as tribute to the Portuguese. The Kandyan King had to recognize the overlordship of the King of Portugal in all the areas of the former Kotte Kingdom. The people of Kandy expressed their displeasure over the king entering into a treaty with the Portuguese. However this treaty was not implemented.

Constantine de Sa prepares to invade Kandy

Constantine de Sa who was appointed Captain General in 1618 , accepted the necessity of invading Kandy and made preparations for it. Several steps were taken in this regard. 01. He restored the forts under the command of the Portuguese. Accordingly, he constructed a wall for the fort of Colombo and installed cannon on it. he reconstructed the forts at Galle and Menikkadavara. 02. Erection of new forts. In Trincomalee in 1623 and Batticloa in 1628. 03. Construction of a gun powder factory on the bank of the Beira Lake. 04. In 1625, he set up settlements near Wattala and Mutwal. 05. Making aware that preparations were being made to punish the families of the lascarins in the event of their deserting the Portuguese forces. The King of Kandy expressed his opposition to the building of the fortresses by the Portuguese, while they expressed their displeasure at the king's discussions with the Dutch. The Lascarin army consisted of the natives who served under the Portuguese for pay,

The Battle of Randenivala

De Sa who organised the affairs of the lowland area systematically attacked Kandy in 1630. King Senerat and his son Prince Maha Astana jointly defeated De Sa's forces at Randenivala, a place close to Badulla town. De Sa was killed in the battle.

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The Battle of Gannoruwa

In 1638 , the Portuguese invaded Kandy under the leadership of Diogo de Mello de Castro. The Portuguese were routed by King Rajasinha II at the battle which took place at Gannoruwa and Diogo de Mello too died in this battle. This was the final invasion of Kandy undertaken by the Portuguese.

Exercise 01. " King Wimaladharmasuriya I, was a diplomatic valiant king." Explain this statement with examples. 02. What factors led the Portuguese to attempt to capture Kandy ? 03. Complete the following table correctly.

Year

Portuguese General

King Wimaladharmasuriya I

Name of Battle Balana

1638

Constantine de Sa

The relations between the Portuguese and the Kingdom of Jaffna

When the Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505 , the ruler of Jaffna was Pararaja Sekaram. In the early period the Portuguese did not pay attention to Jaffna as there were no valuable items such as cinnamon and pepper in that region. Due to the internal conflicts in the Kingdom of Jaffna, an opportunity arose for the Portuguese to focus their attention on Jaffna.

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The reasons that led the Portuguese to focus their attention on Jaffna. 01. To continue without hindrance the trading activities that were conducted with India,through Jaffna, and to spread the Catholic faith among the Hindus in the Jaffna Kingdom. 02. In 1519 , Sankili killed Pararaja Sekaram and seized the throne. In fear Pararaja Sekaram's son pleaded for the assistance of the Portuguese to obtain his royal heritage. Focusing on these two reasons a large army reached Jaffna , under the command of Martin Afonso de Souza in 1543. Sankili tactfully entered into an agreement with the Portuguese. He agreed. To supply the Portuguese annually with 500 Furdao and two elephants. To grant permission to propagate the Catholic faith in Jaffna. The Portuguese who were satisfied that their hopes were easily fulfilled initiated their conversion activities from Mannar in terms of the agreement, and were able to spread the Catholic faith in the entire Jaffna region within a short time. The Hindu priests objected to this. Sankili too feared this situation. Therefore Sankili ordered the converts to give up the Catholic faith and declared that those who did not accede would be punished by death.

Braganza's expedition to Jaffna

In order to punish Sankili for his actions the Portuguese invaded Jaffna under the leadership of Braganza in 1560. The people of Jaffna attacked the Portuguese who came to the city of Nallur. Sankili set fire to his palace at Nallur and fled to Kopai. Braganza suppresed the people of Nallur ransacked the city and set up his main office there. Sankili requested the Portuguese to restore his Kingdom once again. In return he undertook to execute the earlier agreement uninterrupted and give his son as a hostage to the Portuguese. The Viceroy of Goa who accepted these condititions agreed to restore Sankili as King once again. Meanwhile the Portuguese erected a fortress in Mannar for their future security. The people of Jaffna who were oppressed by Sankili's tyrannical behaviour revolted against him and deposed him.
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The people did not approve of the loyalty shown to the Portuguese by Periya Pulle or Chegaraja Sekaram who ascended the throne next. The people revolted against him too and deposed him. In this revolt the attempt to slay the son of Chegaraja Sekaram was prevented by a Portuguese named Pinha. You can see this incident sculptured on a slab at the Maha Saman Devale, at Ratnapura. Sankili's son Purviraja Pandaram who came to power followed a policy hostile to the Portuguese. He sent a squadron to expel the Portuguese who were in Mannar. In order to curb Purviraja Pandaram's activities a large a number of troops reached Mannar under Furtado de Mendonca. Mendonca who arrived in Mannar put Puviraja Pandaram to death. Subsequently, he entered into the Nallur Convention in 1591. According to the Convention the King of Portugal was acclaimed as the suzerain of Jaffna. Pararaja Sekaram or Hendaramana Sinha , the son of Periya Pulle, became the ruler of Jaffna in the name of the King of Portugal. Since he was rescued from death and also made the ruler of Jaffna, Hendaramana Sinha was very loyal to the Portuguese. In 1615, Hendaramana Sinha died and Sankili II assumed power. However Sankili, began to work against the Portuguese. Accordingly, he delayed the tribute paid by the kings of Jaffna to the Portuguese. He also began dealing, with the Dutch against the Portuguese.

The annexation of Jaffna by the Portuguese

To stop Sankili's treacherous activities, Constantine de Sa the Viceroy despatched a force to Jaffna under Philip de Oliveyra. In 1619 , Sankili was captured and banished to Goa where he was put to death. With this Jaffna became a territory under the Portuguese.

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Activity 01. Make a list of the kings who ruled in Jaffna. 02. What are the resons that led the Portuguese to take an interest in the Kingdom of Jaffna. 03. Mark the following places on a map of Sri Lanka. Mannar, Kopai, Nallur, Kayts. 04. The cause of the decline of the Jaffna Kingdom was the dissension that prevailed there. State facts in support of this.

The Economic, Political, Social and Cultural affairs in the coastal regions of Sri Lanka under the Portuguese
Administration Seven Korales The Kingdom of Kotte Matara In 1597, at the Malvana Convention Jeronimo de Azevedo agreed to govern the Kotte Kingdom according to the Sinhalese customs and traditions. The Portuguese realized that the existing administrative system in Sri Lanka was sufficient to achieve their objectives. Therefore they governed the territory which was under them according to the local administrative system. When the Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka the system of government was a monarchy. Kotte the main Four kingdom was divided into Korales four units (disa) for the purpose of administration .

Sabaragamuva

The special characteristics of Portuguese rule

01. In the regions under Portuguese dominance in Sri Lanka the head of the administration was the King of Portugal. To carry out his orders a centre was established in the East. This was situated in Goa in India. It was under a Viceroy and he appointed
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a Captain General to administer the regions under the Potuguese in Sri Lanka. Accordingly the Captain General was the head of the territory under Potuguese domination in Sri Lanka. There were a number of officers to assist him. King of Portugal Viceroy in Goa Captain General of Sri Lanka Disava Commander of the forces Treasurer Vidorda Pasanda (Headman) Judge Udors

02. The territory under the Captain General was divided into regional administrative units (according to the monarchical system ) and were placed in charge of officials. 03. The direction of religious activities was under a priest designated as the Vicar General. 04. Colombo which was known as the Saint Lawrence city was administered by a town council. 05. The distribution of the powers of the Disava among other officers. (This system prevailed under the Monarchy ) Disavani Rata Korale Pattu Village Disava Rate Mahattaya Korala Atukorala Village headman

Trade
The Portuguese made every possible effort to acquire trading opportunities which was their main objective in coming to the East.
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The Portuguese government took over the entire cinnamon trade. A separate department known as the Malabadda was set up to collect Cinnamon. The head was known as Captain of the Mahabadda. Only the Portuguese government could sell arecanut and pepper. The Portuguese government had the monopoly of exporting elephants and gems. The Portuguese were able to gain immense benefits from their trading activities in Sri Lanka.

Catholicism
The Portuguese made a great effort to spread Catholicism in Sri Lanka . 01.The first step in the spread of Catholicism in Sri Lanka was the arrival of seven Franciscan friars on the return journey of the envoys who went to Lisbon for the crowning of the statue of Prince Dharmapala in 1543. This group of friars who arrived at the request of King Bhuvanekabahu VII moved about in the coastal region , with the knowledge of the king spreading Christianity. 02. Due to the efforts of the Dominican and Jesuit priests who arrived subsequently, propogation of the faith expanded and a number of churches were erected in the coastal areas. 03. When King Dharmapala was baptized in 1557, a number of leading nobles embraced Christianity. King Dharmapala vested the properties that belonged to the Buddhist temples and Hindu Kovils in the Catholic churches and extended his patronage by providing the priests with sufficient lands for their sustenance. 04. With the support of the rulers of Jaffna, Catholicism spread throughout the region. 05. The unwavering dedication of the missionaries also led to the spread of Catholicism. They learnt the Sinhala and Tamil languages in a short time and moved closely with the village folk, waiting on the sick and destitute, thus aiding the propogation of the Catholic faith. 06. Offering government positions , honours and titles and tax concessions paved the way for the spread of the Catholic faith. For example the death duty was not levied from those who embraced Catholicism.
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07. Since it was possible to obtain high positions, titles and honours in society ignoring caste differences , some embraced Christianity in anticipation of these benefits. 08. People were attracted to the festivals related to the Catholic religion. 09. The parish school affiliated to the Catholic church provided the opportunity to spread the Catholic faith. At the time, the Portuguese left the country there were converts to the Catholic faith had spread to most areas.

Education
The parish schools which were established adjoining the church taught subjects such as Arithmetic , Latin and Music in addition to Theology. The medium of instruction in the parish schools was the mother tongue. The number of students and teachers increased swiftly and a training institute was established to train the teachers.

Hospitals
Treatment was provided according to the Western medical system. In order to give a training in nursing patients , a small hospital which was called espirital was set up in 1552. The sinhala word ispirithalaya is considered a derivative of this name. The hospitals constructed by Oliveyra in Jaffna and Father Joseph Vaz in Mannar were used mostly for treating soldiers.

Misari kosiya (Convents)

This can be described as the social service unit attached to the church. The work carried out by the convents were looking after the destitute , teaching orphans and burying the dead. There were convents in Colombo, Galle, Mannar and Jaffna.

Literature
An anecdote was dramatised so as to draw the attention of people and also create faith in God. Books on Theology have been written in the Tamil language. Alagiyavanna Mukaveti who wrote in praise of Constantine de Sa's battle is regarded as one who studied literature under the Portuguese. Music was a distinctive feature in the field of literature. The main aspects are "Baila and Kaffrinna" which are popular even today.
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By registering marriages a more stable system was introduced to marriage customs. Collecting information on lands according to the Thombo tradition was another task undertaken by the Portuguese. Through the following table study several other aspects of the influence of Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka. Furniture Dress Food Personal names and Surnames Arts almari , kanappu (stool) kamisa, saya, kabakuruttu,kalisama bread , wine, salad , achcharu , (pickle) pastela (patties) Catherine, John , Silva , Perera,Mendis , de vaz , Almeida Architecture,Sculpture, Art

The Potuguese who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505, subjugated the coastal areas and governed them until 1658. The King of Kandy, together with the Dutch expelled them from this country. This era is considered a significant chapter in the history of Sri Lanka. Activity Prepare a folder indicating the results of Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka.

Summary
Under the chapter on the Arrival of the Portuguese in Sri Lanka check whether you were able to summarise the following. The Interest of the Western Powers towards the East The arrival of Portuguese in year 1505 Establishing relationships with Kotte, the major powerful kingdom at that time Eventually conquering Kotte, consolidating Kotte after the death of King Dharmapala. Being unable to conquer Kandy after several unsuccessful attempts facing many challenges. In 1658 the Portuguese had to leave the country. However, they were able to leave their traces in the fields of politics, economy, society and in culture which are visible even to this day.
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