450 Years of Colonialism . . .
Part 3 - Under the Portuguese Rule
| 1505 | Arrival of Portugese - 15th Nov'1505 - The most unpleasent race that ever discovered power in one brief moment in history. After evaluating the situation, Portugese plan to grab international trade from the Muslims | Don Lourenco De Almeida arrives in Colombo by accident, Sinhalese see Cannons, wine, bread for the 1st time. They are taken to Kotte taking 3 days to cover 6 miles. They will in the coming years will exploit Lankans into the depths of infamy, & leave a story of shameful sadism & cruelty the Lankans have never heard of before in rulers of Lanka. Their behaviour creates a continuous dislike of the whiteman within Sinhalese who will lose all they were ever proud of, including the good priciples of life which made Sinhalese a distinctive race. Portugese will first appear as merchants, then as fanatical cruel missionaries who will shock Lankans (who have a certain impression on religiuos monks), then finally they turn to trade again. In a remarkable feat, with only a population of only 1 million in Portugal, they rule Asia, Brazil and west Africa. |
| 1509 | Britain, still an umimportant country, support reformists as Pope refuse divorce of queen by the king,Henry the 8th | Henry VIII, was crowned in 1509. Notorious in the popular imagination for his six wives, he was most important for initiating the separation from the papacy(Roman Catholic church led by the Pope in Vetican) which ultimately brought England into the Protestant camp—a result of his first divorce from Catherine of Aragon. When the pope refused to terminate the marriage, Henry broke with the papacy, declared himself head of the Church in England and arranged to have the divorce sanctioned. Henry did not want to introduce Protestantism and the Church of England retained many elements of Roman Catholic practice, prompting criticism later in the century from the Protestant faction known as the Puritans. However, Henry adopted some reforms that accorded with Protestant belief, notably the abolition of the monasteries. |
| 1512 | Portugese return as a Trade Delegation offering what Muslims cant offer to Sinhalese | They express interest in trade, mainly cinnamon, which the Moors control, but offers protection to King which moors haven't done. They also build a fort in Colombo. |
| 1513 | Lankan Muslim traders entice First Sinhalese Battle against Portugese | King Vijayabahu in Kotte is turned against Portugese by the Moors who do want to see losing the trade. On their advise king check with the Indian chiefs in Culcutta, India who are battling the Portugese how to destroy them in battle. Sinhala war to destroy Colombo fort is unsuccessful as they lose the battle. |
| 1519 | Sangili, son of Jaffna ruler's mistress become the rebel Jaffna ruler by crafty means | Sangili, a crafty youngman, son of the mistress of the rebel Jaffna king ParaRajasekeram-6 ( Tamil rebels survived in Jaffna as Sinhala king had no strength to wage a war to subdue them due to bad economy), after court conspiracies , kills 3 sons of the 2 queens ( 2 are stabbed, one is poisoned) & then make peace with the last son saying that they should not be infighting as Vanni Tamils who are awaiting for an opportunity to grab the Jaffna sub-kingdom, make him his prime minister, |
| 1521 | Vijayaba Kollaya - Foolish & selfish Power games weaken Kotte as it is divided into 3 - Portugese are laughing | When King Jijayaba in Kotte, tries to make the son of his 2nd queen the king, 3 sons of the 1st queen , obtain help from king Jayavira, ruler of Kandy, to kill the father & devide Kotte into 3 separate kingdoms ( eldest in Kotte, 2nd in Raigama, 3rd ( Mayadunne )in Sitawaka. Kandy ruler help them so that a weakened Kotte is no threat to him. But it gives Portugese the opportunity to take advantage of a weak Kotte. |
| 1521 | Weakened & Insecure Kotte produces the Greatest Sinhala King Traitor in Lankan history | Buvanekabahu-7 in Kotte whose lust for power and the insecurity between Mayadunne & the Portugese, will end him up being a poor, weak, puppet of the Portugese who is detested by the people. |
| 1522 | Mayadunne's military build-up alarms Kandy & Kotte | Other 2 kings are warned and alarmed at daring,& ambitious Mayadunne. Their insecurity is promptly attended to by Portugese. Eldest brother Buvanekabahu-7 in Kotte, and King Jayavira in Kandy both become friends with Portugese. |
| 1522 | A shameful appeal for protection - The culture of appealing to Sudda to come and save the ruling class, begins. It continue even today. | The opportunity Portugese were waiting for. Insecure kings of Kotte & Kandy, both ask for Portugese protection against rising Mayadunne. The culture of appealing to Sudda to come and save the ruling class, begins. It continue even today. |
| 1522 | Catholic priests get to interior for the 1st time. | Portugese take max advantage. A Portugese unit is permanently stationed in Kandy. Catholic priests get access to Kandy for the 1st time. |
| 1522 | Mayadunne checks how the Indians fight the Portugese | Mayadunne establish relationship with Chiefs in Culcutta,india who are fighting the Portugese. |
| 1524 | Seeing no immediate need, Portugal dismantle the Fort to fool Kotte & Kandy. ( It'll be rebuilt in 2 yrs) | On advice received from Portugal, the fort is dismantled by the Portugese as a gesture of not having any intention to grab the country. But continue in trade with vigour. |
| 1525 | Portugese tries friendship tactic with Mayadunne to neutralise his military build-up | After so many attempts Portugese establish friendship with Mayadunnes who they see as the biggest threat and the one who has the potential to be most powerful. |
| 1526 | Last Muslim power to raid India - Mughals ( descendants of Genghis Khan) from Turkey take Delhi | Mughal Empire, Indian empire which-in actuality or in name-ruled the subcontinent for over 300 years (1526-1857), with a brief interregnum under the Sur sultans (1540-1555). Of these three centuries, for some 150 years (1556-1707), under Akbar and his immediate successors, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb, the empire enjoyed a notably strong and efficient administration.Mughals were the last of several Muslim invaders of India. They were Turkish in origin, descended from the Mongol horde of Genghis Khan, and had adopted elements of Persian culture on their long migration to India. Led by Babur, they conquered Delhi in 1526. |
| 1526 | Having lost trade monopoly to Portugese, Muslims try enticing Sinhalese to fight Portugese who has built the fort again | Within 2 years, Portugese rebuild the fort in Colombo as Moors rise up in protest of losing their business. Portugese get Kotte king to stick with the Portugese. Moors side with the Sitawaka & Raigama kings. |
| 1534 | Jesuits are formed to spearhead the conter-reformation | The Counter-Reformation was sped up by Roman Catholic church to reassert traditional doctrine, reform the hierarchy, improve the work of the parish clergy, and set up new missionary societies. The most famous new order was the Jesuits, or Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1534. At the Council of Trent (1545-1563), the tenets of the Catholic Church were powerfully restated. Spearheaded by the Jesuits, the Church was able to recapture much lost ground in Europe, and it took the message to other parts of the world in the wake of European discovery and conquest. |
| 1538 | Mayadunnes annexes Raigama when king dies | When his brother in Raigama dies, Mayadunne expresses will to annex Raigama. Eldeast brother in Kotte gives consent in order to win Mayadunne's friendship. |
| 1539 | Kotte ask Portugese HELP when Mayadunne attacks | Mayadunne try waging war against Kotte, which brings Portugese in to keep the promise to help Kotte. He should have won the war, if not for the superior firepower of the Portugese. |
| 1539 | Mayadunne betray the Indian troops to Portugese in a shameful manner - similar to what IPKF experienced in 1989. Indians will not help Lanka again | In order to stop Portugese advance into Sitawaka, Mayadunne agrees to give the heads of the leader of Malabar troops & the other good miliatry commanders to Portugeese who abandone their advance and return to Colombo. This end support from Culcutta who express the disgust of what happenbed to their troops. |
| 1540 | Another shameful appeal for protection - The culture of appealing to Sudda to come and save the ruling class continue even today. | Buvanekabahu-7 in Kotte, has only a daughter, SamudraDevi,(by the chief queen) who is married to VidiyaBandara. They have a young son named Dharmapala. As he is too small, the throne should go to his brother, Mayadunne. But Buvanekabahu-7 sends envoys to Lisbon in Portugal seeking Portugal king's guarantee that his grandson become the king in Kotte. This new ruling class will always run to the Europeans asking for help to survive. |
| 1541 | Mayadunne wins parts of Kotte by enticing chiefs | After losing the support in Culcutta, he wins large parts of Kotte by winning over vallage chiefs. |
| 1543 | Portugal take maximum advantage - in return for giving protection to the ruling class, they build churches, start converting people, send catholic missioneries | King Joao-3 of Portugal declares that the throne of Lanka, must go from the grandfather to the grandson. This makes people very angry with the king in Kotte. When Portugal sends Catholic monks to Kotte & starts building churches, & started converting people. Their motto is to begin by preaching then use the sword. King does not want to be Catholic as that would end his last remaining popularity among the people. Portugease try hard and strong. King start to have problems with Portugese. King make new allaiance with Mayadunne against Portugese. |
| 1544 | Portugese now eye for the trade in the North - War between Portugese & Jaffna Rebel Tamils begin | Portugese want the trade between the west coast of India & to Lanka, and the pearl fishery in Mannar. They start by bringing Missionaries in India to Mannar. They convert fisherfolk to Catholism. Rebel Jaffna Tamil king is furiuos as not only the trade but also the religion is threatened. |
| 1544 | Portugese mission get massacred | Jaffna rebel army masacres the mission. |
| 1545 | Kotte & Sitawaka try to take Kandy to stop a possible pact between Kandy & Portugese - Such infighting will weaken Sinhalese | Realising that Portugese will side with the Kandy, Kotte- Siatawaka in combine forces attack Kandy, King Jayawira seek help from Portugese, As their help is late, he make peace with the attackers. Many more such confrontations, mostly created by cunning Portugese, will weaken Sinhalese so much that they will not be able to face any invader. |
| 1546 | Kotte join Portugese due to mistrust with Sitawaka- & attack on Kandy fails | The mistrust between Sitawaka & Kotte, run them into a race to win the Portugese over. Kotte is quicker. Portugese insist Kotte to attack Kandy. Combine forces of Kotte & Portugese invade Kandy. But the behaviuor of the Portugese troops & commanders who harass & demand the people, create bitterness between Kotte & the Portugese. |
| 1551 | Buvanekabahu is assasinated by Portugese - "a bullet fired to a bird hits the king" | Having used him for the maximum extent, the bullet of a Portugese soldier who fired at a bird, hit the king in his pavillion built over Kelani river. This made Viceroy in Goa to visit Lanka to plan the future set up under a young puppet king. First step would be an invasion of Sitawaka. |
| 1551 | Mayadunne withdraws from Sitawaka as Kotte ( led by VidiyeBandara) & Portugese( led by Viceroy of India himself) power attack | Unable to withstand the firepower of Portugese who invade under the leadership of Viceroy from India, & kotte army under Vidiye Bandara , father of king Dharmapala, Mayadunne flees to the mountains in Deraniyagala. Viceroy notice the potential of VidiyaBandara for the first time, and before leaving for India advises Portugese officials to assasinate him. |
| 1552 | Coup in Kandy brings King's son to the throne, King runs to Sitawaka | King Jayavira's eldst son Karaliyadde Bandara, becomes king. King Jayavira move to Sitawaka for protection. |
| 1553 | Vidiye Bandara escapes from Portugese | Vidiya Banda turns to Catholism to win Portugese, but is arrested. He escapes from Prison & starts a rebellion. |
| 1553 | Foolish Mayadunne chooses to destroy VidiyeBandara instead of destroying the Portugese | A vigourous campaign see Portugese driven all the way to the coast. But Mayadunne become alarmed by VidiyeBandara's potential & decide to destroy him. |
| 1555 | End of Vidiye-Bandara- Selfish Mayadunne joins Portugese to destroy Vidiye_Bandara | This makes Sitawaka the most powerful kingdom in Lanka. Rajasinghe, 16 year old son of Mayadunne leads a battle against Vidiye-Bandara at Palanda. Vidiye-Bandara flees to Jaffna King where he is killed in a quarrell. His possessions, including gems & treasures are kept by the Jaffna king. |
| 1556 | Mughal empire set one of the finest examples of religious & cultural tolerance, which is the basis for policies of India today | The Mughal Empire thrived under Akbar the Great (1556-1605), who conquered Bengal, Kashmir, and Sind. He was a wise emperor and issued an Edict of Toleration embracing all the diverse races and religions of the subcontinent. He himself married a Hindu Rajput princess. Interested in ideas, he invited Hindus, Muslims, and Christians to debate in his presence in a “Parliament of Religions” to which ambassadors came from the court of Elizabeth I. His political reforms were so effective that elements survive today in the provincial governments of India and Pakistan. The Mughals adopted Indian customs, resulting in a mingling of Persian and Indian cultures, and the evolution of a new tongue, Urdu. The most impressive results of this fusion are seen in Mughal painting, glass, and carpets—and most famously in the architecture of the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum built during the reign of Shah Jahan, grandson of Akbar. |
| 1557 | Portugese confiscate properties of temples & Mayadunne battles Portugese again | Portugese convert Darmapala into Catholism & he confiscate properties of Buddhists & Hindu temples & enraging the people. Mayadunne takes opportunity to attack. |
| 1558 | Rise of Britain as a super-power under Queen Elizabeth as William Shakespeare writes his plays of patriotism | Half sister of Bloody Mary, Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, most of England was willing to embrace Protestantism; those who refused faced persecution and, frequently, death. Elizabeth I was one of the country's greatest rulers. During her long reign, she generally managed to steer a middle course between Catholic and Protestant rivalries on mainland Europe, providing a stable environment for the growth of English business and trade. Win over Spanish fleet In 1588 England's status as a European superpower was confirmed. During the reign of Elizabeth, William Shakespeare began his remarkable career. Many of Shakespeare's historical plays are rife with fervent patriotic sentiment |
| 1560 | Portugese returns in force to take jaffna & Kandy army helps Jaffna | King of Kandy sends army of 10,000 led by Mudaliar Atapattu, to Jaffna to help the Tamil king. Portugese retreat. |
| 1561 | Rajasinghe wins Battle Of Mulleriyawa | 24 year old Rajasinghe win the battle of Mulleriyawa. |
| 1564 | Rajasinghe forces Portugese to abandone Kotte | Due to unbearable casualty rate , Portugese withdraws to Colombo with Darmapala. |
| 1565 | Muslims destroy the Hindu capital VijayaNagar in South India. | |
| 1565 | War almost won by Mayadunne | Portugese would lose the fort of Colombo, if not for the cannon power. |
| 1574 | Using the ego of Rajasinghe as a weakness, Portugese manages to divert his attention to attack Kandy instead of Portugese | Portugese arrange the marriage between Darmapala & a Kandyan bride who was refused to Rajasinghe previuosly, foolish Rajasighe reacts as expected by the Portugese by attacking Kandy. Portugese take advantage & deploy troops all along the coastal belt, destroying everyone against them. Kelaniya temple, Munnesvaram kovil are destroyed. Navypower enable them to swiftly move along the coast. They make paddyfields wastelands, and take cattle. They build new forts including in Galle. They qucikly win chiefs in Trinco, Batti, and Puttalam. |
| 1578 | Rajasinghe captures Balana | In his angry obsession to teach Kandy a lesson he forget the Portugese activity along the coast. |
| 1579 | Foolish Rajasinghe is forced to abandon Kandy campaign & battle Portugese again. | Portugese activity in the coastal areas force Rajasinghe to abandon war on Kandy. He is successful this time as well. |
| 1580 | Portugese under seige | Rajasinghe effectively keeps the fort surrounded. He cant break it due to cannon power. |
| 1581 | Rajasinghe loses Bikkus blessings & is quickly turned into Hinduism by Tamil friends | People get sick of continuous war, and heavy taxes, and arrogance and the ruthlessness of Rajasinghe who is suspected to have his own father killed. He loses the blessings of MahaSangha due to unfair and cruel reactions. He find he is welcome in Hindu religion. |
| 1580 | Rajasinghe takes Kandy | His attack sees Kandyan Royal family fleeing to Trinco where the king dies of small-pox. |
| 1581 | Portugese gets reinforcements & breaks seige in Colombo | Portugese Naval power brings in re-inforcements from Goa. Rajasinghe withdraws to Kaduwela where he builds a fort. But Portugese do not have enough manpower to reach Kaduwela. |
| 1581 | Portugese Military HQ at Biyagama. | Portugese move their military HQ to Biyagama, 10 miles from Colombo in order to have better defence. |
| 1581 | Rajasinghe become king | Rumour has it that he poisoned his father to death, which deprived him of the support of MahaSangha. |
| 1582 | Portugese strenthen the walls of Colombo | Fearing another attack Portugese goes on another project to strenthen defences, but no attack happens. |
| 1582 | Rajasinghe's unconventional economic tactics | Cinnomon, the highest export income generator, is stored in Royal-warehouses & sold to traders. Rajasinghe burn extra stock to increase the prices to get more income for the war. |
| 1587 | Rajasinghe almost win Colombo again, But lack of Navy power allows reinforcements | Portugese under seige resort to cannibalism, by pickling the dead mates. But he lacks Navy to prevent reinforcement coming in. |
| 1588 | ||
| 1588 | A foolish kandy rebellion saves Portugese who breaks seige in Colombo again | Konappu Bandara,(son of a Kandy chief slain by Rajasinghe), rises up in rebellion to grab Kandy from Sitawaka. As Rajasinghe moves to Kandy , Portugese break seige, and take Biyagama, Kaduwela & finally Sitawaka. |
| 1588 | British Navy become the masters of the sea by beating the Spanish Navy. Spanish Navy's disaster ensure Britain becoming a superpower | The Spanish Armada was a substantial invasion fleet dispatched by Philip II of Spain in May 1588 against England. The 130 ships, carrying almost 30,000 men were sighted in the English Channel at the end of July, and after some indecisive skirmishes with the English, they anchored off Calais. Lord Howard, the English commander, then sent fireships among the Armada, which caused complete panic. In the ensuing engagement the Spanish were routed and forced to flee north around the coast of Scotland. Many galleons were wrecked, due to foul weather and the rocky coasts of Scotland and Ireland: out of a total of 130 vessels, only 67 eventually returned to port. In 1588 Philip II of Spain sent a huge fleet to attack England, but the English fleet, helped by the superior manoeuvrability of their smaller ships, excellent seamanship, and the luck of stormy seas, scattered the Spanish Armada. England's status as a European superpower was confirmed. |
| 1591 | Last Battle in Jaffna - Portugese vs. Sinhala & Tamil armies near a huge dagaba in Atchchuveli- Sinhala troops, including POWs, are massacred | Portugese return & take Jaffna, killing Tamil king. They masacre at least 5000 Sinhala troops along with the Mudaliar Atapattu. Portugese will control trade of pearl fisheries, elephants, and free access to east & west coasts of India.Tamil christian community in Jaffna is their strong base support. In 1770, Phillipus Baldaeus-a Dutch living in Jaffna for 9 years speaks of a great pagoda in Atchuveli, where the Portugese army beat the Last Sinhala army unit in the peninsula. |
| 1591 | Kandy rebuilt as a military garrison | King ViamalaDarma Suriya, builds a massive wall around the city of Kandy with 18 tower structures. |
| 1593 | Death of Rajasinghe - Last King of Military success- He has killed all possible leaders | While on the way from the failed Kandy mission to Sitawaka, he dies of sepsis caused by a bamboo splinter peircing his foot. His ruthlessness in killing anyone of potential leadership , make a leadership vacuum after his death. |
| 1593 | Vimaladarmasuriya marries Pandyan kings daughter | |
| 1594 | Only 2 powers in Lanka | Kandy under VimalaDarmaSuriya, and the Coast under Portugese. |
| 1594 | De Souza's mission to Kandy | Portugese take Kusumasana Devi , now a Catholic as Dona Catherina, to make her Kandyan ruler, But VimalaSurendra destroy the large force , & captures her & marries her spoiling the plan. |
| 1594 | Major Revolt against Portugese by Akaragama Appuhamy- But local Catholics side with Portugese | Ruthlessness of officials, demands for services & goods, land policy, Threat to Buddhism by the expanding Christianity & catholics who always side with the Portugese & betray any struggle for justice, hostility to foreign rule become major reasons. |
| 1594 | Major Revolt against Portugese by Edirille Rala | Continue for 3 years before being crushed.Ruthlessness of officials, demands for services & goods, land policy, Threat to Buddhism by the expanding Christianity & catholics who always side with the Portugese & betray any struggle for justice, hostility to foreign rule become major reasons. |
| 1595 | Sitawaka crumbles within 2 years of Rajasinghe's death | Portugese take permanent control of Sitawaka, as a general Manamperi deserted to the Portugese. |
| 1595 | Tooth Relic is brought to Kandy from Hiding | King VimalaDarmaSuriya get the tooth relic from it's hiding in a temple in Delgamuwa, in Kuruvita, and place it in a 2-storeyed temple in Kandy. |
| 1597 | 27th May, 1597 - Kotte fall under Portugese as Darmapala dies, Sinhalese has nomore craftsmen to repair the looted monuments, Portugese also use cast tactics and religion to create collaborating families. | Dying childless king Darmapala write the kingdom of Kotte to Protugal. Within 2 days of his death, DonJerenimo De azavedu, Portugese commander in Colombo invite the offcials of Kotte & force them to take an oath of allegiance to Portugal. They continue to blast temples & statues for treasures. Sinhalese has no skilled craftsmen left to repair them due to centuries of inactivity. Portugese relies on the tax collection & administration system to rule as Portugese do not show admin skill at all. They use the caste system to rule over Sinhalese by giving trade adminstration to the high caste families who will bebefit from the trade. They are encouraged to turn Catholism. Those who follow these rules are rewarded with official jobs and trade powers & some families take advantage. |
| 1597 | Cruelty & Sadism become a way of the ruler - a tradition repeated in the suppression of Sinhala political opponents in the 1980s | Portugese let loose free their inhuman terror on gentle population who has no one to turn to. Many villagers left for montains infested with beasts, saying the human beast in Portugese is more cruel than the beasts in the jungle who kill only for hunger. Both the poor soldiers, high ranking officers, officials rob, rape & commit adultary at free will which shocks the villagers who continue to have resentment of the white man. The infamous acts are recorded by a visiting Portugese writer Faria Sousa. |
| 1598 | Portugese General De Azevedu has a bad dream | After capturing a desrted Kandy, He is disturbed by the dream of seeing a light rising up from the east, and it's getting bigger & bigger enveloping Colombo. |
| 1598 |