The arrival of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean Region

• The Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453.
• As a result land routs to the east were closed. There was delay in the items valued by the European customers and the merchants had to pay high prices.
•  Europeans had to find an alternative sea rout to the East in order to obtain silk, spices, gems, etc.
• Under the leadership of King Henry the Navigator of Portugal a naval school was established for that purpose.
• Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese navigator, found the sea rout to Calicut in 1498.
• Portuguese intended to break the Arabian trade monopoly and destroy their economic might.
• They also wanted to retaliate for the capture of Constantinople and resulting disgrace the Europeans had to suffer. The Portuguese hoped to do so by destroying the religious bases of Islam and spread Christianity.
• Portuguese attacked the lightly armed Arabian trade vessels and took over the trade in the Indian Ocean.
• The Portuguese built fortresses in strategic areas such as Cochchin, Malabar, etc after entering into trade treaties with the provincial rulers.
• In Calicut they built a fortress by force.
• Goa was captured in 1510 and made the administrative centre.

Arrival of the Portuguese - Sri Lanka.

• In 1505 Lorenzo de Almeda arrived in Galle by accident while following Muslim ships.
• They reached Kotte on 15^th Nov. 1505
• The reigning king Veera Parakramabahu VIII came to an agreement with the Portuguese.
• According to the agreement the king pledge to supply 400 bahars of cinnamon in return for the protection of the coast.
• Vijayabahu VI gave the Portuguese the right to build a church and a trading post.
• The rock inscribed with the Portuguese Coat of Arms could be viewed at the Gordon Gardens, the President’s Palace.

Portuguese and the Kingdom of Kotte

• “Vijayaba Kollaya” enabled the Portuguese to become involved in the internal politics.
• Buwanekabahu VII assisted the Portuguese in driving away the Muslim trader from Kotte in 1524
• This led to a confrontation between B VII & Mayadunne in 1527
• B VII gained the upper hand with the help of his newfound allies
• B VII entrusted the protection and the education of his grandson and heir Prince Dharmapala to the Portuguese.
• In 1531 B VII was assassinated by a Portuguese at the palace. This is believed to be a conspiracy as the king had refused to embrace Christianity.
• In 1543 a statue of the prince was sent to the king of Portugal to secure his patronage
• A group of catholic priests that came as a part of the entourage from Portugal. They started the active propagation of Catholicism.
• In 1547 under the leadership of Veediyebandara  Kotte emerged victorious from the battle between Kotte and Seethawaka.
• When Veediyebandara fled Kotte as a result of a conspiracy against his life Prince Dharmapala fell completely under the Portuguese.
• In 1557 the Dharmapala was baptized as Do Juan Periyabandara. Nobles too converted to Catholicism following the king’s lead. As a result the new religion spread more rapidly.
• 1n 1597 the king named the Portuguese as the heirs of the kingdom at his death
• In 1597 Malvana Convention was signed between the Portuguese led by Jeranimo de Azevedo and the chieftains of the Kingdom of Kotte.
• On 12^th Aug. 1597 with the death of the King Dharmapala the Kingdom of Kotte was taken over by the Portuguese.

Portuguese at Seethawaka

o   In 1527 the combined forces of Kotte and Portuguese attacked and defeated the forces of King Mayadunne.

o   After King Dharmapala embraced Christianity the Buddhist clergy and the aristocracy rallied around the king of Seethawaka as the champion of Buddhism and national identity.

o   The task of liberating the land from the foreign presence fell upon Mayadunne and Tikiri Bandara.

o   In 1562 the Portuguese army led by ‘de Lasarda’ suffered the most devastating defeat they had had in South Asia at the hands of Seethawaka army led by young Prince Tikiri Bandara.

o   The Portuguese abandoned Kotte and fled to Colombo with King Dharmapala. Prince Tikiri Bandara besieged the Portuguese fortress for several months. They managed to push back the Seethawaka army with the help of a naval force sent from Goa, India.

o   Portuguese were defeated in every consecutive battle and as a result Seethawaka annexed a large part of Kotte to its territories.

o   1581- Tikiri Bandara ascended the throne of Seethawaka as Rajasinghe I after the death of his father Mayadunne. 

Portuguese at Kandy (Senkadagala)

o   In 1505 Senkadagala was ruled by Senasammatha Vickramabahu

o   The Portuguese wanted to establish ties with Senkadagala in order to

1.   Propagate Catholicism

2.   Obtain spices, gems, etc.

3.   To get control

o   In 1548 Jayaweera Bandara converted to Christianity in order to ensure Portuguese assistance against Mayadunne and Tikir Bandara

o   In 1560 Karaliyadde Bandara too consented to be baptized.

o   In return the two kings had to allow the propagation of Catholicism in Senkadagala.

o   In 1582 Rajasinghe I invaded Senkadagala with the help of Veerasundara Bandara

o   Karaliyadde Bandara Fled to Mannar Fortress of the Portuguese with his daughter Dona Catharina (Kusumasana Devi) and his nephew Don Philip (Yamasinghe Bandara). Karaliyadde Bandara died from smallpox.

o   Rajasinghe I had embraced Hinduism. This had evoked the displeasure of the Kandiyan chieftains who led a rebellion against the king. The leaders of the rebellion were rounded up and killed. His ally Veerasundara Bandara too was killed. Konappu Bandara, his son, escaped death with the help of the Portuguese. Baptized as Don Juan of Austria he married a Portuguese woman and lived in Goa, Portugal for a long time.

o   In 1590 the Portuguese sent an army under the leadership of Konappu Bandara against Rajasinghe I with the intention of making Don Philip the king of Senkadagala.

o   In 1591 at Ganetenna, Kandy Rajasinghe’s army was defeated. Parts of Sathara Korale, Sabaragamuwa were annexed to Kandy.

o   1592- Don Philip was poisoned

o   1592- Konappu Bandara ascended the throne as Vimaladharmasooriya I (1592-1604)

o   According to Father Queyroz the king was a tall well-built individual. He was shrewd, practical and skilled in strategy.

o   In 1594 a Portuguese army led by General Pero Lopez de Sousa occupied Senkadagala for a short while. He placed Dona Catharina on the throne.

o   1594 -at the battle of Danture the Portuguese army was massacred. Vimaladharmasooriya made Dona Catharina his queen and legitimised his claim to the throne.

o   1602 – when Azavedo’s army invaded Kandy the king tactfully retreated from the capital. The Singhalese army attacked the P. led by Captain Jeranimo de Azavedo at Balana. The Portuguese suffered a massive defeat

o   1604- King Senarath, a brother of Vimaladharmasooriya, ascended the throne of Senkadagala (1604-1635) and married Kusumasana Devi to consolidate his claim.

o   1617- the P and the king of Senkadagala entered into an agreement

o   As a result of a meeting between the Dutch and King Senarath and Prince Maha Asthana the Portuguese made several efforts to safeguard their territories:

1.   Renovated Galle fort

2.   Built a new rampart a round Colombo fort and mount cannons

3.   Set up a gunpowder plant on the bank of the Beira Lake

4.   Constructed forts at Trincomalee(1623) and Batticaloa (1628)

5.   Renovated Menikkadawara Fort

6.   1625- established a colony for the children and wives of the Sinhalese soldiers of the Portuguese army to prevent them from switching sides at battles with Senkadagala.

o   1629- King Senarath divided the kingdom among his sons by drawing lots:

1.   Vijayapala- Matale area

2.   Kumarasinghe- Uva area

3.   Maha Asthana – Senkadagala and the surrounding area

o   1630- Randeniwela, Wellawaya, the Portuguese army led by Constantino de Saa was defeated by the Senkadagala army under the leadership of King Senarath and Prince Maha Asthana. The King and his three sons( Vijayapala, Kumarasinghe and Maha Asthana(Rajasinghe II)) with an army of 20,000 besieged Colombo fort with the hope of weakening the P. the Portuguese sent for help from Goa, Cochin and Nagapatnam.

o    Timely help from Batavia(Jakarta) saved the P.

o   In 1632  Don George de Almeida recaptured the maritime forts captured by the king after the Randeniwela battle.

o   1634- the P and the King signed a treaty in order to maintain peaceful relationships at Attapitiya. According to the treaty the King of Kandy should consider the enemies of the P as his enemies.

o   Within a few days of his father’s death Prince Kumarasinghe died. Prince Maha Asthana and Vijayapala fought for Uva area. Vijaypala fled to the P. 

o   1635 – King Rajasinghe II ascended the throne of Kandy. He declared himself as “Thrisinhaladishwara”. 

o   The Dutch recommenced their efforts to cultivate a friendly relationship. Portuguese considered this as a violation of the Attapitiya Treaty.

o   December 1637 -The final discussion to expel the P was held between the Dutch and King Rajasinghe I

o   Diego Melo, the administrator of the maritime areas wanted to capture Kandy before the king could establish ties with the Dutch.

Request submitted by Melo to the advisory council at Goa to wage war on Kandy carried the following reasons:

o    Rajasinghe II was young and inexperienced

o   Prince Vijayapala had a quarrel with his brother and was with the Portuguese

o   R II was storing food in preparation for war

o   R II had set up camps along the boundary of Kandy anticipating help from the Dutch

o   The danger of the Dutch uniting with R II 

o   1638- a P army led by Diego de Melo was defeated at Gannoruwa by Rajasinghe II. The P were restricted to their maritime areas.

o   1638- the Udarata-Dutch Treaty was signed between Wester Voldt and King Rajasinghe II.

o   1638-1658- With the help of the Dutch King Rajasinghe II expelled the Portuguese from the country.

 Why the Portuguese were unable to capture Kandy:

o   Kandy was protected mountain ranges, forests and rivers

o   Guerrilla warfare carried out by the Kandian army

o   Support of the subjects, clergy and the aristocrats

o   Climate of the area

o   The Singhalese Mercenaries of the Portuguese army deserted and joined the king’s army

o   Failure to consolidate the areas under the P rule

 

Political units –1638

Kingdom of Kandy	Maritime areas
Ruler: Rajasinghe II	Ruler: Antonio Mascarennas
Nuwara Kalaviya Thamankaduwa Harispatthuwa Udunuwara Yati Nuwara Dumbara Hewaheta Wellawaya Bintenna Yala Panama	Jaffna and islands Mannar Sath Korale Sathara Korale Sabaragamuwa Kotte Trincomalee Batticaloa

Portuguese and Jaffna

o   1519- Prince Sankili became the ruler of Jaffna. He took several measures to safeguard his kingdom against the Portuguese:

1.   Cultivated ties with the rulers of Tanjor, South India

2.   Entered into friendship treaties with the rulers of Seetawaka, etc.

3.   Armed his forces with cannons

4.   Constructed a fortress at Nallur city

o   Portuguese became interested in Jaffna in order to put a stop to the seizing of wrecked ships

o   They also wanted to propagate Catholicism

o   1543 – P invaded Jaffna under Alponso Sausa. King Sankili agreed to:

1.   Pay 500 pardes and two elephants every year

2.   Grant permission to propagate Catholicism

o   Constantino de Braganza invaded Jaffna the 2^nd time when the king went against the agreement. Sankili agreed to heed the treaty. King’s son was taken under their custody.

o   P built a fort at Mannar.

o   Sankili was removed from the throne by his subjects due to his cruelty. His son Puviraja Pandaram ascended the throne as Pararajasekaram. He was anti-Portuguese.

o   1591- King Pararajasekaram attacked Mannar with the help of the ruler of Calcatta

o    1591- General Medonza invaded Jaffna with a large army. The P plundered Nallur, destroyed kovils and killed King Pararajasekaram

o   Edirimanasingham, loyal to the Portuguese, was made the king.

o   Kings of Kandy maintained contact with South India through the Kings of Jaffna

o   In order to break the ties between the Kandiyan kings and the kings of Jaffna as well as a solution to the threat of a Dutch invasion the Portuguese were getting ready to conquer the entire island.

o   1619- Philip de Olivera invaded Jaffna

o   1621- the Portuguese captured Jaffna completely.

At the time of the arrival of the Portuguese the Kingdom of Kotte was divided into 4 Dissawani

1.   Matara Dissawani- coastal belt from Mapane Gate, Galle Face to the Walawe River

2.   Sabaragamuwa Dissawani- Sabaragamuwa Province and a part of the Western Province

3.   Sathara Korale Dissawani- north of  Sabaragamuwa up to the slopes of Kadugannawa

4.   Sath Korale Dissawani

o   In Malwana convention the P agreed to follow the traditional system of administration.

o   Later those who embraced Christianity were appointed to the posts held traditionally by members of the noble families.

o   Popular Dissawes were removed and Portuguese were appointed to their posts. E.g: Constantine Barentu – Matara region

Portuguese administration

Viceroy of Goa- the chief of the Portuguese colonies in the East

 

Portuguese Captain-General in Colombo

 

Dissawe (regional admin.)  Vidor de Pasendor(revenue controller)   Uvidors(panel of judges)

 

                       Korale

 

                        Gam Vidane

The impact of the Portuguese:

o   Propagation of Roman Catholicism

o   Parish schools- Catholicism, Latin hymns, music and arithmetic

o   Kaffrinna and Baila

o   Names of people, places, food and objects