The first Portuguese
visiting Ceylon was Dom Lourenço de Almeida in 1505 or 1506.
Accidentally, after a storm, adverse winds drove him to the
island’s coast near Galle.
In the last months of the years 1505 or 1506 Dom Lourenço’s
fleet anchored off Colombo.
A memorial of this first landing was erected on a boulder
overlooking the Bay of Colombo.
The Portuguese called it a "Padrao" and a cross above the
Royal Arms of Portugal surmounted it. This landmark was
still seen in 1920 (now?) bearing the inexplicable date of
1501.
This first expedition admittedly built a wooden chapel and
an agency in Colombo.
These structures were abandoned a few years later.
A treaty was concluded with the King of Ceylon, than
residing in the city of Kotte, about two hours by foot from
Colombo. The Island was divided in four Kingdoms: Kotte, the
most important, Sitawaka, Kandy, in the mountains, and
Jaffna in the North.
In 1518, the Viceroy Lopo Soares de Albergaria landed at
Colombo with a large fleet. Here the Portuguese began to
build a small fort named "Nossa Senhora das Virtudes" or
"Santa Barbara". This first fort was a triangular in shape
surmounted by a central tower. Sinhalese soon besieged the
fort, and around 1524 the Portuguese dismantle it. The
Portuguese kept an Agent in the Island under the protection
of the Sinhalese King at Kotte.
Giving up of Colombo was a mistake. The colony of Muslims
merchants immediately attempted to win back their supremacy
in the Kingdon of Kotte and to re-conquer the cinnamon trade.
However, they were to be defeated by the few Portuguese
still presents in the Island.
The Mappillas (Malabar Muslims) that up to 1539 nourished a
dynastic conflict in the Kingdoms of Sitavaka and Kotte,
opposed the Portuguese presence in Ceylon. Martin Afonso de
Sousa, at Vedelai in 1538, and Miguel Ferreira, at Negombo
in 1539 would definitely defeat the Mappillas.
Also in these years, and with encouragement from the King of
Kotte, the missionaries began the work of converting the
peoples of Ceylon to Christianity. Churches were erected in
the fishing village of the southwestern coast. Sadly, in
1544, the King of Jaffna massacred more than 600 Christians
in the island of Mannar.
However in 1545 the King of Jaffna submitted and paid
tribute to the Portuguese.
In October 1550, the Viceroy Afonso de Noronha arrived in
Ceylon with 500 Portuguese soldiers that occupied Kotte, and
sacked Sitawaka.
But the Viceroy lost a good opportunity of establishing the
supremacy of Portugal over the entire island.
In November 1554, Duarte de Eca with 500 soldiers built a
new fortress in Colombo.
By 1556 the communities of fishermen occupying the sea coast
south of Colombo (70.000 people) were converted to the
Christianity. The King of Kotte, Dharmapala (re-christened
as Dom Joao Perya Bandara) and the Queen (re-christened as
Dona Catherina) were converted to Christianity. Following
the King example, a few nobles, adopted the Portuguese title
of Dom (Sir), the Portuguese manners and language. These
conversions were a serious mistake for the King and his
entourage because they alienated the majority of the
Sinhalese population.
In 1560, Viceroy Dom Costantino de Bragança with 1.200 men
conquered the town of Nallur, the capital city of the
Kingdom of Jaffna, and soon afterwards the Viceroy proceeded
to the island of Mannar where a fort was built.
In July 1565, the Portuguese decided to transfer the Court
and the capital to Colombo, thus Kotte was abandoned. The
Portuguese at Colombo were surrounded, the Sinhalese had
three strong garrisons around Colombo at Wattala, at
Nagalagama and Mapane.
Only in 1574 did the Portuguese take the offensive. They
plundered Negombo, Kalutara and Beruwela, drove out the
garrisons at Nagalagama and Mapane and ravaged the districts
of Weligama and Chilaw.
In August 1587, Raja Sinha, the King of Kandy and Sitawaka,
began the siege of Colombo.
The Portuguese town was protected by fortifications with 12
bastions, that the Sinhalese assaulted many times but always
failed. In February 1588 they abandoned the siege.
Till the very end of XVII century the Portuguese were
masters of the coast forts of Colombo, Galle, Kalutara and
Negombo.
In 1591 Andre Furtado de Mendoça invaded Jaffna and set up a
new king at Nallur.
The Portuguese occupied Kandy for a brief time in 1592, but,
after a few weeks, they were forced to withdraw. They were
also masters of the Kingdoms of Kotte and Sitawaka, but
several attempts to occupy Kandy were met with failure.
In 1597 the Portuguese had begun to fortify Galle.
On 27 May 1597, King Dom Joao Dharmapala died at Colombo
without heirs and, in accordance with his will, his Kingdom
was donated to the King of Portugal. Thus, as King Philip of
the then United Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal was
proclaimed King of Ceylon, the whole of the territory of the
Kingdom of Kotte was thus under the control of the
Portuguese, only Kandy was still not under Portuguese rule.
In 1598, the Portuguese occupied Etgala Tota which commanded
the passage of the river Maha Oya. In 1599, a strong fort
was erected at Menikkadawara (Manicavare) at the Kandian’s
border.
On 31 May 1602, the first Dutch expedition arrived in Ceylon.
They dropped anchor at Batticaloa, an harbor which the
Portuguese had never occupied, and established friendly
relations with the King of Kandy against the Portuguese.
In January 1603, Dom Jeronimo de Azevedo occupied the fort
of Ganetenna and the abandoned fort of Balane, the key to
Kandy. However, a few days later he was forced to withdraw
and Menikkadawara was also lost.
On 1611, De Azevedo marched with 700 Portuguese and many
Lascarins to Kandy, taking also possession of the fort of
Balane where he left a garrison. He was also successful in
conquering the city of Kandy, which was taken and burnt. The
King of Kandy submitted himself to the Portuguese. Although
not destroyed, the Kingdom of Kandy had been neutralized.
In 1624 the Portuguese occupied and fortified Trincomalee.
In 1628, Dom Constantino de Sa after strengthening
Menikkadawara, crossed the island and occupied and fortified
Batticaloa. During the return march to Colombo he raided
Kandy. In 1629, Uva (today Badulla) was also devastated.
In 1630, Dom Constantino de Sa, under pressure from the
Viceroy, decided to undertake an expedition against the King
Senarat’s capital at Badulla.
On 9 August 1630, a small Portuguese army of 400 Portuguese
soldiers, 200 Portuguese Casados (married men of the reserve
army), and about 4400 Lascarins, began the march from
Sabaragamwa (near Ratnapura) to Uva across Ceylon’s jungles.
On 18 August 1630 the Portuguese entered Badulla that was
found deserted, and for two days sacked and burned the town
down. On 21 August 1630, the Portuguese began the march to
return to Colombo but were attacked by the Sinhalese army.
Most of the Lascarins betrayed – only 500 remained loyal –
and joined the enemy. For the Sinhalese this was an
overwhelming victory: of the Portuguese expedition, only 130
men survived and surrendered.
This defeat placed Portuguese Ceylon in danger. If the
Sinhalese had the means of blockading Colombo by sea, the
complete destruction of Portuguese power in Ceylon would
have been assured.
After this victory, King Senarat captured the fort of
Saparagamuwa and set Colombo under siege. But after three
months of siege the Sinhalese army was forced to withdraw
SITE
