Sinhalese–Portuguese War

The Sinhalese–Portuguese War is a series of conflicts waged from 1527 to 1658 between the indigenous Sinhalese kingdoms of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and their allies against the Portuguese Empire.

The Portuguese are seeking to expand from their trading post at Colombo to incorporate Ceylon into their growing empire.The Portuguese expand their influence on the island by exploiting the political rivalries of the native kingdoms, placing client rulers on the thrones of several kingdoms and directly ruling other areas as Portuguese Ceylon.

These machinations allow them to control the Kingdom of Kotte, but the main beneficiary is the Kingdom of Sitawaka, which from 1521-87 is able to expand—through conquest of other native kingdoms—to cover most of Ceylon.

Most of the newly conquered territories then rebel against Sitawaka.

The divided and disorganized rival kingdoms become easy targets for Portuguese expansion.In a series of military conflicts and political maneuvers, the Portuguese extend their control over the kingdoms of Kotte (1551), Jaffna (1591), Raigama (1593) and Sitawaka (1593).

In 1592 they place a client ruler on the throne of the Kingdom of Kandy, but he dies soon after in suspicious circumstances and the Portuguese are forced to withdraw.

Seeking to subdue the last remaining resistance on Ceylon, the Portuguese launch a full military invasion of Kandy in the Campaign of Danture of 1594.

The invasion is a disaster for the Portuguese, with their entire army wiped out by Kandyan guerilla warfare.The war becomes a stalemate, with further Portuguese attempts to conquer Kandy repeatedly repulsed, while the Kandyans are unable to oust the Portuguese from the rest of the island.

However the Portuguese are able to conquer the Vanni chieftains in 1621.

This stalemate is eventually broken by the intervention of the Dutch East India Company in 1638, who seek to exploit the war to take over Portuguese colonial possessions.

The Dutch initially enter the war as allies of Kandy, and together they win several battles against the Portuguese.

However, the alliance does not last and the three remaining powers fight each other in triangular warfare for a time.

The Dutch and Kandyans remake their alliance in 1649 to drive the Portuguese from the island.

The Portuguese capital Colombo is conquered in 1656, but once this is done the Dutch immediately betray their allies, keeping the Portuguese possessions for themselves.By the end of the war in 1658, all Portuguese forces have been expelled from the island, ending Portuguese Ceylon.

The Kingdom of Kandy is the only surviving indigenous state on Ceylon, ruling almost half of the territory.

The Dutch are left in control of the major population centers, forming Dutch Ceylon.

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