Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When the Portuguese arrived in 1505, Sri Lanka had three main kingdoms: the Tamil
kingdom of Jaffna and Sinhalese kingdoms in Kandy and Kotte (near Colombo). Lourenço
de Almeida, the son of the Portuguese Viceroy of India, established friendly relations with
the Kotte kingdom and gained a monopoly on the valuable spice trade. The Portuguese
eventually gained control of the Kotte kingdom.
Tamil-Portuguese relations were less cordial, and Jaffna successfully resisted two Por-
tuguese expeditions before falling in 1619, at which point the Portuguese destroyed
Jaffna's many beautiful Hindu temples and its royal library. Portugal eventually took over
the entire west coast, then the east, but the Kandyan kingdom in the central highlands
steadfastly resisted domination.
The Portuguese brought religious orders, including the Dominicans and Jesuits. Many
coastal communities converted, but other resistance to Christianity was met with massac-
res and the destruction of temples. Buddhists fled to Kandy and the city assumed its role as
protector of the Buddhist faith, a sacred function solidified by another three centuries of
unsuccessful attempts at domination by European powers.
European-Era Forts
Batticaloa
Jaffna
Matara
Trincomalee
The Dutch
In 1602 the Dutch arrived, just as keen as the Portuguese on dominating the lucrative
traffic in Indian Ocean spices. In exchange for Sri Lankan autonomy, the Kandyan king,
Rajasinha II, gave the Dutch a monopoly on the spice trade. Despite the deal, the Dutch
made repeated unsuccessful attempts to subjugate Kandy during their 140-year rule.
The Dutch were more industrious than the Portuguese, and canals were built along the
west coast to transport cinnamon and other crops. Some can be seen around Negombo
today. The legal system of the Dutch era still forms part of Sri Lanka's legal canon.
