Episodes of colonised history
by Panchamee Hewavissenti
Sri Lanka is a nation with a proud and remarkable history of over
twenty five centuries. The episodes of that history are filled with
eventful adventures and achievements of Sri Lankans. According to
historical chronicles, the first onset by foreigners occurred in 3 B.C,
by two horse vendors called Sena and Guththika.

One of the riots which took place during the Dutch period. |
Then there were many South Indian and Asian kings trying to invade
Sri Lanka, but had failed.
The Portuguese embarked on Sri Lanka in 1505. It was a great
opportunity for the Portuguese to capture the power of Sri Lanka when
the king of Kotte, Buwanekabahu VII, requested an outside succour from
the Portuguese in order to be safeguarded from other kings of Raigama
and Sithawaka. King Buwanekabahu VII, died of a portugal gunfire by
1550.
The grand son of King Buwanekabahu became the king of Kotte after the
demise of the king. Prince Don Juwan Periya Bandara, also known as
Dharmapala was the son of warrior Weediya Bandara and Samudradevi, the
daughter of King Buwanekabahu. This king was used as a cat's paw by the
Portuguese.
It was easy for Portuguese to take power in to their hands under a
weak king. They started spreading their religion and to convince Muslim
vendors. Since Muslim vendors were very flexible in business, people
liked to do their transactions with them.
Therefore, Portuguese were unable to involve in merchandising local
products. People lived in the Kotte kingdom had to thus vend their
products at a very low price and faced discrimination from Portuguese
such as paying tax for their own land. In order to defeat the power of
Portuguese, warrior Weediya Bandara formed a Fort at a place called
Pelenda in Pasdun Korale.
Forming a rampart at Pelenda and empowering Weediya Bandara with
military powers were not at all good premonitions for Mayadunne, the
ruler of Sithawaka. When Mayadunne requested Weediya Bandara's support
to recapture the power of Up country, Weediya Bandara didn't extend his
favour to Mayadunne, which later turned in to a hostility.
Thus Weediya Bandara became a common hostile of both Portuguese and
Mayadunne. Both the parties were united with a common aim to destroy
Weediya Bandara. As a result of that Portuguese with the help of
Mayadunne invaded Weediya Bandara's fortress at Pelenda.
After being defeated, Weediya Bandara fled to Jaffna to escape the
wrath of Portuguese and joined king Sankily of Jaffna. Because of
Weediya Bandara's hostile conduct he was killed by king Sankily in
Jaffna.
A warrior called Edirille Rala was able to empower himself with a
vast military and to rise against the Portuguese. The riot of Edirille
Rala backed by the king of Upcountry lasted about a year. However, he
was later taken in to Portuguese's custody and killed in 14 July in
1596.
After Edirille Rala'a, another warrior named Nikapitiye Bandara
started a riot against Portuguese. Unfortunately they were captured and
annihilated by Portuguese.
Danthurai battle
Danthurai battle was fought between king Wimaladharmasuriya and the
Portuguese. King Wimaladharmasuriya defeated Portuguese and married Dona
Katherina who was once an agent of Portuguese.
Balana battle
After defeats of several battles, Portuguese had to implement
alternatives to capture the control of upcountry. Asavedu, the newly
appointed captain got down a supplementary cadre of soldiers from India
to invade Upcountry. They were able to capture several fortresses near
Balana. But after a week, again the Sinhalese cadre was able to seize
the Balana Fort. Asavedu had a little fortune to save his life and fled
to Colombo after his defeat.
Battle of Randeniwela
The troops commanded by Constantinu De Sae, launched the invasion via
Badulla. By that time a strong relationship was built between the
parties such as down South Sinhalese Mudliyars and King Senerath. The
Portuguese power became frail due to the run away of their troops and
were attacked and the Captain was killed by Upcountry civilians at
Randeniwela near Wellawaya.
Battle of Gannoruwa
After the demise of king Senerath his son, Rajasinghe II succeeded
the throne. King Rajasinghe II,started negotiations with the Dutch to
subdue Portuguese power. The Portuguese came to know that they tried to
capture the Upcountry before the arrival of Dutch in Sri Lanka.
The troops directed by General Diogo De Velo plundered the city and
fired it. Meanwhile, the Indian soldiers joined king Rajasinghe's
battalions. There was a fatal warfare at Gannoruwa between the two
parties in 1638 March 28. This was recorded as the final battle fought
between the Sinhalese and the Portuguese.
The purpose of bringing Dutch to Sri Lanka was to ostracize
Portuguese from Sri Lanka and to recapture the power of areas which were
under the control of the invaders.
Since conventions between the Dutch and the Sinhalese king seemed to
be trustworthy, both parties signed an accord in May 1638. Although the
king offered the dominance over the cinnamon trade, the Dutch were not
satisfied with the offer and wanted to seize the power of areas where
the Portuguese had been governing.
As a result of various methodical strategies finally the Portuguese
were repelled from the island. Subsequently, the Dutch tried to
implement their authority down South. During 1665 - 1668 the Dutch waged
war to capture the coastal areas such as Trincomalee, Kottiyaram,
Baticaloa.
Dutch invasions of Upcountry
When the king faced challenges with the arbitrary dispatches of the
Dutch rulers, king Rajasinghe sought assistance from British to curb the
domination of Dutch rulers.
When the breach of the peace was likely to arise the Dutch mandated
another additional platoon from Indian Dutch reigned areas. Strong Dutch
troops were able to defeat the king's force and to capture the power of
South in 1762- 63.
When the Dutch Governor forwarded a document with conditions, which
the king could hardly comply with, the Dutch declared war against the
king. Dutch platoons started their expedition to Kandy via Negombo to
Gonawila, Atambe and Attampola.
Unfortunately, the Dutch platoon stranded midway. Gaining the
advantage of that, king's troop attacked Dutch at the right time. Thus
the attempt of the Dutch to invade the upcountry was failed in 1764.When
king Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe was pressurized by various assails by the
Dutch, he urged the British to render their assistance to curb the
Dutch.
The negotiations between the British and the king bore satisfactory
results, and a new chapter of the Sri Lankan history was turned. The
areas which had been under the supervision of the Dutch were captured by
the British East India Trading Company in February 1797.
As a result of imposing unbearable taxes to recover the expenses
which British had to bear, people who lived in coastal areas rebelled
against the British.
The campaigns Frederick North the first Governor launched were unable
to capture the power of up country. Although the next Governor Thomas
Maitland's shrewd methodology was to weaken the government by rousing
many internal conflicts among the rulers.
That plan was set in motion by another officer called John Doily.
Since he was able to converse fluently in Sinhalese, Doily was able to
build secret affairs with several rulers.
He had a strong set of 'spys' through which he could attract many
important secrets. Due to the king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe's arbitrary
conduct, the territory didn't extend support to the king.
Under these conditions, the British could easily enter the Kandyan
kingdom. As never happened in the history of Sri Lanka, the king was
arrested by the indignant citizens and handed over to the British
assailers.
The rebellion against the British government under the patronage of
Keppetipola, started in January 1818. It expanded by February up to
Dumbara, Hewaheta, Hath Korale, Harispattu, Matale, Nuwara Kalawiya and
Sabaragamuwa. These rebels were headed by warriors like Madugalle and
Pilimathalawwe. Though the British were able to curb the rebellion
successfully, another rebellion emerged in 1848.
Colbrook constitutional reform was introduced in 1833 and it was a
beginning of a novel social reformation. It was a transformation of
feudalism to a capitalism. The Donomour constitutional reform was
introduced in 1931.
Those reforms were accepted by local politicians because they were
able to gain power. E.W. Perera, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, D.B. Jayathilake
and D. S. Senanayake spearheaded gaining freedom to Sri Lanka.
The Soulbury reforms were introduced in 1944 and by September 1945
the inclusions of the reforms were announced which gave much
consideration to vest total power to the local bodies to control
internal affairs.
Under the Soulbury Constitutional reforms, the election was scheduled
to be held in August 1947. The United National Party was formed by D.S.
Senanayake in order to face the election. The political situation in
this country, by this time seemed to be democratised.
Also by this time, the British were ready to liberate India and Burma
which were under their control. In the early stages of 1947, leaders
like D.S. Senanayake, D.E. Gunathilake spearheaded addressing the
British on the rationales and privileges of Sri Lanka being an
independent nation.
However, the United National Party was able to win the election held
in August 1947. D. S. Senanayake sworn as the new Prime Minister and the
British issued the state proclamation on independence in December 1947.
On the activation of the new proclamation in 04, February 1948 the
British lost control over Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka gained its
independence after shedding much blood and sweat.
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