SRI LANKA - PORTUGUESE ERA

Portuguese Ceylon (Portuguese: Ceilão) was a Portuguese territory in 

present-day Sri Lanka, representing a period in Sri Lankan history from 

1505–1658. The Portuguese first encountered the Ceylonese kingdom of 

Kotte, with whom they signed a treaty. Portuguese Ceylon was established 

through the occupation of Kotte and the conquest of surrounding Sinhalese 

kingdoms. In 1565 the capital of Portuguese Ceylon was moved from Kotte 

to Colombo. The introduction of Christianity by the Portuguese furthered 

friction with the Sinhalese people.

Eventually, the Ceylonese sought help from the Dutch Empire in their struggle 

for liberation. The Dutch Empire initially entered into agreement with the 

Kingdom of Kandy. After the collapse of the Iberian economy in 1627, the 

Dutch-Portuguese War saw the Dutch conquest of Portugal's Asiatic colonies. 

Eventually, Portugal's Ceylonese territories were ceded to the Netherlands. 

Nevertheless, there remain elements of Portuguese culture in Sri Lanka today 

from this colonial period.

Contents  [hide] 1 History 1.1 Portuguese Captains of Ceilão (1518–1551) 1.2 Portuguese Captain-majors of Ceilão (1551–1594) 1.3 Portuguese Governors of Ceilão (1594–1658) 2 See also 3 References

Source : Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia