A summary of portugese history
A summary of portugese historyThe first Portuguese visiting Ceylon was Dom Louren�o 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 Louren�o'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...
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