Portuguese Ceylon

Portuguese Ceylon (Portuguese: Ceilão Português) 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.

Part of a series on the
History of Kandy
Kingdom of Kandy (1469–1815)
Founding
Sinhalese–Portuguese War
Kandyan Treaty of 1638
Portuguese Ceylon
Treaty of Batticaloa
Kandyan Wars
Colonial Kandy (1815–1948)
Kandyan Convention
Matale Rebellion
South East Asia Command
Kandy (1948–Present)
Modern Kandy
See also:
An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon
List of Kandyan Monarchs
History of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka portal

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