1602.
The Dutch presence in Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) lasted 150 years, officially from 1658 when the Dutch expelled the Portuguese, until 1796, the year of the British occupation. However, the first encounter with the island dates back to 1602, when Joris van Spilbergen arrived on the eastern coast.
Contents
How long did the Dutch colonize Sri Lanka?
156 years
The Dutch colonised the coastal areas of Sri Lanka for 156 years. Their legacy remains and can be seen throughout the island.
When did the Dutch invade Ceylon?
Invasion of Ceylon
| Date | 21 July 1795 – 15 February 1796 |
|---|---|
| Location | Dutch colonies on Ceylon |
| Result | British victory |
When did the Portuguese arrive in Sri Lanka?
1505
The Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505 and established trade relations with the Kotte kingdom. During the early 16th century their intentions were directed towards defending their trading interests, particularly the lucrative spice trade.
Who was the first sailor to land in Sri Lanka?
Lourenço de Almeida, (died 1508, Chaul, India), Portuguese sea captain and leader of a 1505 expedition to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), probably the first Portuguese voyage to that island.
When did the British arrive in Sri Lanka?
Only the coastal areas of Sri Lanka were colonized until the British conquered the whole island in 1815. Until then the inner areas were under the reign of the Sinhala king.
Who came to Sri Lanka first Tamils or Sinhalese?
The Sinhalese are allegedly the descendants of the Aryan Prince Vijaya, from India, and his 700 followers; they came to Sri Lanka about 485 B.C.E., chased from their homes for their marauding activities. Tamils fall into two groups: Sri Lankan and Indian.
How many years did British rule Sri Lanka?
The British Ceylon period is the history of Sri Lanka between 1815 and 1948. It follows the fall of the Kandyan Kingdom into the hands of the British Empire. It ended over 2300 years of Sinhalese monarchy rule on the island. The British rule on the island lasted until 1948 when the country regained independence.
Was Ceylon a British colony?
Between 1796 and 1948, Ceylon was a British Crown colony. Although the British monarch was the head of state, in practice his or her functions were exercised in the colony by the colonial Governor, who acted on instructions from the British government in London.
When did Dutch enter Kandy?
The Dutch entered and took control of Kandy around the 19th of February. The Palace was plundered first by the Kandyans before Van Eyk’s arrival, and then by his troops.
What was Sri Lanka called before Portuguese?
Portuguese Ceylon
Portuguese Ceylon (Portuguese: Ceilão Português, Sinhala: පෘතුගීසි ලංකාව Puruthugisi Lankawa, Tamil: போர்த்துக்கேய இலங்கை Porthukeya Ilankai) is the name given to the territory on Ceylon, modern-day Sri-Lanka, controlled by the Portuguese Empire between 1597 and 1658.
Who is the 1st king in Sri Lanka?
Prince Vijaya
List of Sri Lankan monarchs
| King of the Sinhala Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Prince Vijaya | |
| Details | |
| First monarch | Prince Vijaya |
| Last monarch | Sri Vikrama Rajasinha |
What did Marco Polo say about Sri Lanka?
COLOMBO – The 13th-century Venetian traveller Marco Polo described Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, as being “for its size, better circumstanced than any island in the world”. He probably would not have described it that way when Sri Lanka was in the grips of a quarter-century-long civil war that only ended in 2009.
What was first controlled by the Portuguese and later the Dutch which took it over in 1658?
Answer: It was Bengal that was taken over by Company Army in 1658.
Where did Sri Lankan Tamils originate from?
Modern Sri Lankan Tamils descend from residents of the Jaffna Kingdom, a former kingdom in the north of Sri Lanka and Vannimai chieftaincies from the east.
Why did the Dutch come to Sri Lanka?
The Dutch were invited by the Sinhalese to help fight the Portuguese. They signed the Kandyan Treaty of 1638 with Rajasinghe II and soon embarked on a war against their common enemy. As such the Dutch were appointed as a protector of the country.
What is the old name of Sri Lanka?
Ceylon
Ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane. Arabs referred to it as Serendib. Later European mapmakers called it Ceylon, a name still used occasionally for trade purposes. It officially became Sri Lanka in 1972.
When did Tamils first come to Sri Lanka?
The Ceylon Tamils are south Indians who were amongst the first settlers in Sri Lanka who arrived as early as the 5th century BC. The ‘Up Country’ Tamil community is of comparatively recent origin. They are the descendants of labourers brought to the island by the British to work on tea plantations.
Why did Tamils go to Sri Lanka?
Indian Tamils were brought to Sri Lanka as indentured labourers during the 19th and 20th centuries to work on coffee, tea and rubber plantations owned by the British.Indian Tamils had formed the majority Tamil population in the country until the 1950s and 1960s when the Indian population was repatriated back to India.
Is Sinhala a Sanskrit?
Etymology. Sinhala (Siṃhala) is a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indo-Aryan (Eḷu) word is Sīhala. The name is a derivation from siṃha, the Sanskrit word for “lion”.
Who owned Sri Lanka?
Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.
