The Fate of the Portuguese forts of Sri Lanka
Conference Paper: 5th International Conference on the Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka The Fate of the Portuguese forts of Sri Lanka H. M. Chryshane Mendis Independent Researcher ABSTRACT The Portuguese were the first European colonial power to establish themselves in Sri Lanka in the 16 th century. A prime tool to project their power and foothold on the land was the fort, which they promptly established in many sea ports and inland sites in the country. These forts functioned as economic and administrative nodes as well in the territories they controlled and thus were the main targets of the Dutch and Kandyans. The Portuguese forts were promptly captured and most often rebuilt by the Dutch in their fashion. But what exactly was the fate of these forts? Archival evidence and recent archaeological evidence from Jaffna and Galle shed new light on this topic. This presentation would explore these lines of evidence which shows that although the Dutch re-...
