Second Kandy-Dutch War - 1761-1766
Extract from Chryshane Mendis's MA Thesis titled "Fortifications and the Landscape: A GIS Inventory and Mapping of Kandyan and Dutch Fortifications in Sri Lanka" , 2020, University of Amsterdam.
Second Kandy-Dutch War - 1761-1766
The
long sustained peace between the Dutch and Kandy was crumbling by the mid-18th
century due to the economic tug of war and harsh policies by the Dutch on their
own subjects. From 1757 onwards there were complaints to the Kandyan King Kirti
Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1782) from the people of the Dutch territories on the
injustices faced by them,[1]
and these were eagerly attended to by Kandy. Towards the end of 1760 many Sinhalese
inhabitants of the Dutch territories in the southwest were in open rebellion
actively supported by Kandy. In early 1761, the Kandyan forces invaded the
Dutch territories in the west and south west to aid the rebels. After a six
week siege of Hanvälla, the fort capitulated and other assaults were directed
to the lands around Negombo. The campaign for Mātara was better prepared and
establishing themselves at famous rock temple of Mulkirigala, the Dutch forts
of Hakmana, Katuvana and Tangalla were taken and a close siege of the Mātara
fort was maintained which was eventually captured and destroyed[2] in
March 1761. However by the middle of 1761 the Kandyan offensive died down. With
the people of the Dutch territories realigning themselves to the Dutch, the
Dutch took the offensive and drove out Kandyan forces including the recapture
of Mātara fort and even expanded to capture the salt pans of Hambantota in
early 1762.[3]
On the west, they even moved into the Kandyan territory and occupied Chilaw and
Puttalam, fortifying these posts and establishing many other posts in the Seven
Kōralēs in 1763. The Kandyans had in the meantime established contact with the
English East India Company in Madras and an embassy was sent to Kandy under
John Pybus but no agreement came about this contact. Realizing this threat from
the English, the Dutch turned their attention to the conquest of Kandy. By 1763
most of the Kandyan forces had been expelled from their territory and
preparations were made for a campaign in the interior. Throughout this year the
King sought out peace but the new Dutch Governor Lubbert Jan van Eck (1762-1765)
refused and laid down his own terms;[4]
which were the recognition of Dutch sovereignty over the lands and the
cessation of the Three, Four and Seven Kōralēs, and the entire coastline of the
island. A campaign was launched in 1764 to Kandy starting from six directions
however all armies failed in their objectives and were turned back.
In
January 1765 a fresh campaign was undertaken which took the route to Kandy via
Kurunegala. The Dutch met with stiff opposition specially at Uhumiya but
proceeded on and the Kandyan fort of Galagedara was captured. The next fort of
Girihagama was then abandoned by the Kandyans and thus the route was cleared
for the Dutch until Katugastota. The king sued for peace here as well but
nevertheless the Dutch crossed the river and occupied the city of Kandy on
February 19, with the king having fled to Hanguraketa. The garrison at Kandy
was constantly attacked and plagued with sickness killing many; hence after
almost six months of occupation they decided to abandon the city in August
1765. The army only avoided a total massacre when a Mudaliyar[5]
showed them a secret path avoiding the fortified Balana pass.[6]
With
this retreat both parties actively sought out peace talks, which began in
December of that year. While the peace talks were in progress, the Dutch
attempting to bring pressure on Kandy in agreeing to their terms, dispatched
another expedition in January 1766 to threaten hostilities; this force marched
up to Matalē and burned the palace there. In the meantime the peace treaty was
signed on February 14, 1766 and the expeditionary force was withdrawn.
The
treaty signed was a unilateral imposition of demands which the King signed
under duress.[7]
Through the treaty the legitimacy for Dutch territory was acknowledged and
further a strip of one Sinhalese mile in width of the entire coast of the
island[8]
was ceded to the Dutch, thus officially giving them mastery of the entire
littoral and making Kandy a landlock kingdom.
[1]
Silva, K. M. de. ed., 1995. p.297
[2] Ibid p.298
[3]
Ibid p.299
[4]
Silva, K. M. de. ed., 1995. p.300
[5]
Mudaliyar was a military officer of the lascorin
force; also an honorific.
[6]
Silva, K. M. de. ed., 1995. p.308
[7]
Ibid p.313
[8]
Ibid p.310
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