Kingdom of Kotte
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Kotte centred on Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte (located just outside present-day Colombo
) was a kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka
during the 15th century. Its king was the last native sovereign to unify all of Sri Lanka under one rule.
become severe.First he captured the vanni and made vanni leaders loyal to him. Prince Sapumal was the commander of the Kotte army at the time.
in northern Sri Lanka
,unified all of Sri Lanka.At it height the Kingdom oversaw one of greatest eras of the Sinhalese literature.Notable poets at the time were Buddhist monks such as ven Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula thero,ven Weedagama Maihree thero,Karagala Wanarathana thero. By 1477, however, 10 years after the death of Parakramabahu VI, regional kingdoms became more powerful.Most notably a new Kingdom was founded in central hill-country of the island by Senasammatha Wickremabahu who Successfully led a rebellion against Kotte kingdom in 1469.
in 1509 and it stayed there until 1528.
landed in Colombo
on 1505. They were able to secure a trade agreement with the King of Kotte on their first visit itself. Kotte Kingdom's downfall was made fast after the event in 1521 known as the "Wijayaba Kollaya
" where the kings (Vijayabahu VII) three sons killed their father and divided Kotte into three kingdoms. The divided Kingdom of Sitawaka
became more powerful with local popular support and Kotte Kingdom had to rely on Portuguese for help. By 1565 capital of Kotte was abandoned by the Kotte King Dharmapala
due to frequent attacks from Sitawaka
led by Mayadunne and his son Rajasinghe I and he was taken into Colombo under Portuguese protection. Most of the areas of Kotte Kingdom was annexed to the Kingdom of Sitawaka
and after the downfall of Sitawaka
in 1594 these areas were occupied by the Portuguese. In 1597 Dharmapala gifted the Kotte Kingdom to the Portuguese throne and Kotte era was officially ended.
there are no signs of using fire arms in kingdom.Military consisted of for main departments namely
, a very important port at the time. Moorish merchants from India and Arabiya dominated the trade of the kingdom until the arrival of the Portuguese. Spice trade such as cinnamon
, cardamom
, black pepper
dominated the exports while gemstones
also was a big export. After the conquest of jaffna, Kotte possessed the pearl
trading which gave an enermouse wealth to the kingdom. Portuguese who arrived in there as traders were able to secure a trading deal with the kingdom on their first visit.
Buddhism was the reigion of majority and given the Royal Patronage.A Temple of Tooth relic was built near the royal palace.
The ancient Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
was repaired by the king Parâkramabâhu VI
Hinduism was also given a foremost place in the society.
Portuguese conveted much of the population into Roman Catholic by force.The last king of Kotte Don Juan Dharmapala
was the only catholic Sinhalese king in the entire Sri Lankan history.
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
) was a kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
during the 15th century. Its king was the last native sovereign to unify all of Sri Lanka under one rule.
Etymology
The term Kotte means fortress in Sinhalese. So it is accepted that name refers to the fortress founded by Alakesvara.Founding
Originally founded as a fortress by Minister Alakesvara (1370–1385) of the Gampola Kingdom during the reign of King Vikramabahu III to checkmate northern invasions on the western coast, Parakramabahu VI later made it the capital city in 1412.It was well protected by the large swamp surrounded the area.History
Parâkramabâhu VI first became the king of Raigama in 1412 then,in 1415 he made Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte his capital.King upgraded the existing citadel and built a new royal palace.Parâkramabâhu VI waited until ties between Vijayanagar Empire and Jaffna KingdomJaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
become severe.First he captured the vanni and made vanni leaders loyal to him. Prince Sapumal was the commander of the Kotte army at the time.
Rise
In 1450, Parâkramabâhu VI had, with his conquest of the Jaffna KingdomJaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
in northern Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
,unified all of Sri Lanka.At it height the Kingdom oversaw one of greatest eras of the Sinhalese literature.Notable poets at the time were Buddhist monks such as ven Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula thero,ven Weedagama Maihree thero,Karagala Wanarathana thero. By 1477, however, 10 years after the death of Parakramabahu VI, regional kingdoms became more powerful.Most notably a new Kingdom was founded in central hill-country of the island by Senasammatha Wickremabahu who Successfully led a rebellion against Kotte kingdom in 1469.
Rule from Kelaniya
Dharma Parakramabãhu IX moved the capital to KelaniyaKelaniya
Kelaniya is a small town near Colombo, Sri Lanka in the Gampaha District. It is known for the Buddhist temple built on the banks of the Kelani River, which runs through the town...
in 1509 and it stayed there until 1528.
Demise
Troubled times started for Kotte Kingdom after the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
landed in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
on 1505. They were able to secure a trade agreement with the King of Kotte on their first visit itself. Kotte Kingdom's downfall was made fast after the event in 1521 known as the "Wijayaba Kollaya
Wijayaba Kollaya
Vijayaba Kollaya This is the historic event that happened in 1521 where the Kotte king's three sons mutinied against their father killing him and divided the Kingdom among themselves....
" where the kings (Vijayabahu VII) three sons killed their father and divided Kotte into three kingdoms. The divided Kingdom of Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
became more powerful with local popular support and Kotte Kingdom had to rely on Portuguese for help. By 1565 capital of Kotte was abandoned by the Kotte King Dharmapala
Dharmapala of Sri Lanka
Dharmapala or Dom Joao Dharmapala Peria Bandara was king of the Kingdom of Kotte, in present day Sri Lanka, from 1551 until May 27, 1597...
due to frequent attacks from Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
led by Mayadunne and his son Rajasinghe I and he was taken into Colombo under Portuguese protection. Most of the areas of Kotte Kingdom was annexed to the Kingdom of Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
and after the downfall of Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
in 1594 these areas were occupied by the Portuguese. In 1597 Dharmapala gifted the Kotte Kingdom to the Portuguese throne and Kotte era was officially ended.
Military
Military of the Kotte kingdom was closely associated with its both rise and the demise. Poems written in this era gives vivid account of contemporary military. Before the arrival of the PortuguesePortuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
there are no signs of using fire arms in kingdom.Military consisted of for main departments namely
- Ath- elephantElephantElephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
regiments - Ashwa- horse regiments
- Riya- Chariot regiments
- Pabala- infantry regiments.
Notable Commanders of Kotte Army
In the final periods of the kingdom Portuguese were often in charge of the military.- AlagakkonaraAlagakkonaraAlagakkonara or Allegakoen or Alakeshwara is a name of a prominent feudal family that provided powerful ministers and military rulers during the medieval period in Sri Lanka. Although some historian say that the family was of Malayalee origin others say it originated in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu,...
- Bhuvanekabahu VI
- Parâkramabâhu VIParâkramabâhu VI of Sri LankaParâkramabâhu VI was a king in the Sri Lankan kingdom of Kotte. He is the last great Sri Lankan king to have united the whole island of Sri Lanka under one flag. His rule is famous for the political stability which he maintained in that time period and the thriving of literature, specially poetry...
- Weediye Bandara
- Prince of Ambulugala
Significant military victories of Kingdom of Kotte
- Capture of Jaffna in 1450
- Capture of vanniVanniVanni may refer to:* Vanni , an area of northern Sri Lanka* Vanni Electoral District, an electoral district of Sri Lanka* Vanni Wang, international fashion designer China, USA...
making its chieftains tributary paying subordinates - Successfully subsidising a rebellion in central hills started by Jothiya Situ.
- Invading a port of the Vijayanagar Empire as a retaliation to looting a ship belong to Kotte, and making that port a tributary paying port of the kingdom.
Trade
The kingdom is situated near ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, a very important port at the time. Moorish merchants from India and Arabiya dominated the trade of the kingdom until the arrival of the Portuguese. Spice trade such as cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
, black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
dominated the exports while gemstones
Gemstones
Gemstones is the third solo album by Adam Green, released in 2005. The album is characterised by the heavy presence of Wurlitzer piano, whereas its predecessor relied on a string section in its instrumentation.-Track listing:#Gemstones – 2:24...
also was a big export. After the conquest of jaffna, Kotte possessed the pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
trading which gave an enermouse wealth to the kingdom. Portuguese who arrived in there as traders were able to secure a trading deal with the kingdom on their first visit.
Literature
One of the greatest of fields that flourished under his rule was literature and art, since the king himself was very fond of them.Royal patranage was given to literature paving way to a golden age of literature in the island.Great poet monks of Kotte era
- ven Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula
- ven Waththawe
- ven Weedagama Maithree
Notable art works of the era
Sandesha poems
- Kokila Sandesha
- Paravi Sandesha
- Gira Sandesha
- Salalihini Sandesha
- Hansa Sandesha
Poems and other anthology
- Lowada Sangarawa
- Buduguna Alankaraya
- Gutthilaya
- Kawyashekaraya
- Parakumba Siritha
- Saddharmarathnakaraya
Buddhist education institutions started in the era
These institutions paved way not only to enhansement of Buddhist literature but also to development of Ayurvedic medicine.- Padmawthi Piriwena, Karagala
- Vijayaba Piriwena,Thotagamuwa
- Sunethradevi Piriwena, Papiliyana
Religion
The ancient Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
The Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara or Kelaniya Temple is a Buddhist temple in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, seven miles from Colombo. The Chief Incumbent is Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkhitha Thera....
was repaired by the king Parâkramabâhu VI
Hinduism was also given a foremost place in the society.
Portuguese conveted much of the population into Roman Catholic by force.The last king of Kotte Don Juan Dharmapala
Dharmapala
In Vajrayana Buddhism, a dharmapāla is a type of wrathful deity. The name means "Dharma-defender" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapālas are also known as the Defenders of the Law , or the Protectors of the Law, in English....
was the only catholic Sinhalese king in the entire Sri Lankan history.