Decline .26 dissolution Jaffna Kingdom

portuguese traders reached sri lanka 1505 initial forays against south-western coastal kotte kingdom due lucrative monopoly on trade in spices kotte kingdom enjoyed of interest portuguese. jaffna kingdom came attention of portuguese officials in colombo multiple reasons included interference in roman catholic missionary activities, (which assumed patronizing portuguese interests) , support anti-portuguese factions of kotte kingdom, such chieftains sittawaka. jaffna kingdom functioned logistical base kandyan kingdom, located in central highlands without access seaports, entrypot military aid arriving south india. further, due strategic location, feared jaffna kingdom may become beachhead dutch landings. king cankili resisted contacts portuguese , massacred 600-700 parava catholics in island of mannar. these catholics brought india mannar take on lucrative pearl fisheries jaffna kings.

client state

the royal family, first right cankili i, held off portuguese empire.

the first expedition led viceroy dom constantino de bragança in 1560 failed subdue kingdom wrested mannar island it. although circumstances unclear, 1582 jaffna king paying tribute of ten (10) elephants or equivalent in cash. in 1591, during second expedition led andré furtado de mendonça, king puvirasa pandaram killed , son ethirimanna cinkam installed monarch. arrangement gave catholic missionaries freedom , monopoly in elephant export portuguese, incumbent king resisted. helped kandyan kingdom under kings vimaladharmasuriya , senarat during period 1593-1635 intent of securing south india resist portuguese. maintained autonomy of kingdom without overly provoking portuguese.

cankili ii unsurper

with death of ethirimana cinkam in 1617, cankili ii, usurper, took control of throne after killing regent nominated late king. unable secure portuguese acceptance of kingship, cankili ii invited military aid thanjavur nayaks , allowed corsairs malabar use base in neduntivu, hence posting threat portuguese shipping routes through palk strait. cankili ii supported kandy rulers. after fall of jaffna kingdom, 2 unnamed princesses of jaffna had been married senarat s stepsons, kumarasingha , vijayapala. cankili ii expectably received military aid thanjavur nayak kingdom. on part, raghunatha nayak of thanjavur made attempts recover jaffna kingdom protege, prince of rameshwaram . however, attempts recover jaffna kingdom portuguese met failure.

by june 1619, there 2 portuguese expeditions: naval expedition repulsed malabari corsairs , expedition filipe de oliveira , 5,000 strong land army able inflict defeat on cankili ii. cankili, along every surviving member of royal family captured , taken goa, hanged. remaining captives encouraged become monks or nuns in holy orders, , obliged, avoided further claimants jaffna throne.