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The Kingdom of Kotte ( si, කෝට්ටේ රාජධානිය, Kottay Rajadhaniya), named after its capital, Kotte, was a
Sinhalese kingdom The Sinhala Kingdom or Sinhalese Kingdom refers to the successive Sinhalese kingdoms that existed in what is today Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese kingdoms are kingdoms known by the city at which its administrative centre was located. These are in chron ...
that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Kotte, under the rule of
Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
-backed
Parakramabahu VI Parâkramabâhu VI (1410/1412/1415–1467) was a king in the Sri Lankan kingdom of Kotte. He is the last great king in Sri Lanka who managed to unite the island under one flag. His rule is famous for the political stability which he maintained i ...
, conquered the Jaffna kingdom and the Vanni principalities, and brought the country under one flag. It led to a punitive invasion against the Vijayanagar dynasty and captured a port, which was converted to a trade route. The Kotte Kingdom was largely dissolved during the Sinhalese-Portuguese War, as it faced attacks from rival Sinhalese kingdoms, the
Kingdom of Sitawaka The Kingdom of Sitawaka ( si, සීතාවක, ta, சீீீதாவாக்கை இராசதானி) was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the Kingdom of Kotte following the Spoilin ...
and Kingdom of Kandy. Dom João Dharmapala handed it over to the Portuguese, thus leading to the formation of Ceylon. The remainder was annexed into Sitwaka and Kandy.


Etymology

The term ''Kotte'' is said to have derived from the Sinhalese word ''kotta'' (කෝට්ට) and
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
word ''kōttei'' which mean fortress.The word ''Kotte'' was introduced by Nissankamalla Alagakkonara, who was the founder of the fortress. They were believed to be from the city of ''Vanchi'', identified with Kanchipuram of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. The Alagakkonara family have also been identified to be of
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
ancestry of
Vallanattu Chettiar Vallanattu Chettiar are a community who have been classified in the state of Tamil Nadu as an Other Backward Class under India's system of positive discrimination. They live in a small village of Vallanadu, near to Thiruvarankulam in Pudukk ...
.


History

Kotte was founded as a fortress by Minister Alakesvara (1370–1385) of the Alagakkonara clan of the
Kingdom of Gampola Gampola is a town and once an ancient polity located near Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was made the capital city of the island by King Buwanekabahu IV, who ruled for four years in the mid-fourteenth century. King Buwanekabahu ...
during the reign of Vikramabahu III of Gampola to checkmate invasions from
South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
on the western coast; Parakramabahu VI later made Kotte his capital city in 1412. It was well protected by the large swamp that surrounded the area.
Parakramabahu VI Parâkramabâhu VI (1410/1412/1415–1467) was a king in the Sri Lankan kingdom of Kotte. He is the last great king in Sri Lanka who managed to unite the island under one flag. His rule is famous for the political stability which he maintained i ...
first became the king of Raigama in 1412, then, in 1415, he made Kotte his capital. The King upgraded the existing citadel and built a new royal palace.
Parakramabahu VI Parâkramabâhu VI (1410/1412/1415–1467) was a king in the Sri Lankan kingdom of Kotte. He is the last great king in Sri Lanka who managed to unite the island under one flag. His rule is famous for the political stability which he maintained i ...
waited until ties between the
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...
and Jaffna Kingdom were severed. First, he captured the Vanni and made its leaders loyal to him.
Prince Sapumal Bhuvanekabahu VI of Kotte (, ), also known as Sapumal Kumaraya and Chempaka Perumal, was an adopted son of Parakramabahu VI of Kotte, Parakramabahu VI, whose principal achievement was the conquest of Jaffna Kingdom in 1447 or 1450.Gnanaprakasar, ...
was the commander of the Kotte army at the time.
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
served as one of the court languages of the Kotte Kingdom at this time.


Rise

In 1450, Parakramabahu VI had, with his conquest of the Jaffna kingdom in northern Sri Lanka, unified all of Sri Lanka. At its height, the Kingdom oversaw one of the greatest eras of Sinhalese literature. Notable poets at the time were Buddhist monks such as
Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera (1408 – 1491) was a Buddhist monk and an eminent scholar, who lived in the 15th century in Sri Lanka. He was a polyglot who was given the title "''Shad Bhasha Parameshwara''" due to his mastery in six oriental lang ...
, Weedagama Maihree thero, and 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 the central hill-country of the island by
Senasammata Vikramabahu Sēnasammata Vikramabāhu was King of Kandy from 1469 to 1511. Before becoming independent the provinces that made up the Kingdom of Kandy belonged to the Kingdom of Kotte. Vikramabāhu founded the city of Kandy, and during the reign of Parakrama ...
who successfully led a rebellion against the Kotte Kingdom in 1469.


Rule from Kelaniya

Parakramabahu IX of Kotte moved the capital to
Kelaniya Kelaniya ( si, කැලණිය ta, களனி) is a suburb of Colombo in the Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is known for the Buddhist temple built on the banks of the Kelani River, which divides the suburb from Colombo District. The tem ...
in 1509 and it stayed there until 1528.


Arrival of the Portuguese

The Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505,S.G. Perera, ''A History of Ceylon For Schools – The Portuguese and Dutch period''. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon: Sri Lanka, 1942. p 8. landing in Galle Harbour. Once they learnt that they had arrived in Sri Lanka, they sailed to Colombo. They were taken by a tortuous route to the capital, Kotte, which was actually quite close by. This was done in order to create the impression that the kingdom was too far inland to make invasion from the harbour feasible. This plan was, however, spoilt by the fact that the Portuguese who remained with the ship fired the ship's cannon repeatedly, which sound was heard by the Portuguese party being taken to Kotte. This incident gave rise to the local saying "Parangiya Kotte Giya Vage" ("like the Portuguese went to Kotte")Paul E. Peiris, ''Ceylon the Portuguese Era: Being a History of the Island for the Period, 1505–1658'', Volume 1. Tisara Publishers: Sri Lanka, 1992. p 36. ��රන්ගියා කොට්ටේ ගියා වගේ which refers to doing something or going somewhere in a roundabout route instead of a direct route. However, during this meeting, the Portuguese managed to secure a trade agreement with the Kotte king.


Demise

Kotte Kingdom's downfall began with an event in 1521 that became known as the " Wijayaba Kollaya". The Kotte King Vijayabahu VII's three sons mutinied and killed their father dividing the kingdom among themselves. This gave rise to three minor kingdoms, Kotte, Sitawaka and Principality of Raigama. The divided
Kingdom of Sitawaka The Kingdom of Sitawaka ( si, සීතාවක, ta, சீீீதாவாக்கை இராசதானி) was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the Kingdom of Kotte following the Spoilin ...
became more powerful with local popular support and the Kotte Kingdom had to rely on Portuguese for help. The king of Kotte after Wijayabe Kollaya, Buvenekabahu VII, got assistance from the Portuguese in order to defeat his brother, Mayadunne. He also allowed his daughter's son, Prince Dharmapala, to be baptized as a Catholic by the Portuguese. After Buvenekabahu had named Dharmapala as his heir, he was shot – supposedly by accident – by a Portuguese soldier. In 1565, the capital of Kotte was abandoned by
Dharmapala of Kotte Dharmapala or Dom João Dharmapala Peria Bandara (1541 – 27 May 1597) was last king of the Kingdom of Kotte, in present-day Sri Lanka, from 1551 until 27 May 1597. He is also known as Dom João Dharmapala, the first Christian king in Sri Lan ...
due to frequent attacks from the
Kingdom of Sitawaka The Kingdom of Sitawaka ( si, සීතාවක, ta, சீீீதாவாக்கை இராசதானி) was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the Kingdom of Kotte following the Spoilin ...
led by Mayadunne and his son Rajasinghe I; he was taken into Colombo under Portuguese protection. Most of the areas of Kotte Kingdom were annexed to the
Kingdom of Sitawaka The Kingdom of Sitawaka ( si, සීතාවක, ta, சீீீதாவாக்கை இராசதானி) was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the Kingdom of Kotte following the Spoilin ...
however after the downfall of
Sitawaka Avissawella, ( si, අවිස්සාවේල්ල, ta, அவிசாவளை) is a township in Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council, situated on the A4 route from Colombo to Ratnapura, Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, ap ...
in 1594, these areas were re-annexed to the Kotte kingdom. In 1597 Dharmapala gifted the Kotte Kingdom to the Portuguese throne and the Kotte era was officially ended.


Military

The military of the Kotte kingdom was closely associated with both its rise and demise. Poems written in this era give vivid accounts of the contemporary military. Before the arrival of the
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
, firearms had not been widely adopted but it is believed that firearms had been introduced to Sinhalese by Arab traders due to the similarity of the design of Sinhala firearms to Arab guns and the Portuguese expressing unfamiliarity with the designs of Sinhalese ordinance used by 1519. However, the use of heavy armour and firearms by Europeans would also result in locals rapidly adopting firearms. The military consisted of four main departments, namely *Æth –
elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
regiments *Aśwa – horse regiments *Riya – chariot regiments *Pābala – infantry regiments.


Notable commanders of Kotte army

In the final periods of the kingdom, the Portuguese were often in charge of the military. * Alagakkonara *
Parakramabahu VI of Kotte Parâkramabâhu VI (1410/1412/1415–1467) was a king in the Sri Lankan kingdom of Kotte. He is the last great king in Sri Lanka who managed to unite the island under one flag. His rule is famous for the political stability which he maintained i ...
* Manikka Taleivar * Bhuvanekabahu VI, known also as ''Sapumal Kumaraya'' or ''Chempaka Perumal''. *
Veediya Bandara Veediya Bandara (Sinhala: වීදිය බණ්ඩාර) was the commander-in-chief of the Kingdom of Kotte, Sri Lanka, during the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu VII of Kotte (1521–1551). He was a gifted warrior and widely regarded as one of the ...
* Prince of Ambulugala * Samarakone Rala


Significant military victories of Kingdom of Kotte

* Capture of Jaffna in 1450 * Capture of Vanni, making its chieftains tribute-paying subordinates * Successfully subsidising a rebellion in central hills started by Jothiya Situ. * Invading a port of the
Vijayanagar Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and ...
as retaliation to looting a ship belonging to Kotte, and making that port a tributary paying port of the kingdom.


Trade

The kingdom was situated near
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
, a very important port at the time. Moorish merchants from India and Arabia dominated the trade of the kingdom until the arrival of the Portuguese. The spice trade, e.g. in cinnamon,
cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...
,
black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...
, dominated the exports while
gemstones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, ...
also was a big export. After the conquest of Jaffna, Kotte possessed the
pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
trading which gave an enormous wealth to the kingdom. Portuguese who arrived there as traders were able to secure a trading deal with the kingdom on their first visit.


Literature

One of the greatest fields that flourished under his rule was literature and art since the king himself was very fond of them. Royal patronage 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 Thero * ven Waththawe * ven Weedagama Maithree


Notable art works of the era


Sandesha poems

* Kokila Sandesha * Paravi Sandesha * Gira Sandesha * Salalihini Sandesha * Hansa Sandesha * Nilakobo Sandesha


Poems and other anthology

* Lowada Sangarawa * Buduguna Alankaraya * Gutthila kaawya * Kawyashekaraya * Parakumba Siritha *
Saddharmarathnakaraya The ''Saddharmarathnakaraya'', pi, italic=yes, Saddhammarathnákara and si, සද්ධර්මරත්නාකරය is a historical ''Sinhala Buddhist'' religious text compendium and was compiled as an explanation to a pi, italic=yes, p� ...


Buddhist education institutions started in the era

These institutions paved way not only to the enhancement of Buddhist literature but also to the development of Ayurvedic medicine. * Padmawthi Piriwena, Karagala * Vijayaba Piriwena,Thotagamuwa * Sunethradevi Piriwena, Papiliyana * Siri Perakumba Pirivena, Ethul Kotte


Aryvedic medical books written in Kotte era

* Waidya Chinthamani * Yoga Rathnakaraya


Religion

Buddhism was the state religion for most of its existence. Parakramabahu VI built a shrine for the Sacred Tooth Relic near the royal palace. Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya was also enshrined by Parakramabahu VI to celebrate the Esala Perahara Pegent, in Honor of the Sacred Tooth relic. He also repaired
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara The Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara or Kelaniya Temple is a Buddhist temple in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. It is located north-east of Colombo. The current chief incumbent (chief priest) is Venerable Professor Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkhitha Thera. The ...
; which along with the Sri Perakumba Pirivena and Sunethra Devi Pirivena have become the most famous monasteries in the country. Hinduism was also given a foremost place in society. Most of the Buddhist temples entrusted shrines of Hindu gods
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
,
Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
(god Katahargama) and goddess Paththini, and God Gambara as the provincial god. Prince Sapumal (crowned Bhuvanekabahu VI) had built a shrine near the ancient bo tree of the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya as a vow to defeat Arya chakravarthi. Prince Sapumal is also credited for building or renovating the
Nallur Kandaswamy temple Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil ( ta, நல்லூர் கந்தசுவாமி கோவில் si, නල්ලුරුව ස්කන්ධ කුමාර කෝවිල) is a significant Hindu temple, located in Nallur, Northe ...
in
Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th mo ...
. The Portuguese converted much of the population into the
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
faith. The last king of Kotte, Don Juan Dharmapala, was one of two Catholic Sinhalese monarchs in Sri Lankan history (the other was Kusumasena Devi), though several other contemporary kings had also been temporarily Catholic.


Baththotamulla

Battaramulla Battaramulla is a suburb of Colombo, situated from the city centre at Colombo Fort, near the Parliament of Sri Lanka. It is one of the fastest developing administrative, commercial and residential areas in the Colombo District, being home to the ...
was a village that provided rice to the king's palace. The royal flower gardens were also located in this village in an area called Rajamalwatta.


See also

*
Kastane Kasthane is a short traditional ceremonial/decorative single-edged Sri Lankan sword. The sword is featured in the Flag of Sri Lanka Design Kastanes often have elaborate hilts, especially shaped and described as a rich mythical style inherited fr ...
*
Lascarins Lascarins ( si, ලස්කිරිඤ්ඤ, translit=laskiriñña'','' or Lascareen, Lascoreen and Lascarine) is a term used in Sri Lanka to identify indigenous soldiers who fought for the Portuguese during the Portuguese era (1505–1658) ...
*
Saddharmarathnakaraya The ''Saddharmarathnakaraya'', pi, italic=yes, Saddhammarathnákara and si, සද්ධර්මරත්නාකරය is a historical ''Sinhala Buddhist'' religious text compendium and was compiled as an explanation to a pi, italic=yes, p� ...
* Siege of Kotte (1557–1558) *
List of Sri Lankan monarchs The Sinhalese monarch -- anachronistically referred to as the Kings of Sri Lanka—featured the heads of state of the Sinhala Kingdoms, in what is today Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese monarchy originates in the settlement of North Indian Indo ...
*
History of Sri Lanka The history of Sri Lanka is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions, comprising the areas of South Asia, Southeast Asia and Indian Ocean. The early human remains found on the island of Sri ...


Notes


References


External links


හත්වැනි බුවනෙකබාහුගේ වටිනාපහ පුවරු ලිපිය (VII Buwanekabahu)


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotte, Kingdom Of 1597 disestablishments in Asia 16th-century disestablishments in Sri Lanka States and territories established in 1412 Former countries in South Asia Kingdoms of Sri Lanka 1412 establishments in Asia 15th-century establishments in Sri Lanka Transitional period of Sri Lanka Former kingdoms