Mullaitivu fort ( ta, முல்லைத்தீவுக் கோட்டை, translit=Mullaittīvuk Kōṭṭai; si, මූලදූව බලකොටුව ''Mūladūwa Balakotuwa'') was built by the Dutch in Mullaitivu,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. The original fort, a small wooden structure with

palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a fence or defensive wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks, and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymology ''Palisade' ...

s and earth, was erected in 1715. In 1721 the Dutch constructed a quadrangular fort on the site. The fort was initially erected to control the unauthorised commerce between the Chetties and the

Kingdom of Kandy The Kingdom of Kandy was a monarchy on the Sri Lanka, island of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in the late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century. Initially a client kingdom ...

, it subsequently formed part of a strategic defence of Dutch territory against the

Vannimai The Vanni chieftaincies or Vanni principalities was a region between Anuradhapura and Jaffna, but also extending to along the eastern coast to Panama and Yala, during the Transitional and Kandyan periods of Sri Lanka. The heavily forested land ...

. The fort was rebuilt by British during their occupation of the country in 1795. On 25 August 1803 the fort was captured and destroyed by forces led by

Pandara Vanniyan Pandara Vanniyan ( ta, பண்டார வன்னியன், Paṇṭāra Vaṉṉiyaṉ, si, වන්නි බණ්ඩාර, Vanni Baṇḍāra) was a Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to b ...

. The commander of the fort, Captain von Driberg, and his troops garrisoned at the fort managed to escape by boats to Jaffna. Pandara Vanniyan and his forces were subsequently defeated by Captain von Driberg and the British troops at Kachchilamadu on 31 October 1803.Now it is located into Mullaitivu Kacheri.

References

{{Forts in Sri Lanka British forts in Sri Lanka Buildings and structures in Mullaitivu Dutch forts in Sri Lanka Forts in Northern Province, Sri Lanka Archaeological protected monuments in Mullaitivu District