Taken From a piece by JANAKA PERERA & L. Devaraj
I have attached (see below ) authoritative information that definitely ought to clear anyone’s doubts on Konappu Bandara’s unique contribution to the preservation of Sri Lanka’s national, cultural and religious heritage. It is the condensation of a recorded lecture on the Kotte and Kandyan Kingdoms delivered by Dr. Lorna Devaraja, Historian and Director, Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute, about a year ago.
Sri Lanka’s History is an important part of the BIDTI training course that is conducted annually at the BMICH, Colombo. I have titled the condensed lecture, `Victory at Danture.’
She highlights Konappu Bandara’s role in her narrative of the first Portuguese attempt to seize the hill country, where they installed on the Kandyan throne Don Philip Yamasinghe Bandara, nephew of ex-Kandyan King Karaliadde Bandara. Since Dr. Devaraja’s entire lecture on the Portuguese period cannot be included here, I have explained in italics (within brackets) the background of some events for the reader’s benefit and marked in bold the significant paragraphs of her lecture.
Victory at Danture
by Dr. Lorna Devaraja, Historian
and Director, Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute,
“This Portuguese Army was commanded by a Sinhala man called Konappu Bandara. He was a Kandyan Chieftain’s son who had fled to the Portuguese (to escape from Rajasinghe I). He was baptized as Don Juan Konappu Bandara, sent to Goa for training, he, lived in Goa. The Portuguese knew that he could be a useful person to have with them. He knew all the war tactics of the Sinhalese, and especially the Kandyans and he also had learned all the Portuguese tactics in Goa. It is said that he married a Portuguese orphan in Goa and that he also got a son by her. He spoke very fluent Portuguese and had learnt much else about them.”
“He led the army for the purpose of placing Yamasingha Bandara on the throne. But, after being placed on the throne, he died. Then the commander, Don Juan Konappu Bandara turned against the Portuguese, destroyed their Army and placed himself on the throne as Wimaladharmasuriya the First. That was in 1592.”
“They (the Portuguese) hated this upstart Wimaladharmasuriya the First because this was a man of their creation: their man. They trained him in all aspects of warfare and to see that he had turned against them at this very crucial moment was most unpleasant turn of events for them. After that the Jesuit historian De Queyroz always referred to him as “the Traitor”. But for the Sinhala people he was a great savior, as you can imagine, because he changed sides and saved the Sinhalese from dire straits. So, in 1592 Wimaladharmasuriya was on the Kandyan Throne.”
“(After the death of Rajasinghe the First) the Portuguese easily annexed the Sitawaka territory also. In (Don Juan) Dharmapala’s name they captured all the lands that once belonged to Kotte and reached the pre-1521 territorial limits. The Kingdom of Kotte prior to 1521 was now in Portuguese hands in the name of Dharmapala. All the provinces, except the Kandyan Kingdom of Wimaladharmasuriya the First, had gone under Portuguese rule. A few years later, Jaffna too, came under Portuguese conquest.”
“Kandy, the last remnant of Sinhala political power, emerged as the custodian of Sinhala nationalism and Buddhism. The rest of the country was under Portuguese rule – under a Catholic government. Only Kandy was left to take the brunt of all the foreign invasions. From 1594 (when Portuguese troops under Lopez De Souza made an unsuccessful second attempt to capture the hill capital after enthroning Dona Catherina) up to 1815, Kandy alone faced the brunt of three European powers the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Kandy survived for two and a half-centuries and survived with dignity maintaining its own independence.”
“The battle of Danture (in which Vimaladharma annihilated Lopez De Souza’s troops) was one of the most decisive battles in Sri Lankan history. If Kandy had fallen into Portuguese hands in 1594, the whole of Sri Lanka would have been a Portuguese possession at least untill 1815 when the British took over. All traces of Sinhala civilization would have been lost. There is no doubt about that.. Because wherever the Portuguese went they completely exterminated all indigenous cultures and indigenous religions. If that had happened here we would have then become neutered, as is now the case in the Philippines. If we had three or four hundred years of Portuguese or Christian rule all traces of indigenous culture would have been wiped out.”
“The victory of Danture extended Sinhala independence for another two and a half centuries, until the British took full possession and power in 1815. You will notice that all that remains of Sinhala art, architecture, dance, drama or lyrics is what had been preserved in Kandy. We don’t have Anuradhapura dancing, Kotte dancing or Polonnaruwa dancing. We don’t even have any architectural remains of Kotte or Sitawaka. It is only what has been preserved by the Kandyan Kings that has been left and is alive and vigorous today. We don’t anything called Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa music. But we have Kandyan music, we have Kandyan drumming.”
“So victory at Danture preserved all this for the future”.
____________________________________________________
Anyone who wants further clarification may contact Dr. Devaraja at BIDTI on 2682110. She does not have an e-mail address at her office
2 – VICTORY AT DANTURE
From: JANAKA PERERA <[email protected]>
I have attached ( see below ) authoritative information that definitely ought to clear anyone’s doubts on Konappu Bandara’s unique contribution to the preservation of Sri Lanka’s national, cultural and religious heritage. It is the condensation of a recorded lecture on the Kotte and Kandyan Kingdoms delivered by Dr.Lorna Devaraja, Historian and Director, Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute, about a year ago. Sri Lanka’s History is an important part of the BIDTI training course that is conducted annually at the BMICH, Colombo. I have titled the condensed lecture, `Victory at Danture.’
She highlights KB’s role in her narrative of the first Portuguese attempt to seize the hill country, where they installed on the Kandyan throne Don Philip Yamasinghe Bandara, nephew of ex-Kandyan King Karaliadde Bandara. Since Dr. Devaraja’s entire lecture on the Portuguese period cannot be included here, I have explained in italics (within brackets) the background of some events for the reader’s benefit and marked in bold the significant paragraphs of her lecture.
Victory at Danture
“This Portuguese Army was commanded by a Sinhala man called Konappu Bandara. He was a Kandyan Chieftain’s son who had fled to the Portuguese (to escape from Rajasinghe I). He was baptized as Don Juan Konappu Bandara, sent to Goa for training, he, lived in Goa. The Portuguese knew that he could be a useful person to have with them. He knew all the war tactics of the Sinhalese the Kandyans and he also learned all the Portuguese tactics in Goa. It is said that he married a Portuguese orphan in Goa and that he also got a son by her. He spoke very fluent Portuguese and learnt everything else about them.”
“He led the army to place Yamasingha Bandara on the throne. When he died after being placed on the throne, the commander, Don Juan Konappu Bandara turned against the Portuguese, destroyed their Army and placed himself on the throne as Wimaladharmasuriya the First. That was in 1592.”
“They (the Portuguese) hated Wimaladharmasuriya.the First because this was their creature; their man. They trained him in everything. And to see that he had turned against them at this very crucial moment was something that they could not bear. The Jesuit historian De Queyroz always refers to him as “the traitor. To the Sinhala people you can imagine he was a great savior, because he saved the day. In 1592 Wimaladharmasuriya was on the Kandyan Throne.”
“(After the death of Rajasinghe the First) the Portuguese easily annexed the Sitawaka territory also. In (Don Juan) Dharmapala’s name they captured all the lands that once belonged to Kotte and reached the pre-1521 territorial limits. The Kingdom of Kotte prior to 1521 was now in Portuguese hands in the name of Dharmapala. All the provinces, except the Kandyan Kingdom of Wimaladharmasuriya the First , had gone under Portuguese rule. A few years later, Jaffna too, came under Portuguese conquest.”
“Kandy the last remnant of Sinhala political power emerged as the custodian of Sinhala nationalism and Buddhism. The rest of the country was under Portuguese rule – under a Catholic government. Only Kandy was left to take the brunt of all the foreign invasions. From 1594 (when Portuguese troops under Lopez De Souza made an unsuccessful second attempt to capture the hill capital after enthroning Dona Catherina) up to 1815, Kandy alone faced the brunt of three European powers the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Kandy survived for two and a half-centuries and survived with dignity maintaining its own independence.”
“The battle of Danture (in which Vimaladharma annihilated Lopez De Souza’s troops) was one of the most decisive battles in Sri Lankan history. If Kandy had fallen into Portuguese hands in 1594, the whole of Sri Lanka would have been a Portuguese possession at least till 1815 when the British took over. All traces of Sinhala civilization would have been lost. There is no doubt about that.. Because wherever the Portuguese went they completely exterminated all indigenous cultures and indigenous religions. And we would have then been like the Philippines if we had three or four hundred years of Portuguese rule, with all traces of indigenous culture wiped out.”
“The victory of Danture extended Sinhala independence for another two and a half centuries, till the British took over in 1815. You will notice that if anything is preserved as Sinhala art, architecture, dance, drama or lyrics is what had been preserved in Kandy. We don’t have Anuradhapura dancing, Kotte dancing or Polonnaruwa dancing. We don’t even have any architectural remains of Kotte or Sitawaka. It us only what has been preserved by the Kandyan Kings that has been left and is alive and vigorous today. We don’t anything called Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa music. But we have Kandyan music, we have Kandyan drumming.”
“So victory at Danture preserved all this for the future”.
______________________________________________________________
Anyone who wants further clarification may contact Dr.Devaraja at BIDTI on 2682110. She does not have an e-mail address at her office
Resubmited by R.O.S