Fort Pyl & Fort Beschutter of Jaffna

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A plan of the Pas Pyl Fort in Jaffna, Sri Lanka drawn in 1693 - From the National Archives of Netherlands — A plan of the Pas Pyl Fort in Jaffna, Sri Lanka drawn in 1693 – From the National Archives of Netherlands

On the southern edge of the Jaffna peninsula, three forts were linearly situated across the neck of the narrow peninsula. Elephant Pass was the southernmost fortification out of these forts.

Three miles northeast of Elephant Pass in the general area of Iyakachchi was situated the second fortification called Pas Beschutter built by the Dutch near the village of Koyilvayal. Further to the northeast from this point was the third Dutch fortification named Pas Pyl.

The three Dutch forts—Pas Elephant, Pas Beschutter, and Pas Pyl—strategically positioned along the neck of the Jaffna Peninsula, served as defensive barriers against invasions by the Vanniya Chieftains, who controlled the North Central regions beyond Dutch authority. These forts also played a crucial role in regulating the movement of goods in and out of the peninsula (Brohier, 1942).

In 1697 it was reported that Fort Pas Pyl, Pas Beschutter, and Pas Elephant together had 11 Europeans, 3 Mesties (a name used by the Dutch for people with ¾^th European blood and ¼^th black blood), and 45 Toepasses totalling a strength of 59 who were under the payroll of Dutch East India Company. The purpose of the above three forts was to protect the commercial interests of the Dutch East India Company in the Peninsula from attacks originating in the Wanni mainland and the Sinhalese. These forts were also to prevent persons passing in or out without a passport, or goods being taken in or out without a license, as also to prevent the theft of slaves and the incursions of elephants and other wild animals into the Provinces.

However, the author comments that since these 3 forts are stretched along a 2-mile neck of the Jaffna peninsula, there are incursions and people pass through the gaps unnoticed to the militia. Discussions had been made to connect these 3 forts through trenches, a hedge of palmyra trees, a fence of thorns, or a wall. However, the Dutch Company felt that this is advantageous to the inhabitants of the peninsula therefore the people should spend for the enhancement, but this was never built.

Fort Pyl

Fort Pyl was situated on the eastern corner of the sand belt which connected Jaffna to the mainland. The fort was built using coral stones and was square with two bastions in two opposite directions similar to the fort at Elephant Pass. According to François Valentijn, the fort was named as such in honour of Lorenzo Van Pyl, Governor of Jaffna in 1679. The fort had no rampart running around the structure. Instead, the internal buildings were standing directly against the rear of the main rampart. The bastions were accessible by stairs.

Lewis (1916) reports that this fort was pulled down many years ago and its material was used to build an oblique to serve as a beacon for the mariners.

Although it was believed that nothing remains of this fort due to the decay near the sea and the terrorist war which spanned almost 30 years, a few ruins of this structure and an old well discovered on the sandy and thorny beach are now believed to be the ruins of this fort.

An archaeological study done on this area in the 1980s has discovered this area to be an ancient settlement site of Jaffna. Pottery has been discovered in an area of about 10 acres and these have been dated to the dawn of the Christian era to the early British era. The fort was constructed at an earlier archaeological site.

Ruins found today belong to Fort Pyl - පයිල් බලකොටුවේ අද ඉතිරි වී ඇති නටබුන්

Fort Beschutter

Fort Beschutter stood on the old road from Jaffna to Mulativu near the village of Koyilvayal. It was similar in shape to Fort Pyl and Fort at Elephantpass and designed with 2 bastions in opposite directions. There had been a partial rampart walk on this fort.

Lewis (1916) reports that when he visited this site in 1904, the fort as well as the rest house built in the centre of the fort it was completely in ruins. He writes;

All that remains of the fort is a portion of two bastions at opposite angles, each with a vaulted chamber. They appear to have been blasted, The floor and foundations of the Rest-house show that at one time it was a large building, and was afterwards reduced in size. The verandah pillars were still standing. The Rest-house was dismantled a good many years before I saw it. In the time of Mr. Dyke, this part of the peninsula Mullipattu-was of greater importance than it has been for many years, now that it is out of the beaten path and at the back of beyond. What it chiefly wants is roads.

Some ruins believed to be from this fort have been discovered after the defeat of the LTTE terrorists. An arched store room, possibly a gunpowder storage and some parts of a wall have been preserved at this site.

The ruins of Fort Beschutter lie 4 km off Kandy – Jaffna road or 4 km from Elephant Pass.

Remains of Fort Pas Beschutter in Jaffna Peninsula

References

Brohier, R. L. (1942). Ceylon in Maps. Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon, vol 32(2), 79–89.
Jayasena, R., and Floore, P. (2010). Dutch Forts Of Seventeenth Century Ceylon And Mauritius: An Historical Archaeological Perspective. In First Forts, Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. Available From: Brill https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004187542.i-278.91 [Accessed 18 April 2021]
Lewis, J. P. (1916). Some Notes on Archaeological Matters in the Northern Province. The Ceylon Antiquary and Literary Register, II Part II : (1916), 94–99.
Nelson, W. A. (1984). The Dutch forts of Sri Lanka: The military monuments of Ceylon. Canongate Publishing Limited.
Pieters, S., 1911. Memoir of Hendrick Zwaardecroon, Commandeur of Jaffnapatam (afterwards Governor-General of Nederlands India) 1697. For the guidance of the council ot Jaffnapatam, during his absence at the coast of Malabar (translation to English). 1st ed. Colombo: H. C. Cottle, Government Printer.
Ragupathy, P., 1987. Early settlements in Jaffna: An Archaeological Survey. 1st ed. Madras: Sudarsan Graphics.
Tennent, J., 1860. Ceylon: An Account of the Island – Physical, Historical, and Topographical with Notes of its Natural History, Antiquities, and Productions. 4th ed. London: LONGMAN, GTIEEN, LONGMAN, AND ROBERTS.

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