King Senarat [1604–1635 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Vimaladharmasuriya I [1592–1604] -House of Dinaraja-	Senarat [1604-1635] -House of Dinaraja-	Rajasinghe II [1635-1687 CE] -House of Dinaraja-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

The history of the Kandyan Kingdom in the early seventeenth century is characterized by sustained resistance to the expanding Portuguese Empire. Central to this struggle was King Senarat (Senerat), who reigned from 1604 to 1635 CE. Moving from monastic life into the sphere of dynastic politics and military statecraft, he relied on strategic marriage alliances, calculated European diplomacy, and adaptive military tactics to preserve Kandy as the last independent Sinhala kingdom.

Origins and Early Monastic Life

Senarat was the son of Henarathhāmy, a gamarāla (village headman) from Matale. Although of provincial origin, he possessed a legitimate dynastic connection: he was the first cousin of King Vimaladharmasūriya I, his mother being the sister of the late king’s mother.

In his youth, he entered the Buddhist Order and became a monk, described in Portuguese accounts as a Ganez. This religious formation shaped his early reputation as a ruler of comparatively moderate disposition rather than a purely martial figure. Yet his monastic education endowed him with intellectual refinement and diplomatic acumen, qualities crucial in navigating the complex geopolitical environment of the seventeenth century.

The Succession Crisis and Rise to Power (1604)

The death of Vimaladharmasūriya I in 1604 created a volatile power vacuum. His direct heirs—his son Maha Astāne and two daughters—were infants. A succession dispute arose between Senarat and Mayadunne, the Prince of Uva.

To prevent internal conflict that might invite Portuguese intervention, the widowed Empress Dona Catherina (Kusumāsana Devi) initially assumed the regency. Senarat, however, eliminated his rival decisively. During a formal palace audience, as the two contenders exchanged gestures of courtesy over precedence, Senarat stabbed the Prince of Uva in the back, reportedly declaring, “Lie there thou false traitor.”

He then renounced his monastic vows and married Dona Catherina, whose lineage as daughter of King Karalliyadde Bandāra made her the sole legitimate heiress to the Kandyan throne. Through this marriage, Senarat secured matrilineal legitimacy and established himself as sovereign.

Portuguese Invasion of Kandy in 1611

In 1611, Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo launched a major invasion of Kandy as part of a strategy described as one of gradual strangulation, intended to exhaust the kingdom militarily and economically.

The expedition consisted of approximately 700 Portuguese troops, including reinforcements from Goa, and 6,000 lascarins (Sinhalese auxiliaries). They forced the strategic Balana Pass, regarded as the gateway to the Kandyan interior.

Faced with superior force, Senarat withdrew with the royal household into the mountain stronghold of Mahiyangana, taking the Sacred Tooth Relic for protection. The Portuguese entered an abandoned Kandy, plundering and burning its palaces and temples. Contemporary accounts note that the city never regained its former grandeur after this devastation. Unable to hold the rugged interior permanently, the Portuguese eventually withdrew, and hostilities subsided into negotiation.

The process culminated in the Treaty of 1617, by which the Portuguese formally recognized Senarat as King of Kandy. Under its terms, he acknowledged tributary status to the Portuguese Crown and agreed to an annual tribute of elephants (sources variously state two or three—while the Portuguese retained control over certain coastal districts.

Niapitiyé Bandāra: The Pretender

Internal unrest further tested Senarat’s political judgment. In 1616, a large-scale revolt erupted in the Seven Korales, led by a claimant asserting he was Nikapitiyé Bandāra, the former child ruler of Sītāvaka. Initially, Senarat supported the rebellion, dispatching 2,000 well-equipped troops to assist him.

When the pretender achieved substantial success and proclaimed descent from the Sītāvaka royal line, Senarat perceived the threat to his own authority. He abruptly recalled his forces and concluded a truce with the Portuguese. This shift directly contributed to the rebellion’s collapse and the execution of the claimant.

Foreign Diplomacy: The Dutch and the Danes

Recognizing that Kandy could not expel the Portuguese without naval support, Senarat sought alliances with their European rivals. In 1612, he received Marcellus de Boschouwer, envoy of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). A treaty granted the Dutch a monopoly over trade in cinnamon, gems, and pearls in exchange for military assistance. Boschouwer was elevated to the rank of Prince of Mingone (Negombo) and appointed principal military adviser.

In 1620, Senarat also negotiated with a Danish expedition under Ove Giedde. At Bintenna, he ceded Trincomalee to Denmark for the construction of a fort. This alliance proved short-lived, as Portuguese forces soon expelled the Danes from the coast.

The Battle of Randenivela (1630)

Renewed conflict in the late 1620s culminated in the decisive Battle of Randenivela in August 1630. The Portuguese Governor Constantine de Sá de Noronha launched a final large-scale invasion. Senarat withdrew strategically into Uva, while his sons—Kumārasinha, Vijayapāla, and Maha Astāne—assembled the Kandyan forces.

Exploiting the defection of low-country Sinhalese auxiliaries, the Kandyans surrounded and annihilated the Portuguese army. Constantine de Sá was killed, and tradition holds that his head was displayed upon a drum before the princes. The victory effectively extinguished Portuguese ambitions to conquer the interior.

The Eventual End and Succession

In 1628, anticipating succession disputes, Senarat divided the kingdom among his three sons by drawing lots before the Sacred Tooth Relic. Kumārasinha received Uva, Vijayapāla was granted Matale, and Maha Astāne, regarded as the most capable, received the core highland territories.

King Senarat died in 1635 (Saka 1557) at approximately fifty-eight years of age. Tradition remembers him as the “best captain, best king, and best man whom the Chingalas knew”—a learned and liberal ruler, compassionate toward the poor and resolute in defending his realm and faith. He was succeeded by Maha Astāne, who ascended the throne as Rājasinha II and would later complete the expulsion of the Portuguese with Dutch assistance.

Ancient Manuscripts Detailing the Sovereigns of Sri Lanka

Sovereigns of Sri Lanka are chronicled in several ancient manuscripts. These texts not only record the lineages of kings but also the significant events and developments of their reigns. Some of the most significant ancient sources are:

Dipavamsa: compiled between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, and the earliest known historical chronicle
Mahavamsa: Initially compiled by Mahanama Thero in the 5th or 6th century CE, this chronicle was later expanded upon by other authors who added additional chapters. Covers events up until the reign of King Mahasena of Anuradhapura
Culavamsa: Starts where the Mahavamsa stops and records the history of Sri Lankan rulers from the 4th century to 1815. Mahavamsa and Culavamsa are often seen as one extended chronicle, commonly referred to simply as the Mahavamsa.
Pujavaliya: Written by a monk in or around 1266 during the reign of King Panditha Parakrama Bahu of Dambadeniya Kingdom
Rajavaliya: A 17th-century historical chronicle of Sri Lanka, covering the history of the island from its beginnings up to the accession of King Vimaladharmasurya II in 1687.

References

Abeyasinghe, T. B. H. (1995). Portuguese rule in Kōṭṭe 1594-1638. In K. M. de Silva (Ed.), History of Ceylon: Volume II (pp. 123-143). University of Peradeniya.
Codrington, H. W., & Hocart, A. M. (1926). A Short History of Ceylon. Mac Millan and Co Limited.
De Queyroz, F. (1930). The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon: Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Account of Ceylon (S. G. Perera, Trans.; Vols. 3–3). (Original work published 1687)
De Silva, C. R. (1977). The rise and fall of the Kingdom of Sitawaka. The Ceylon Journal of Historical and Social Studies, 7(1), 1-43.
De Silva, K. M. (Ed.). (1995). History of Sri Lanka (Vols. 2–3). The University of Peradeniya.
Fonseka, P. (2010). The ancient city of Kōṭṭe and its fortification. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, 56, 57-117.
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part II–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya, a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
Ilangasinha, H. B. M. (1992). Buddhism in medieval Sri Lanka. Sri Satguru Publications.
Obeyesekere, D. (1911). Outlines of Ceylon history. Times of Ceylon.
Somaratna, G. P. V. (1969). Political history of the Kingdom of Kötte (c. A.D. 1400-1521) [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of London.
Valentijn, F. (1978). François Valentijn’s Description of Ceylon (S. Arasaratnam, Trans.). Hakluyt Society. (Original work published 1724)

Predecessor		Successor
Vimaladharmasuriya I [1592–1604] -House of Dinaraja-	Senarat [1604-1635] -House of Dinaraja-	Rajasinghe II [1635-1687 CE] -House of Dinaraja-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA