History - The Portuguese Period

 The Portuguese Period

The Portuguese arrived in the island of Sri Lanka fortuitously in 1505, when their fleet led by Lorenzo de Almeida, got blown in, by a storm. They landed in the port of Galle in the south of the island. On learning that the King resided in Kotte near Colombo, they proceeded to the port of Colombo, and then, inland to Kotte. They established contact with the King, Parakramabahu VIII, and got his permission to establish a small trading post in Colombo. Having left a few of his crew men in Colombo, Lorenzo proceeded to Goa from where his journey originated.

This was the first point of contact Sri Lanka has had with the Portuguese. Thereafter, they continued their relations with the country, and got involved militarily in its internal conflicts, when the Kotte kingdom broke into three territories on the assassination of King Vijayabahu by his three sons. Eventually, these conflicts led to the Portuguese control of the maritime provinces of the country, for nearly 150 years. During this period ,the country was visited by missionaries of various religious orders, especially Franciscans, Jesuits, and later the Jesuit trained Oratorians.

During the Portuguese rule of the island, people in the coastal areas converted to Catholicism, in large numbers. It is alleged that the populace was forced by threats and grant of privileges, to convert. However, some members of the ruling families and ordinary folk accepted Catholicism. Was their conversion genuine? It was displayed during the Dutch rule when the Catholics were persecuted, tortured and even put to death. Some went back to Buddhism, or Hinduism which move was ignored by the Dutch, but many remained steadfast to their faith enduring these times of immense suffering and untold fear.

This was when St Jose Vaz and Fr Jacome Gonsalves entered the scene.

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