History - Page 2

Kingdom of Jaffna Came Under The Rule of the Kingdom of Kotte

From 1450 to 1467 the Kingdom of Jaffna came under the rule of the Kingdom of Kotte. Troops which came under the command of Sapumal Kumaraya (alias Champaka-Perumal) captured Jaffna. Sapumal Kumaraya was the adopted son of Parakrama Bahu (VI). Later Sapumal Kumaraya became King of Kotte under the name of King Bhuvanekabahu (VI), he ruled the Kingdom of Jaffna for 17 years from 1450 to 1467. (Adopted son of PARAKARAMA BAHU (VI) he was later known as BHUVANEKABAHU (VI) when he ruled the Kingdom of Kotte). He was born a Hindu, when he conquered Jaffna he destroyed the Murugan Temple at Kurukkal Vallavu. Later to win the confidence of the people of Jaffna he rebuilt Nallur Temple during the period of his rule. He also built Palaces and houses in Panadra Vallavu and Sangili Thoppu area. Don Juan Dharmapala (1551-1597) is a descendant of Sapumal Kumaraya. King Don Juan Darmapala signed off the throne of Kotte to the Portuguese. He died on the 27th May 1597 in Colombo, and after his death his remains were interred under the steps of the Kotahena Cathedral Church.

King Singai Arya Chakravarti Kanagasuriya Segarajasekaran fled to Tamil Nadu and came back with an army and re-captured the Kingdom of Jaffna and he reigned again from 1467 to 1478. King SINGAI ARYA CHAKRAVARTI KANAGASURIYA regained the Kingdom of Jaffna once more in 1467 under the throne name SEGARAJASEKARAN (VI). On resumption the monarch’s first resolve was to relieve his subject from ravages of the war. The city of Nallur was planned a new for restoration. Separate divisions were marked out to house priests, merchants artisans soldiers, etc. He ruled at Nallur as King with the epithet title of Segarajasekaran VI, during two periods. King Singai Arya Chakravarti Kanagasuriya was a brave monarch. During the early part of his rule, the relationship between him and Parakrama Bahu VI of Kotte became stained. The King of Kotte eventually sent an expedition against him, which was strongly resisted. A second attempt was then made. This time the monarch in order to save his subjects from the ravages of a protracted war, and also due to weakening support from his allies, prudently withdraw. Thus free from the burden of reigning, he embarked on a long pilgrimage with his family, fulfilling many vows. He took his two sons Prince Pararajasekaran and Prince Segarajasekaran to India and entrusted them to be trained in Royal Arts and Statecraft at Royal Court, Thirukovil. Having fulfilled all his vows, he visited his sons who had completed their full education had developed into handsome warrior Princes.

King Kanagasuriya, his Chief Queen bore him two sons, they were known only by the throne names as Pararajasekaran and as Segarajasekaran. When Pararajasekaran became the King of Jaffna, he and his brother abbreviated their hereditary titles of “Singai Aryan” to “Singai” and attached it as a prefix to their names, accordingly becoming know as Prince Singai Pararajasekaran and Prince Singai Segarajasekaran. After a few years, King Kanagasuriya handed over the administration of the Kingdom to his eldest son Singai Pararajasekaran and lived in retirement till his demise.

After King Kanagasuriya's death, his eldest son ascended the throne as SINGAI ARYA CHAKRAVARTI PARARAJASEKARAN (VI), he reigned from 1478 to 1519.

The First European Power in Ceylon

Meantime the first European power arrived in Ceylon. Dom Lourenco de Almeida was the first Portuguese to visit Ceylon on the 15th of November 1505. He was the son of Dom Francisco de Almeida the first Viceroy of India from 1505 to 1509. A memorial of his first landing was erected on a boulder overlooking the bay of Colombo. The Portuguese called it a "Padrao" and a cross above the Royal Arms of Portugal. It was in the customs premises until removed to the Golden Gardens at the side of Queens's House. This landmark is still seen and it is bearing the inexplicable date of 1505. A treaty was concluded with the King of Ceylon, then residing in the city of Kotte, about two hours by foot from Colombo. The island was divided in to three Kingdoms: Kotte the most important, Sitawaka Kandy in the mountains and Jaffna in the north. In 1518 the Viceroy Lopo Soares de Albergaria landed at Colombo with a large fleet. Here the Portuguese began to build a small fort named "Nossa Senhora das Virtudes" or "Santa Barbara". This first fort was triangular in shape surmounted by a central tower. Sinhalese soon besieged the fort, and around 1524 the Portuguese dismantled it. The Portuguese kept an agent on the island under the protection of the Sinhalese King at Kotte.

The King's brother Segarajasekaran was an eminent scholar of great repute. He invited men of learning and culture from India to hold discourses and conferences in the Court. The ancient Tamil Assembly of Poets. (Tamil Sangam) was revived. The King who was a scholar himself, encouraged learning and culture. It will be remembered that both the brothers had their early upbringing in India at Thirukovil. At that time Arasakesari, a nephew of King Singai Pararajasekaran, translated the great Sanskrit Classic “Ranguvamsam” into Tamil and presented the same to learned audiences at Tiruvarur. A Chronicle of Jaffna called the "Pararajasekaran Ula" was also written during this period.

The King Singai Pararajasekaran Arya Chakravarti had one Chief Queen and two Consort Queens. His Chief Queen was a Chola Princess named Raja Lakshmi Ammal, she bore him two sons, Crown Prince Singha Bahu and Prince Pandaram. By his second Consort Queen Valli Ammai, the daughter of Arasakesari, a lineal descendant of the celebrated Vellala family of Pandi Malavan, he had a son named Prince Paranirupasinghan, and four other children, a daughter was named Princess Maragathavalli and two more sons, names unknown. The third Consort Queen Mangalath Ammal from the Manava family, bore him one son and a daughter, the son was named Prince Sangili (I) and the daughter was called Princess Paravai.

Singai Pararajasekaran Arya Chakravarti, the most successful of the Kings of Jaffna, showed much valour in the defeat of Vijaya Bahu and his forces and displayed great skill in regaining the Kingdom of Jaffna for his father King Kanagasuriya. When he ascended the throne in 1478, his regime became the “Golden Era” of the Jaffna Kingdom. He was a pious King, he paid homage at every temple in his little Kingdom. He got the “Celebrated four Temples” around Nallur, the capital city, redecorated. He also built new Temples for the well being of his subjects. One of them found today is the well known “Pararajasekara Pillaiyar Temple” at Inuvil Jaffna.

An interesting event of the period was the visit by a seer “Supathida Munivar” to the Kings Court. He is said to have been a descendant of a long line of Minivars, from the sage Agasthiya Maha Munivar. At the time the Kingdom of Jaffna was at the zenith of its glory, and the Munivar foretold of the evil days that would soon befall the Kingdom of Jaffna. The verse that was found on the Temple stone of Konewaram, and which was seen by Captain General Constantine de Sa Noronha before its destruction in 1624 is also attributed to this great seer.

Crown Prince Singha Bahu, Prince Pandaram, Prince Paranirupasinghan and Prince Sangili were well educated and grew up to become able Princes. But the golden era sadly moved on to lamentable later years. The Crown Prince Singha Bahu was found poisoned. Prince Sangili Segarajasekaran was greatly suspected of having administed poison to his elder stepbrother. Soon after, when Prince Paranirupasinghan one of his elder step-brother was away in Kandy to treat a long standing ailment of the Queen of Kandy, Prince Pandaram the next in succession to Crown Prince Singha Bahu, was brutally murdered by Prince Sangili Segarajasekaran, with the aid of the army. Prince Sangili Segarajasekaran took over the throne in 1519. King Singai Pararajasekaran spent his later years as a humble individual. But to this date there is no records of the 1st and 2nd Crown Princes descendants.

In 1519 Prince Sangili ascended the throne of Jaffna adopting the royal name SINGAI ARYA CHAKRAVARTI SANGILI (I), he reigned from 1519 to 1565 under the throne name SEGARAJASEKARAN (VII). King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran, by his Chief Queen she bore him four sons they were Crown Prince Sangili alias Martyr, Prince Sangili alias Dom Joao, (Left to Goa) Prince Sangili alias Dom Luis (Left to Goa) and the fourth Crown Prince was given as a hostage to the Portuguese, he died in Goa in 1571. By one of his Concubines he had a son called Prince Puvi Raja Pandaram.

On his return to Jaffna Prince Paranirupasinghan had fruitlessly attempted to regain the throne as the rightful heir. The King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran, assured Prince Paranirupasinghan that he had taken over the Kingdom for Prince Paranirupasinghan sake and that he would rule it according to Prince Paranirupasinghan advice. On further stating that they need not fear any enemy if they shared the throne and ruled the Kingdom together, King Sangili Segarajasekaran offered to be the King only in name and let Prince Paranirupasinghan run the Kingdom as the minister. He had no choice but to function as a Co-Monarch with King Sangili Segarajasekaran. Prince Paranirupasinghan had a son named Prince Pararajasinghan he was appointed by Prince Paranirupasinghan as the chief of the Seven Villages. King Sankili Segarajasekaran also interfered with Prince Pararjaseinghan's administration of the Seven Villages. But King Sangili's verbal promises were short lived. He brought the officials and the military under his control, and stopped granting Prince Paranirupasinghan a portion of the Royal income, choosing to pay him instead the salary of a minister. Prince Paranirupasinghan's and Prince Pararajasinghan's the Royal titles and their Royal rights to the throne was ripped off by King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran and he bestowed on them the title of "Mudali", borne by the Vellalas of the North, and accordingly recorded their names as Paranirupasinghan Mudali and Pararajasinghan Mudali. King Sangili Segarajasekaran successfully managed to separate and isolate them from being royal heirs. After the gruesome killings at Mannar by King Sangili Segarajasekaran, an internal revolt broke out in the city of Nallur to remove King Sangili from power and enthrone Prince Paranirupasinghan the rightful heir to the throne. Meantime King Sangili captured and beheaded some of the Christians whom he suspected were members of the conspiracy. He also took steps to have Prince Paranirupasinghan arrested and subjected to similar brutality. Prince Paranirupasinghan in fear of King Sangili Segarajasekaran, escaped to Goa and sought help from the Portuguese. The Portuguese Viceroy received him warmly and promised to grant him all the help he could to capture the Kingdom of Jaffna. He was later accommodated in St Paul’s Church. He lived in the church until his death. Prince Paranirupasinghan embraced Christianity in the hope of regaining the throne of Jaffna, but finally he never got an opportunity to ascend the throne of the Kingdom of Jaffna. Prince Paranirupasinghan died after nine years of reign as a Co-Monarch. After his death, his son Prince Pararajasinghan was appointed the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Jaffna, by the Portuguese. He was well respected by the people and was held in high esteem. Prince Pararajasinghan had eight children. Seven sons and one daughter. When he became the Prime Minister, he distributed the Seven Villages to his sons. The Seven sons settled down in their respective villages and became the Administrative Officers (Mudali's) of the villages.

1).	Alaganmaivalla Mudali	Kallyankadu, Nallur
2).	Thanabalasingha Mudali	Mallagam
3).	Vetrivelayutha Mudali	Sandiliypay
4).	Vijayathevendra Mudali	Araly
5).	Thidaveerasingha Mudali	Achchuveli
6).	Chandrasekara Mudali	Udupiddy
7).	Rajaratna Mudali	Kachchai

His daughter Princess Vethavalli was granted the village in Mathagal and she married Thanabala Mudali (son of Rajendra Mudali).

The oldest son of King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran's converted to Christianity and when he was about to leave to Goa for his baptism the King his father had him treacherously murdered. He ordered his body to be burnt with much ceremony. During this time a miracle occurred and the earth quaked and a cross as large as a mast was seen in the heavens and the earth opened in form of a cross where he was burnt. He was from then known as the Prince Martyr. It is said to be known that the spot where the Prince Martyrs Holy remains where interred was somewhere near the site of the present Cathedral Church of Jaffna (Ermida da Cruz or Kurusu Kovil). The King's second and third son heir to the throne was escaped to Goa by the help of King Sangili's sister and they were converted into Catholic. After the baptism they were named Dom Joao and the younger one received the name Dom Luis. The Torredo Tombo of Lisbon contains an original letter from Prince Dom Joao written to the Queen of Portugal and the Infante, D.Enrique. It is dated from Goa, 15th October 1545. The letter had an appendix in which the Prince is asking for a number of favours as follows: "(1) To confer on me the titles of Prince of Ceylon and King of Jaffna. (2) To grant me jurisdiction over the Christians of Comorin. (3) To reserve for me the right of distributing the various offices and charges in my lands, independently of the Governor of India. (4) To grant to my brother Dom Luis the territories of defunct brother in as much as our father withdraws them from him or excludes him from this succession as a Christian. (5) In the event of my being disposed of by God, that Dom Luis may become my heir. (6) That the pearl fishers may pay me a levy. (7) That Master Diogu may come and reside in my states and that he may be made Bishop over all my dominions. (8) That Andre de Sousa may, throughout his lifetime, be Captain and Governor over my dominions." By 1560 Crown Prince Paranirupasinghan who had become a Christian as well as the Prince Dom Joao, and Prince Dom Luis were apparently died in Goa. King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran saw three of his sons of who the eldest suffered the martyrdom, his brother, his sister, two nephews and a daughter-in-law converted to the Catholic religion. According to the agreement that King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran made with the Portuguese that as hostage for the fulfilment of these articles he shall order to be delivered the Prince, his heir, and two Mudaliyars named Oriculnar and Eleagora who served as his secretary.

These terms written in the Portuguese and the Sinhalese language, were signed and authenticated and the Prince was handed over and sent in a ship with the Mudaliyar in good custody, in which more than 15 days were spent. The King continuing in his desire to liberate his son, sent one to visit Noronha and to offer him whatever he wanted. But the Viceroy put the Prince in fetters covered with velvet and entrusted him to Perolopes Rebelo, and told the Prince to think only of his salvation, for in that alone consisted the true Kingdom. The Bishop. D.Jorge, took on himself the task of converting him and thought at the commencement he showed great obstinacy, when he lost the hope he still had of  being reinstated, he became a convert to our Holy faith in which he died in Goa in the year 1571, after receiving favours from all the Viceroys who succeeded Dom Constantino de Braganca. The Viceroy did not consent to the peace, as it seemed to him that it was not right to leave Christians subject to tyrants, nor did he restore the Prince, because he was more warlike than his father, but contented himself with the recent demonstration of fear to effect the subjection better.

By now King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran  was growing unpopular. The wars of the Portuguese had upset the economy of the country. There was great discontent in the land. King Sangili’s only legitimate son had been given to the Portuguese as a hostage. But because the King of Jaffna took up arms against the new inhabitants favouring for the purpose the Badagas (meaning Northerners a name given by Portuguese writers to the Telugu people of the Kingdom of Vijayanagara) who were in his Kingdom by freeing them from the services imposed on the Natives, he again displeased his people to such an extent that remembering former tyrannies, in which he still continued, they dispossessed him of his Kingdom, driving him out of it with a concubine son by the name Puvi Raja Pandaram, to whom he had handed the Government. (1561 to 1565). Prince Puvi Raja Pandaram was born to one of his concubine wives. King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran is the most remembered of all the monarchs of the Kingdom of Jaffna. He aspired to be one of the Kings of Jaffna by murdering his elder stepbrothers, and he later killed his own son. King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran is regarded as a hero who fought the Portuguese till the very end, never allowing them to rule Northern Sri Lanka and there by protecting the Independence of the Kingdom of Jaffna. King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran was never captured nor condemned to die by the Portuguese, but remained undefeated as a valiant hero, and his death occurred in 1565.

Usurper the Throne of Jaffna

After the death of King Sangili (I) Segarajasekaran  there was a great political turmoil and uncertainty in the Kingdom, because there being no lawful heir to it one Kasi Nayanar took hold of the sceptre, which was contested by a relative of his with a better claim. He assumed the Kingship in the name of SINGAI ARYA CHAKRAVARTI KASI NAYANAR, he reigned from 1565 to 1570 under the throne name PARARAJASEKARAN. He had two sons, names unknown. King Kasi Nayanar was unpopular, and unable to maintain the Portuguese support due to his usurpation. Already in the time of the Portuguese Captain Jorge de Mello de Castro of Mannar, those of Jaffna had a great quarrel with their King, called Kasi Nayanar because the Kingdom did not belong to him, but to one of other kinsmen. In this dispute they made Captain Jorge de Mello de Castro arbitrator, and he having listened to their law and reasons, declared him an intruder and at the request of the people he put him in prison, and another was raised King, but King Kasi Nayanar, after Captain Jorge de Mello de Castro returned to Mannar, managed with those of his faction to kill the elected one, and taking him from prison they crowned him again. Captain Jorge de Mello de Castro was so incensed, that by gifts and promises he persuaded a bold Lascarin, a native of Jaffna to kill him. He did so with great courage and resolution, and escaped to Mannar by swimming. Captain Jorge de Mello de Castro being informed of the matter, hastened the Jaffna and with the approval of the people set up as Prince Periya Pillai, King of Jaffna in 1570.  

Prince Periya Pillai who assumed the throne in the name of SINGAI ARYA CHAKRAVARTI PERIYA PILLAI, he reigned from 1570 to 1582 under the throne name SEGARAJASEKARAN (VIII). There are no records to find about King Kasi Nayanar and King Periya Pillai’s parents were who. But it is highly likely that these two Kings can be Prince Paranirupasinghan’s brothers? King Singai Arya Chakravarti Periya Pillai Segarajasekaran, by his Chief Queen she bore him four sons and one daughter. They were Crown Prince Periya Pillai Gago, Prince Arasakesari Pandaram, Prince Ethirmanasingaham, Prince Peleleya Pandaram, and Princess Dona Maria.

Puvi Raja Pandaram a Prince of the Royal House of Jaffna, ousted King Periya Pillai and regained the Royal House of Jaffna, and he ascended the throne in 1582. The Portuguese authorities did not recognize the King, as they had no hand in his appointment. This King went under the nickname of "Rei Torto" (Portuguese for hunch back) and in Tamil "Kunan". As proud as his name which was Puvi Raja Pandaram, which means "King of Kings of earth," though he was only an ordinary Kinglet, deformed from birth, and for that reason called "the crooked King". 

King SINGAI ARYA CHAKRAVARTI PUVI RAJA PANDARAM, he reigned from 1582 to 1591 under the throne name PARARAJASEKARAN (VII). He had one Chief Queen and  a Consort  Queen, five sons and two daughters. One of the sons was named Prince Luku Kumaran. In an attempt to drive the Portuguese out of his Kingdom King Puvi Raja Pandaram prosecuted a war against the Portuguese but with out success. At daybreak on the 28th October 1591, feast of the Holy Apostles Simon and Jude, they all communicated at the mass of Father Friar Francisco do Orient, and as they were about to march, the father raised aloft a cross on which was painted a Crucifix and animating them all with the victory which Christ gained on it over the powers of Hell and with the protection and support of that tree of life, he said: ‘Know, Brothers and Gentlemen, that last night two of us here present, the Father Friar Duarte Chanoca and I, miserable sinner, heard an Image of Our lady say these words “Know Fathers, that if today you are happy and content under the protection of this cross which you are bearing and have ever borne all throughout the island of Ceylon and the Kingdom of Kandy, tomorrow you will have still greater reason to be so.” And as they all had a great esteem for these two Religious, they began their march happy and joyful trusting to the oracle and considering themselves already as victors. And when they came in sight of another and stronger stockade called Kasi Nayanar in which was the force of the enemy, the Wickremasingha (Bicarna Singa) who was in the advance guard (unfurling a green banner on which was painted the elephant of Raju with many men at arms, and he with a partisan in hand was making them turn back) gave Sant-Iago, and Andre Furtado who also had come up, said to encourage them: ‘Make your way, brave Cavaliers, for we have conquered the Kingdom.’ They flew amidst clouds of shot and arrows and bombs and missiles and though they met with great resistance under the eyes of Crown Prince Gago, elder brother of Prince Ethirmanasingaham Pararajasekaran Pandaram, they killed him in 1591, and the device of his banner and white shield which the King had given him as his much beloved son-in-law, and none of his company escaped, but fell by the sword or fire.

By ten o’clock on that day they marched towards Nallur and between the two Pagodas (meaning Indo-Portuguese this word is used in three different senses (I) a Temple as here (2) an idol (3) a coin which is called a pagoda because of the boor avatar of Vishnu figured on the coins) Veerakali Amman Temple and Kandasamy Temple, they found a large number of shield bearers and pikesmen of the King’s Atapattu sworn to die or repel our men.  They fought madly for a long while and with such resolution, that they seemed to court death; and there they all fell with the great Bragmane of the Pagode and a Yogi who animated them. The younger Prince Ethirmanasingaham, brother of the one killed in the stockade, cried out not to kill him, because he was the son of King Periya Pillai. Captain Simao Pinhao (is married to Dona Maria Pereira sister of Prince Nikapitiya Bandara) ran to his aid and placed himself in front of him at a time when his ears were already torn, being dragged for the ear-rings; and with two lance wounds, in the foot and in the belly, and as he fell headlong, Simao Pinhao placed one foot on him to defend him; This scene depicted in the sculptured slab now found in the basement of the Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devale, there is a Portuguese inscription which follows: "Com esta rendi esta, Ha 23 annos q (ve) ando na India, e ha 16 qve sirvo de Capitao e ao qve os peis vedes he orei de Jafanapatao. Eu Siman Pinhao o venc (i)" The translation of the above reads this: "With this (sword) I overcome this (man). It is 23 years that I am in India, and 16 that I serve as Captain, and he whom at the (my) feet you see is the King of Jaffnapatnam. I Simao Pinhao vanquished him". Which cost him not a little, for he received two wounds, on the face and on the hand.  The Captain major arrived and Captain Simao Pinhao raising him entrusted the Prince to him.  He gave him all honour, putting round his neck the chain he was wearing on his own neck and covering him with a grand cloak and a straw hat with long plumes which Diogo de Miranda Henriques was taking, and arming him with a sword wrought of silver belonging to Fernao de Melo Pereira. And without delay he went in search of the King, who tried to escape into a Pagode, but being led before Portuguese General Andre Furtado de Mendonca, the latter ordered a pike and planted there, where it remained for some days. He allowed the sacking of the Palace which was very rich, and there was fulfilled the oracle of the most Holy Virgin. King Puvi Raja Pandaram was beheaded by the Portuguese on the 28th October 1591, and on the same day his eldest son was also slain, by General Andre Furtado de Mendonca. All the family of the King were taken captive, the Queen his wife, already advanced in years, another Queen with five sons and two daughters, the wife of Prince Gago, daughter of the deceased King with two daughters, Prince Sangili  with a twin brother, the Prince mentioned above with another younger brother.  Seven Princes, sons of the past Kings, two of them sons of the King Kasi Nayinar, whom the crooked King killed, when Gorge de Melo de Castro was Captain of Mannar. (All those who have a right to the Crown are called Princes). King Puvi Raja Pandaram Pararajasekaran’s daughter was the wife of Prince Periya Pillai Gago who is the oldest brother of Prince Ethirimanasingham.

In the reign of King Puvi Raja Pandaram, Karalliyadde Bandara, King of Udarata ousted by King Rajasingha (I) took refuge along with his Queen in Trincomalee. While they were there they had an attack of small-pox and both succumbed to the disease. Before the ex-King died, he entrusted his daughter Dona Catherina  to his nephew Yamasingha Bandara and requested him to bring her up and take her as his wife. Yamasingha Bandara, after taking her to Jaffna, left her under the guardianship of King Puvi Raja Pandaram. Later she was sent to Mannar where she was under the protection of the Portuguese. (Maha Pata Bandige Kusumasena Devi was baptised as Dona Catherina and Yamasingha Bandara was baptised as Don Philip).

The new King assumed the throne as SINGAI ARYA CHAKRAVARTI PERIYA PILLAI ETHIRMANASINGHAM, he reigned from 1591 to 1615 under the throne name PARARAJASEKARAN (VIII). He was installed as King of Jaffna by the Portuguese, and the King was given Portuguese troops for his protection. He had one Chief Queen, and one Consort Queen. His first Queen was named Dona Clara de Silva, she bore him two daughters and one son, Princess Izabel, Princess Maria, and Prince Dom Constantino. By his second Consort Queen Dona Antonia Rapoza, she bore him one daughter named Dona Catherina de Sa de Rebelo (these names they received after baptism). The new King had a very difficult task in his hand to accomplished, because he pledged to favour the spread of Christianity in his Kingdom. He was to bear the full blast of the arrogant breed of officials, whose torturously insulting and patronizing behaviour, it appeared almost to the point of servility. The young King developed a dual personality, one pro-Portuguese and another anti- Portuguese. The Viceroy in Goa was not happy with the attitude adopted by the King and was to go in person to wrest the control of the Kingdom. And in the course of the year 1615 King Periya Pillai Ethirmanasingham fell seriously ill and understanding that he was going to die, he sent for Father Friar Pedro de Betancor. The Father who desired nothing better than to baptize him and assist him in his illness and death, went to him flying. But one of his nephews, Sangili Kumaran always prevented him entering with excuses, at one time that he was sleeping, at another that he was not in state to speak, and in spite of the greatest pains, Father never succeeded in having access to the King, who died without the baptism of water owing to the hostility of that tyrant, to the great regret of the Fathers and in general of the Portuguese and Christians. The first reference to King Periya Pillai Ethirmanasingham Pararajasekarans death in an official document is in the Viceroys letter dated 1st February 1618 to Lisbon, and this lends support to the death having occurred, if not in April 1617, at least certainly later then 1615.

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