Rajasinha I: The Lion of Seethawaka vs the Portuguese

Before the Dutch and British, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to set foot on Sri Lanka. In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the untold story of Rajasinha I, the warrior king of the Seethawaka kingdom who mounted the fiercest resistance against Portuguese expansion in the 16th century. From his father Mayadunne's early defiance to the crushing 1562 Battle of Mulleriyawa, where Sinhalese forces routed the Portuguese, we explore a turning point that nearly expelled the colonizers. But Rajasinha's victory was short-lived—betrayal, political intrigue, and a controversial conversion to Hinduism by the rival Kotte king Dharmapala shifted the balance. Learn about the fortified city of Seethawaka, the role of cinnamon and elephant trade, and how Portuguese policies of religious conversion and coastal forts reshaped the island's destiny. This is a story of courage, cunning, and the high cost of resistance.

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