The Dutch Cinnamon War and the Fall of Kandy

We trace the explosive Dutch Cinnamon War of 1638, when Frederik de With arrived in Galle with a fleet designed to break the Portuguese monopoly on the world’s most valuable spice. The episode explores how the Kandyan King Rajasinghe II, desperate to expel the Portuguese from his coast, entered into a fragile alliance with the VOC that ultimately betrayed his kingdom’s sovereignty. We examine the strategic importance of cinnamon, the tactical brilliance of the Dutch naval blockade, and the cultural shockwaves that rippled through the island as European powers vied for control over the island’s economic heart. Listen as we unpack the betrayal at the core of colonial diplomacy, the rise of the Salagama cinnamon gatherers, and the long shadow cast by this conflict on Sri Lanka’s future.

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