The Kandyan Convention: A Treaty That Backfired

In 1815, the British and Kandyan chiefs signed the Kandyan Convention, a treaty that ended the kingdom of Kandy and set the stage for British rule over all of Ceylon. But the agreement, written in English and Sinhala, contained a crucial clause about Buddhism that the chiefs believed protected their faith — a clause the British never fully honored. This episode explores the treaty's promises, the chiefs' hopes, and the simmering resentments that erupted in the Uva Rebellion of 1817–1818, led by Keppetipola Disawe. We look at the roles of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Kandy, and the British governor Robert Brownrigg, and how the treaty's failure to respect traditional authority fueled a brutal crackdown that reshaped Sri Lankan society. A story of trust, betrayal, and the long shadow of a piece of paper.

#KandyanConvention #SriVikramaRajasinha #RobertBrownrigg #UvaRebellion #KeppetipolaDisawe #BritishCeylon #Kandy #HistoryOfSriLanka #SriLankanHistory #Colonialism #TreatyOf1815 #Buddhism #Sinhala #CeylonHistory #BritishEmpire #SouthAsia #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory

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