Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Pearl of the Indian Ocean: Ceylon Lost to the Dutch
This episode dives into Portugal's two-century struggle for control of Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka), the 'Pearl of the Indian Ocean.' Lucas and Luna explore how a small Portuguese force first arrived in 1505, leveraging rivalries between the kingdoms of Kotte, Sitawaka, and Kandy. They delve into the rise of Rajasinha II, the Kandyan king who masterfully played the Portuguese against the Dutch VOC. The conversation covers key battles, the fortress of Colombo, and the 1656 Dutch siege that finally ended Portuguese rule. How did a tiny European nation hold onto Ceylon's…
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