Buddhism And The Dutch

In complete contrast to the Portuguese Empire which was at the height of its power in the early 16th century, Sri Lanka was a country fragmented into three small rival kingdoms. Taking advantage of their discoveries in
navigation, marine technology and firearms, the Portuguese assembled the first global empire in history.
Already in control of parts of Africa, India and South America, the Portuguese arrived in 1505, landing at the port of Colombo. They were looking for opportunities to expand their spice trade to fulfill the huge and growing demand in Europe. The Portuguese also sought to convert to Christianity the people in the territories they conquered. Their motto was ‘God, Glory and Gold’. With the arrival of the Portuguese, Buddhism was to suffer more than four centuries of almost continual oppression by the European colonial powers,coming close to extinction more than once. This pressure was to last until the late 19th century when it made a huge and astonishing revival.The Portuguese promised Vira Parakramabahu military aid against his rivals, and also a share of the riches from the spice trade they proposed to establish. In return, he gave them permission to build a trading post in Colombo, which they quickly converted into a fortress. Other Portuguese settlements followed, and the coastal regions soon came under their control.Sri Lanka’s strategic location enabled them to protect their other territoriesin India and also to control the Indian Ocean. Therefore, they began to look towards extending their power, and a golden opportunity presenteditself to them within just a few decades.