Crisis of the Sixteenth Century

Part of a series on the
History of Sri Lanka
Chronicles
Dipavamsa Mahavamsa Cūḷavaṃsa Rajavaliya Pujavaliya
Periods
Prehistory Pre Anuradhapura Indo-Aryan settlement 543–377 BC Anuradhapura Fall of Anuradhapura 377 BC–1017 Polonnaruwa Sinhalese Resistance Invasion of Kalinga Magha 1017–1232 Transitional Vijayabā Kollaya Crisis of the Sixteenth Century 1232–1597 Kandy Kandyan Wars 1597–1815 British Ceylon Buddhist revival World War II Independence 1815–1948 Sri Lanka Dominion Republic 1948–present
By Topic
Agriculture Armed Forces Army Air Force Navy Economy Education Geography Politics Tamil immigration World Heritage Sites
Sri Lanka portal Bibliography Glossary Timeline
v t e

The Crisis of the Sixteenth Century was the later part of the Transitional period of Sri Lanka, that began with the decline of the Kingdom of Kotte, with the Vijayabā Kollaya (the spoiling of Vijayabahu) in 1521, culminated in the collapse of the Kingdom of Sitawaka, and with Portuguese dominance of Sri Lankan coasts, if not control by 1597, over two of three kingdoms that had existed at the start of the century.^[1] The Kingdom of Kandy was the only independent Sinhalese kingdom to survive.^[2] The period was characterised by the fragmentation of the Sinhalese polity, intervention of foreign forces and constant military conflict.

Overview

Periodization of Sri Lanka history:

See also

• Crisis of the Third Century – a similar period in Roman history
• Sengoku period – a similar period in Japanese history
• Warring States period – a similar period in Chinese history

References

Citations

Bibliography