1. There spread another rumour to the effect that it was a Portuguese national who had been bribed to kill King Buwanekabahu of Kotte. The ministers who were fond of the king had been repeatedly advising him to be more concerned about his security. But the king did not take this advice very seriously. He went to reside in the palace at Kelaniya with the
intention of spending his days in retirement. There were even Portuguese
soldiers who were serving as his security officers. One day, the king was watching how these
soldiers were having their meals.
2. All of a sudden there came the sound of a gun shot. The king fell dead. This tragedy occurred in 1551 AD. The people of the country were greatly grieved over the death of their king. This king was, in every way, far better than his brother Mayadunne. King Buwanekabahu was kind and concerned about his subjects. He had a heart of gold. But he was no powerful ruler.
3. His period of rule was a weak one. He could not stick to one principle. It is not with any regard that he got friendly with the Portuguese. He only wanted their help when necessary. They helped the king in a number of instances. The king
pretended to be good to them but secretly opposed them. By and by, the Portuguese understood this crooked policy of the king and at times they did not help the king, when he sought their help.
4. Yet, the king did not get angry with the Portuguese. King Buwanekabahu miserably failed to understand how cunning his brother Mayadunne was. He got caught to his trap many a time and bore losses as well. In short, this King Buwanekabahu VII did not possess a strong character and as such took wrong decisions and acted
foolishly. Though the king did not realise it, most of his actions were to the detriment of his subjects.
5. King Buwanekabahu had many enemies. Most of them were his own kith and kin. It is the sheer good nature of his subjects, that helped him to carry on his rule. Though this king was
immature in his
dealings, he bore a majestic appearance. That was a great asset. His subjects loved him, for his majestic looks and they respected him. As a result, he was able to rule for a period of 30 years.
6. After the death of King Buwanekabahu,
trouble arose and unrest spread in the kingdom of Kotte. The ministers in Kotte made hasty
preparations to crown Prince Dharmapala as King of Kotte. The Portuguese officer in charge of the stores in Colombo, also agreed to this. He volunteered to help in the matter. Then came a letter from the Viceroy of Goa, to this
officer in charge of the stores.
7. That letter
contained the following instructions. "You go to
the palace of King Buwanekabahu and take charge of all the treasure in the palace of Kotte. Until I send you orders again, do not allow Prince Dharamapala to be made king." But the officer in charge of the stores did not respect the contents of this letter.
He participated in the coronation of Prince Dharmapala. When this news reached the ears of the Viceroy Noronno, in Goa, he flew into a rage. This viceroy was craving for the wealth of the king. So he immediately set sail to Colombo on the pretext of finding out more information about the death of King Buwanekabahu. He
promised to punish the
wrong-doers. Once he
landed in Colombo, he made a special trip to Kotte. |
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