Senarath
Thrisinhaladheeshwara [1]
Lankeshwara
Bhupathi
King of Kandy
Reign1604–1635
PredecessorVimaladharmasuriya I
SuccessorRajasinghe II
BornPeradeniya, Sri Lanka
Died1635
Sri Lanka
Burial
Royal Cremation Yard, Asgiri Temple, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Wives
IssueRajasinha II
Vijayapala
Kumarasinghe
FatherVirasundara Bandara
MotherConsort of Virasundara Bandara
ReligionTheravada Buddhism

Senarath Adahasin was king of the Kingdom of Kandy from 1604 to 1635. He is said to be the successor to king Wimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy. However first-hand accounts are not available concerning what happened after the death of Vimaladharmasuriya I. According to most sources, he is said to be a cousin or brother of Vimaladharmasuriya. He was not a legitimate ruler hence he married not only the deceased king's widow Dona Katherina but also her two daughters, to legitimize his claim to the throne.

He did not possess the qualities of a king and during his time Portuguese forces laid waste to Kandyan territory in frequent invasions, which he could not effectively repulse. Several rebellions rose against him during his reign to quell those he aligned with the Portuguese.[2] Many of his military campaigns failed except for the Battle of Randenivela, the success of which was however largely due to Prince Dewarajasinghe, his youngest son.

When the time came for him to divide his kingdom between his two stepsons & his biological son, he tricked the other two & made Rajasinghe II (his biological son) inherit the main part of his kingdom including Kandy. His two stepsons died shortly afterward - some say Senerath was responsible for this elimination of potential heirs. Rajasinghe II thus became the sole heir to his kingdom.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "chapter 1, Kandyan kingdom, page 15".
  2. ↑ Kandy Fights the Portuguese, C.Gaston Perera, Vijithayapa Publications,2007

Sources


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