16 වන සියවසේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ කොළඹ මුල්කරගත් යටත් විජිත විරෝධය - Colombo-Based Anti-Colonial Resistance in Sri Lanka in the16th Century

European influence on many countries in the world began with the start of the Age of Exploration in the 16th century.  The Portuguese, the first European nation to invade Sri Lanka, used both negotiations and warfare to consolidate their power along the coast. As a result, Sri Lanka became a Portuguese semi-colony. Considering the political and social structure of Sri Lanka in the 16th century, both the ruler and the common people had a tendency to wage war with invaders. The Sītavaka kings opposed the Portuguese expansionism. The Colombo area was a major battlefield. The ability to fight against foreigners, military skill, and the use of weapons were at a significantly advanced level. Although Rājasinghe was a powerful warrior, he failed to garner sufficient local and international support against the Portuguese. If Rājasinghe had received foreign military technology and support, and the support of local rulers, it would have been a more effective strategy to expel the Portuguese from Sri Lanka. King Rājasinghe, driven by an unbridled desire to eliminate the Portuguese from the country, launched a major military campaign that abandoned the need to wage war with the Portuguese, but was unable to achieve victory. Rājasinghe, who later abandoned the need to wage war with the Portuguese, confined himself to the Kingdom of Sītavaka. Rājasinghe's land battles were successful, but his two sieges of Colombo failed because he had no way of preventing naval aid sent to the Portuguese from Goa. The Portuguese naval strength and military power were the result of long-term experimentation and a scientific renaissance. By the 16th century, they had become accustomed to the use of artillery and gunpowder, and Sri Lankan warriors found it quite difficult to face the Portuguese in battle. Although Rājasinghe was a formidable warrior, he failed to garner sufficient local and international support against the Portuguese. If Rājasinghe had had the military technology and support of local rulers, it could have been the most effective strategy to drive the Portuguese out of Sri Lanka.