වර්ෂ 1818 කන්ද උඩරට අරගලයේ මූලික සැලසුම පිළිබඳ මූලාශ්‍ර‍යාශ්‍රිත අධ්‍යයනයක් [A Source Related Study on the Preliminary Plan of the Upcountry Rebellion in 1818]

Sri Lankan history is marked by two major uprisings against British colonial rule: the Uva-Wellassa Rebellion of 1818 and the Matale Rebellion of 1848, of which the former was more formidable. After annexing the Kandyan Kingdom in 1815 without resistance, the British soon faced growing discontent among the local population. By 1816, Ihagama Rathanapala Thero, a Buddhist monk, devised a plan to expel the British from the highlands, though it failed after discovery by John D’Oyly. Two years later, widespread rebellion erupted in the Wellassa region.
The uprising stemmed from several causes: violations of the Kandyan Convention, erosion of traditional governance, British administrative corruption, the prophecy of an “invisible king,” and resentment over appointing Muslims to key posts.
A group of monks from Satkorala, while on pilgrimage to Kataragama, ignited the movement. Among them, Wilbawe Unnanse disrobed and assumed the royal title Sri Wickrama Sarva Siddhi, joining leaders such as Butawawe Rala and Kohukumbure Rala. The first major assault was the assassination of Hajji Marikkar, the British-appointed Muhandiram of Uva. Under leaders like Keppetipola Disawe, the revolt spread across the Kandyan provinces.
Although suppressed by November 1819, the rebellion underscored the Buddhist clergy’s central role in mobilizing resistance. Their leadership linked religious authority with nationalist sentiment, marking a crucial phase in Sri Lanka’s early anti-colonial struggle.