1. Monis Baratto began to hate King Buwanekabahu. But he gained confidence and
satisfaction in King Mayadunne. They
dispersed happily.
The Portuguese envoys returned to the Fort in Colombo. Baretto went and met King Buwanekabahu. He complained that the King of Kandy caused harassment to them, only on the instructions of the King of Kotte. The king did not accept this allegation.
2. According to him, all that was fabricated by somebody and he
challenged Baratto, to prove them if possible. Baratto kept silent but the hatred he had towards King Buwanekabahu never subsided. Baratto returned to the Fort in Colombo.
He harboured a grudge against King Vickramabahu and planned to take revenge.
It is during this time, that the King of Kandy sent many valuable gifts to Kotte.
3. That was meant to be the dowry of his daughter, who was to enter into marriage with Prince Dharmapala. This news reached the ears of Baratto and he, with an army, stood on their way to waylay. When the
people from Kandy were coming with all the
valuable gifts, he attacked them. They retaliated, but the Portuguese were more powerful. The crowd that came from Kandy were defeated. These Portuguese snatched all the gifts that were brought from Kandy.
4. King Vikramabahu was immensely disturbed by this incident. All these gifts were meant to be his daughter's dowry. He sent an envoy to Colombo,
asking for his daughters' dowry to be returned. He met Baratto, explained matters and wanted the valuables back. Baratto flatly refused and said he would set it against the expenses he incurred on his visit to Kandy.
5. The envoy returned empty-handed. Baratto was making preparations to get back to India. When the King of Sitawaka heard this, he sent an envoy to meet Baratto. This envoy carried a
number of
letters to be handed to the Viceroy in Goa.
The king had requested Baratto, to make
arrangements for this envoy to meet the Viceroy.
6. King Mayadunne did all this to seek
assistance from the Portuguese, to win over the kingdom of Kandy. King Buwanekabahu got to know of this. He was extremely shaken. He immediately sent a
message through an envoy. This message was asking Baratto, not to take the envoy sent by Mayadunne to Goa. Baratto did not pay any attention to this
message.
7. If Baratto agreed to leave behind the envoy sent by Mayadunne, King Buwanekabahu was
prepared to pay a sum of a thousand 'pardads'. 'Pardads' was a unit of currency used during that period. Baratto somehow refused this offer too.
King Buwanekabahu was
greatly angered. He
prohibited the Portuguese from travelling across the country to come to Sitawaka. This made it
difficult for the Portuguese, to collect goods for their trade. The Portuguese in the Fort of Colombo got angry with the king.
8. By this time, Christian priests were also angry with the king. They were utterly disgusted because the king was secretly obstructing the spread of Christianity. The Portuguese commanders and the clergy got together. They kept Goa informed of the policy of the Sinhala king. When King Buwanekabahu got to know all this, he was
disturbed once more. |
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