Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 1

Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 132
Rajasiha’s Last Siege on Colombo (1587): (Queyroz)
“After capturing Kandy, Rajasiha came with another force to Colombo. This time 61,000 men
at arms, divided among 187 captains, and immense crowd of workmen, as he was now the
lord of almost the whole island, 10,000 firelocks, 1,600 field musketeers, (musket is a type of
gun), 120 war elephants, 2,080 pack aleas, 40,000 oxen to carry provisions, 150 pieces of
artillery, some of the caliber 30 and 44 ammunition, military stores for weapons of war. And
finally this force encamped within sight of Colombo on the 29 th May, 1587, in such good
order in that this matter the best Captain in the world could not have surpassed him. Let
Europeans know that these oriental people are not barbarians, except their religion”
Ref: Queyroz – (1617 –1680 AD) - Edited for brevity
Rajasiha’s Message to Portuguese:
During the siege, King Rajasiha sent a message to Portuguese. “Surrender or die”. Portuguese refused
to surrender. During this siege food was so scarce inside the Colombo fort, people start to eat dogs and
other animals.
“Colombo Fort driven by famine which had reduced them to eat horses, elephants, dogs,
rats, bats, snakes, floor of wild Palmyra and the contagion increasing with it, the people in a
body sought out the Lieutenant and in harsh words they proposed to him either surrender or
seek a remedy”
Ref: Queyroz – (1617 –1680 AD) - Edited for brevity
Ditch to Drain Water in the Lake: (Queyroz Account)
“After fortifying himself, Raju reopened the ditch which he had once dug, and dug another
fresh very deep and wide, 200 fathoms in length, where by he drained the whole lake and
was able easily to bring the approaches within four paces of the wall, and he was so well
entrenched with gabions, rubble, stakes, revetments, fortlets and trenches that our artillery
did little damage and approaching the bastion of S. Sebastio, he laid mines to it.
The batteries with large and small shot never ceased, but kept the praca in constant showers
of fire and they replied from the fortalice with equal fury, so that men could not see each
other owing to the smoke, or hear each other owing to the noise. Raju continued his
bombardments and alarms and our men their assaults from which they always returned
victorious and once with a war elephant. Thome de Souza, Captain major of the sea sailed
out with 120 soldiers in four foists burnt many laden vessels took captives and the Pagoda
(temple) of Dondra
Confident in the forces he led, Raju assaulted the city four times with all his might
approaching it with mantlets and applying ladders to the walls. On the 4 th of August, 1587 at
the drowsy watch they attacked with such great determination that they succeeded in
planting banners on the bastion of S. Miguel. Captain Jao Corea hurried with the men of his
guard and such was the firing on both sides, that the night became bright day, and our men
became the masters of the bastion with great loss to the enemy.