Hulftsdorp
Hulftsdorp Currently a neighbourhood in northern Colombo, historically it was a village where the VOC maintained the judicial and political offices responsible for all matters of the hinterland. Today, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court is located here. It was in Hulftsdorp that Francisco Fernando approached the Landraad about inheriting his mother’s land. Whether he succeeded, you can read […]
Galle (Province)
Galle (Province) The administrative district, also known as disāvany, governing the town of Galle and its directly surrounding hinterlands. After the Colombo district, the Galle province was the biggest territory under VOC (Dutch East India Company) control in Sri Lanka. People like Gimara, who used the VOC’s judicial apparatus to protect her inheritance: her household’s […]
Dedigamuwa
Dedigamuwa Small village 20 kilometres east from Colombo, historically sorted under the Hewagam Kōralē. By 1770 36 families made their home there, most of whom belonged to the Goyigama and Hakuru castes (the latter were known for the production of jaggery). Francisco Fernando was born and raised in this village, but later fled the town. […]
Colombo (Seminary)
Colombo (seminary) The Dutch wanted each Protestant school to have a well-educated schoolmaster, and therefore started Seminaries – advanced schools – near Jaffna and in Colombo. The seminary was located in the old Dutch town next to the fort, what is now the Pettah. The building has also been the residence of the Dutch governor. […]
Colombo (Fort)
Colombo (Fort) Little remains of the original Dutch fort in Colombo today, except for its name. Regardless, it functioned as the VOC’s headquarters in Sri Lanka and hosted a wide array of offices and housing. The fort itself was restricted to white people, non-whites only being allowed in when they had official business there. The […]
Colombo
Colombo Located in a natural harbour, today’s largest city of Sri Lanka has been an important port town for centuries. When nearby Kotte was conquered by the Portuguese, they made Colombo into their headquarters and they established a fort. After a violent takeover by the VOC in 1656, a new fort was built and over […]
Avissawella
Avissawella Formerly the capital of the Sitawaka kingdom. Due to Avissawella’s place on the junction between the low lands and the high lands it functioned as a border town during the colonial period, where the Portuguese and Dutch respectively maintained a fort. This border town saw many people cross into the Kandyan territories, amongst whom […]
Galle (city)
Galle (City) Like Colombo, Galle’s location in a natural harbour has attracted merchants throughout history. The narrow entry caused by local reefs made it also a strategically interesting location for a fortification. During colonial times Galle functioned as the main port through which cinnamon was exported, and to protect this route both the Portuguese and […]