Bhuvanaikabahu VII of Kotte facts for kids

Bhuvanaikabahu VII was a king who ruled the Kingdom of Kotte in Sri Lanka during the 1500s. He was born in 1468 and became king in 1521, ruling until his death in 1550.

He was the oldest son of King Vijayabahu VII. His brothers were Mayadunne of Sitawaka and Rayigam Bandara. When their father planned to give the throne to another son, Bhuvanaikabahu and his brothers left the kingdom. They later returned with an army from the King of Kandy.

Bhuvanaikabahu VII was later succeeded by his grandson, Dharmapala.

Becoming King of Kotte

After a conflict known as the Wijayaba Kollaya, the Kingdom of Kotte was divided in 1521. This happened after Mayadunne led an army against their father, King Vijayabahu VII.

The kingdom was split among Vijayabahu VII's three sons:

• Bhuvanaikabahu became King of Kotte as Bhuvanaikabahu VII.
• Sitawaka was given to Mayadunne.
• Rayigam was given to Rayigam Bandara.

However, things changed when their brother Rayigam Bandara died in 1538. Mayadunne took over Rayigam's kingdom. This made Mayadunne an enemy of his older brother, Bhuvanaikabahu. Bhuvanaikabahu was already suspicious of Mayadunne because of his role in their father's death.

During Bhuvanaikabahu's time as king, Mayadunne and his son Rajasinghe I often fought against the Portuguese. They wanted to remove the Portuguese from the island. They also tried to take over the Kingdom of Kotte from Bhuvanaikabahu. Because of this, King Bhuvanaikabahu VII often relied on the Portuguese for protection against his younger brother. He became very dependent on them and formed an alliance.

Meeting with Francis Xavier

Even though King Bhuvanaikabahu VII allied with the Portuguese, he disagreed with them on religion. In the mid-1500s, a missionary named Francis Xavier came to Sri Lanka. He was sent by King John III of Portugal to teach about Catholicism.

Francis Xavier met with King Bhuvanaikabahu VII to discuss converting to Catholicism. A writer named Fernão de Queiroz described their conversation. The king said he understood that the Christian religion was the true one. He felt that other religions had many errors. He knew that continuing his current path could lead to trouble.

The king also mentioned that his ancestors had followed other beliefs. But he saw that the religion of Buddum (Buddhism) had errors that didn't make sense. He believed that Christian repentance was the true way to deal with sins.

However, the king explained that he couldn't become a Christian right away. He feared that if his people suspected him of converting, it could ruin his kingdom. He asked Francis Xavier to help him get 100 soldiers from the Governor of India. These soldiers would protect him from his enemies. This would also help with the possibility of his people converting later.

Another person, Antonio Barreto, also tried to help Xavier convert Bhuvanaikabahu. But the Portuguese eventually gave up on trying to convert the king. They informed the monarchy in Portugal about this.

The King's Death

After the Portuguese stopped trying to convert Bhuvanaikabahu, plans were made to harm him. This was ordered by Viceroy Afonso de Noronha. As the king walked past a window in his palace, a gunman fired a musket. The bullet went through his head, and Bhuvanaikabahu fell.

Doctors tried to treat him, but he died three hours later. This happened on December 29, 1550. Some historical records suggest it might have been in 1551. Other books say that Bhuvanaikabahu was killed on the orders of his brother Mayadunne, who ruled in Sitawaka.

His Family

King Bhuvanaikabahu VII did not have any sons to take over the throne. He had one daughter named Samudra Devi with his queen. The king had arranged for her to marry Prince Jayo Bandara. However, Samudra Devi was in love with another prince named Vidiya Bandara. Vidiya Bandara killed Jayo Bandara and then married Samudra Devi.

Their son, Dharmapala, became the next king of Kotte after Bhuvanaikabahu. Dharmapala was also baptized as a Catholic. He took the Portuguese name João, which is John in English. Because of this, he was very cooperative with the Portuguese.

See also

• List of Sinhalese monarchs
• House of Siri Sanga Bo