Invasion of Ceylon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Invasion of Ceylon
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Dutch Ceylon, 1789
Date 21 July 1795 – 15 February 1796 Location Dutch colonies on Ceylon Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	Batavian Republic
Commanders and leaders
Peter Rainier James Stuart	Johan van Angelbeek
Casualties and losses
16 killed, 60 wounded, HMS Diomede wrecked	The island, entire garrison and large quantities of military equipment captured.

The Invasion of Ceylon was a military campaign. It happened between 1795 and 1796. British forces from British India invaded the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). At the time, Ceylon was controlled by the Batavian Republic.

Before this, the Dutch Republic was an ally of Britain. They fought together in the French Revolutionary Wars. But in 1794, France took over the Dutch Republic. France then created a new state called the Batavian Republic. This new state was controlled by France.

The British government decided to take over Dutch colonies. They worked with William of Orange, the Dutch leader living in exile. Ceylon was one of the first places they attacked. They first aimed for the port of Trincomalee.

Lord Hobart, the Governor of Madras, led the British effort. Colonel James Stuart commanded the land forces. Rear-Admiral Peter Rainier led the navy. Stuart asked the Dutch governor, Johan van Angelbeek, to surrender peacefully. Many trading posts were taken without a fight. However, the Dutch resisted at Trincomalee in August 1795. They also fought briefly at Colombo in February 1796. After short sieges, the British took control of the Dutch colony. Ceylon then became part of the British Empire for 153 years.

Why the Invasion Happened

In 1793, Great Britain and the Dutch Republic were at war with France. This was part of the French Revolutionary Wars. French forces took over the Dutch Republic in 1794. They changed it into the Batavian Republic, which was controlled by France.

Britain had not officially declared war on the Batavian Republic yet. But on January 19, 1795, Britain ordered that Dutch ships be seized. They also planned to take over Dutch colonies. This was to stop France from using them. These orders led to war between Britain and the Batavian Republic on February 9.

News of this war took months to reach the East Indies. British and French navies were already fighting there. They wanted control of the Indian Ocean trade routes. British forces mostly operated from Madras and Calcutta in India. The French used their island bases, Île de France (now Mauritius) and Réunion.

Most British naval forces were free to fight the Dutch. This was because the French fleet was blocked at Port Louis. The Dutch did not control all of Ceylon. Most of the island was ruled by the Kingdom of Kandy. European settlements were mainly on the coast. Important ports included Colombo on the west and Trincomalee on the east. Trincomalee was key because ships based there could attack British trade routes. However, it had limited food and a small army.

Planning the Attack

When Lord Hobart heard about the war, he planned the invasion of Ceylon. He worked with Rear-Admiral Rainier. Colonel James Stuart led the ground troops. His force had about 2,700 soldiers. These included British and Indian troops.

Rainier's naval force included two large warships. They sailed from Madras on July 21. More ships joined them later. These ships carried troops and supplies.

Stuart and Rainier hoped the Dutch governor, Johan van Angelbeek, would surrender peacefully. They even used letters from William of Orange. These letters asked the Dutch to cooperate with the British. Major Agnew went to Colombo to talk. He convinced van Angelbeek to let 300 British troops land at Fort Oostenberg. This fort overlooked Trincomalee.

However, the commander of Trincomalee's defenses refused. He said the instructions were not clear. For two days, the British tried to convince him. During this time, a British ship, HMS Diomede, hit an underwater rock. It sank in Trincomalee harbor. All the crew were saved. But many military supplies were lost.

The Invasion Begins

Taking Trincomalee

On August 3, talks failed. Rainier and Stuart ordered the invasion to start. Troops landed about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Trincomalee. They faced no resistance. The landing was slow due to strong waves and winds. It took until August 13 to finish. The British began setting up their cannons on August 18. The Dutch army did nothing to stop them.

After five days, the British had their cannons ready. They began firing heavily. By the next day, they had made a large hole in Trincomalee's walls. The British prepared to attack. They sent a message to the fort's commander, demanding he surrender.

After some talks and more firing, the Dutch commander gave up. The British captured 679 Dutch soldiers. They also seized over 100 cannons. The British lost 16 soldiers killed and 60 wounded.

After Trincomalee fell, Fort Oostenberg was asked to surrender. Four days later, on August 27, its commander also gave up. With this resistance broken, other Dutch trading posts surrendered quickly.

• Batticaloa surrendered on September 18.
• Jaffna surrendered to Stuart on September 27.
• Mullaitivu surrendered on October 1.
• Mannar surrendered on October 5.

The Fall of Colombo

In September, Rainier took most of his ships east. He went to fight in Batavia. Captain Alan Gardner stayed to block Colombo. Colombo was the last Dutch area on the island. In January 1796, Sir George Keith Elphinstone took command of British forces in the East Indies. He sent more warships to help Gardner.

In February, the final attack on Ceylon was planned. The goal was to capture Colombo. Stuart again led the land forces. Gardner supported him with several ships. Stuart's troops landed at Negombo on February 5. This was a Dutch fort that had been left empty. They marched to Colombo, arriving on February 14 without any fighting.

The British demanded that the Dutch garrison surrender. They prepared to storm the city. But on February 15, Governor van Angelbeek agreed to give up. Stuart took control of Colombo peacefully.

What Happened Next

The goods captured from Colombo were worth over £300,000. More importantly, Ceylon was not given back to the Batavian Republic. This happened after the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. This treaty briefly ended the war. Britain kept the coastal parts of Ceylon. It remained part of the British Empire until it gained independence in 1948.

Images for kids

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  Dutch Ceylon, 1789