King Bhuvanaikabahu VII
Reign: 1521–1551
Kingdom: kotte
International Connections
Bhuvanaikabahu VII's 30-year reign at Kotte witnessed full-scale Portuguese involvement in island politics. He cultivated alliances with the Portuguese, granting them commercial privileges and a strategic fort at Colombo.
Bhuvanaikabahu VII's 30-year reign at Kotte witnessed full-scale Portuguese involvement in island politics. He cultivated alliances with the Portuguese, granting them commercial privileges and a strategic fort at Colombo. His pragmatic diplomacy sought to balance power, but ultimately accelerated European colonization.