King Dharmapala
Reign: 1551–1597
Kingdom: kotte
International Connections
Dharmapala, the last king of Kotte, ruled for 46 years under Portuguese suzerainty. Converted to Catholicism and renamed Dom João, he officially bequeathed the kingdom to Portugal before his death.
Dharmapala, the last king of Kotte, ruled for 46 years under Portuguese suzerainty. Converted to Catholicism and renamed Dom João, he officially bequeathed the kingdom to Portugal before his death. His reign symbolizes the twilight of indigenous kingship on the western littoral, ushering in the colonial era.