King Vimaladharmasuriya I
Reign: 1591–1604 CE
Kingdom: Kandyan Kingdom
Country: Sri Lanka
International Connections
He repulsed Portuguese invasions, restored Buddhist monasticism, and invited Siamese monks to revitalize higher ordination. His reign inaugurated Kandy's enduring resistance to European colonialism..
Vimaladharmasuriya I (1590–1604) seized the Kandyan throne, restoring Buddhist legitimacy after Don Juan Bandara's Christian interlude. His fourteen-year reign emphasized anti-Portuguese resistance, monastic revival, and highland fortification. He married a Portuguese-captured princess (Dona Catarina), legitimizing his rule through royal lineage. His reign solidified Kandy as the bastion of Sinhalese-Buddhist independence.