ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Colombo military mutiny 1652

Synopsis
According to the few available sources, this mutiny of Portuguese military forces took place mainly in Colombo, capital city of the territory under Portuguese rule, and in Menikkadavara, one of its major military bases. It would have caused a few casualties and the dismissal and imprisonment of some military chiefs and of Ceylon's captain-general (governor) Manuel de Mascarenhas Homem. Other than soldiers, the insurgency counted most likely on the participation or support of part of the Portuguese community living on the island, including some Franciscan clergymen, who had been at odds with the governor for some years. First of all, these events have to be framed in the dramatic situation of warfare that was being revived in Ceylon. In 1652, the truce in the war between Portugal and the United Provinces was just over and the Dutch were resuming its military offensive on a large scale. The governor was accused of having not cared for the island's defense in due time, and there were even hints that he had made a secret deal with the Dutch for a possible surrender. On the other hand, the governor and his supporters were possibly the victims of other existing disagreements within the Portuguese community, in what was a nearly endemic problem in most Portuguese settlements in Asia. As a result of this mutiny, the State Council in Goa ended up deciding to replace the governor and grant a general pardon to the rebels, given the state of war that was experienced there.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 1 week. Name in sources: Motim. Location: Colombo, Menikkadavara Country (current): Sri Lanka. Monarchy: Portuguese. Main participants: Settlers/Colonists, Soldiers. Number of participants: 250-500. Main reasons & motivations: Multiple. Leadership: Unknown. Relevance: low.

Further reading
ARAÚJO, Erica Lopo de (2019). “A queda de Columbo e o deslocamento do eixo português do Índico para o Atlântico, século XVII”, Navigator: subsídios para a história marítima do Brasil, 30: 124-140. BARROS, Amândio (2011). Cartas da Índia. Correspondência Privada de Jorge de Amaral e Vasconcelos (1649-1656). Porto: CITCEM/Afrontamento. MATOS, Artur Teodoro (ed) (2001). Diário do conde de Sarzedas, Vice-rei do Estado da Índia, 1655-1656. Lisboa: CNCDP.
Cite this entry

Serrão, José Vicente (2020). "Colombo military mutiny 1652", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. http://atlas.cidehusdigital.uevora.pt/revolt/colombo-military-mutiny-1652/ (accessed on 07 Fevereiro 2020).