# Crisis of the Sixteenth Century

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History of Sri Lanka :
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Dipavamsa
Mahavamsa
Cūḷavaṃsa
Rajavaliya
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Periods :
| Prehistory Stone Age Bronze Age Iron Age | 300,000 BP –543 BC |
| Pre Anuradhapura Indo-Aryan settlement | 543–377 BC |
| Anuradhapura Arrival of Buddhism Dutthagamani's campaign Fall of Anuradhapura | 377 BC–1017 |
| Polonnaruwa Chola conquest Sinhalese Resistance Invasion of Kalinga Magha | 1017–1232 |
| Transitional Vijayabā Kollaya Wars of Kotte Succession Crisis of the Sixteenth Century | 1232–1597 |
| Kandy First Kandyan–Dutch war Second Kandyan–Dutch war Kandyan–British wars | 1597–1815 |
| British Ceylon Great rebellion Matale rebellion Buddhist revival World War II Independence | 1815–1948 |
| Sri Lanka Dominion Republic | 1948–present |
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The Crisis of the Sixteenth Century was the later part of the Transitional period of Sri Lanka, that began with the decline of the Kingdom of Kotte, with the Vijayabā Kollaya (the spoiling of Vijayabahu) in 1521, culminated in the collapse of the Kingdom of Sitawaka, and with Portuguese dominance of Sri Lankan coasts, if not control by 1597, over two of three kingdoms that had existed at the start of the century. The Kingdom of Kandy was the only independent Sinhalese kingdom to survive. The period was characterised by the fragmentation of the Sinhalese polity, intervention of foreign forces and constant military conflict.

## Overview

Periodization of Sri Lanka history:
| Dates | Period | Period | Span (years) | Subperiod | Span (years) | Main government |
| 300,000 BP–~1000 BC | Prehistoric Sri Lanka | Stone Age | – | | 300,000 | Unknown |
| 300,000 BP–~1000 BC | Prehistoric Sri Lanka | Bronze Age | – | | 300,000 | Unknown |
| ~1000 BC–543 BC | Prehistoric Sri Lanka | Iron Age | – | | 457 | Unknown |
| 543 BC–437 BC | Ancient Sri Lanka | Pre-Anuradhapura | – | | 106 | Monarchy |
| 437 BC–463 AD | Ancient Sri Lanka | Anuradhapura | 1454 | Early Anuradhapura | 900 | Monarchy |
| 463–691 | Ancient Sri Lanka | Anuradhapura | 1454 | Middle Anuradhapura | 228 | Monarchy |
| 691–1017 | Post-classical Sri Lanka | Anuradhapura | 1454 | Late Anuradhapura | 326 | Monarchy |
| 1017–1070 | Post-classical Sri Lanka | Polonnaruwa | 215 | Chola conquest | 53 | Monarchy |
| 1055–1232 | Post-classical Sri Lanka | Polonnaruwa | 215 | | 177 | Monarchy |
| 1232–1341 | Post-classical Sri Lanka | Transitional | 365 | Dambadeniya | 109 | Monarchy |
| 1341–1412 | Post-classical Sri Lanka | Transitional | 365 | Gampola | 71 | Monarchy |
| 1412–1592 | Early Modern Sri Lanka | Transitional | 365 | Kotte | 180 | Monarchy |
| 1592–1739 | Early Modern Sri Lanka | Kandyan | 223 | | 147 | Monarchy |
| 1739–1815 | Early Modern Sri Lanka | Kandyan | 223 | Nayakkar | 76 | Monarchy |
| 1815–1833 | Modern Sri Lanka | British Ceylon | 133 | Post-Kandyan | 18 | Colonial monarchy |
| 1833–1948 | Modern Sri Lanka | British Ceylon | 133 | | 115 | Colonial monarchy |
| 1948–1972 | Contemporary Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka since 1948 | 76 | Dominion | 24 | Constitutional monarchy |
| 1972–present | Contemporary Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka since 1948 | 76 | Republic | 52 | Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic |