Campaign of Danture The Danture campaign comprised a series of encounters between the Portuguese and the Kingdom of Kandy in 1594 , part of the Sinhalese – Portuguese War . It is considered a turning point in the indigenous resistance to Portuguese expansion . For the first time in Sri Lanka a Portuguese army was completely annihilated , when they were just a fraction away from the total conquest of the island . A 20 , 000 - strong Portuguese army , led by Governor Pedro Lopes de Sousa , invaded Kandy on 5 July 1594 . After three months , severely depleted by guerilla warfare and mass desertion s , what remained of the Portuguese army was completely annihilated at Danture by the Kandyans under King Vimaladharmasuriya . With this victory , the Kingdom of Kandy emerged as a major military power ; it was to retain its independence until 1815 , against Portuguese , Dutch , and British armies . Background . By the time of King Mayadunne ’ s death in 1581 , Sitawaka controlled almost all the Sri Lankan lowlands except for a narrow stretch of territory along the west coast , which was ruled by King Dom João Dharmapala under the protection of the Portuguese . After Mayadunne ’ s death , his son Tikiri Bandara succeeded to the Sitawaka throne as Rajasinha I of Sitawaka , also known as Sitawaka Rajasinghe . Sitawaka Rajasinghe turned his attention to the Kingdom of Kandy , ruled by King Karaliyadde Bandara , whose daughter was married to Dom João Dharmapala . In 1582 Rajasinghe defeated the Kandyan army at Balana , with the assistance of a Kandyan chieftain , Virasundara Mudiyanse of Peradeniya . The Kandyan king , with his queen , son , infant daughter Kusumasana Devi , and nephew Yamasinghe Bandara , fled to Trincomalee under the protection of the Portuguese . Soon King Karaliyadde Bandara , his son and queen died of smallpox , after entrusting his infant daughter and nephew to the Portuguese . The king had named Yamasinghe Bandara as the heir to the throne of Kandy on condition that he marry Kusumasana Devi once she came of age . Yamasinghe Bandara was baptized Dom Filipe . Kusumasana Devi , baptized Dona Catarina , was educated by Catholic priests and brought up according to Portuguese customs . Soon after the conquest , Kandy rose in rebellion against Sitawaka rule under Virasundara Mudiyanse , Rajasinghe ' s viceroy in the area . Summoned to Sitawaka under a parley , he was treacherously assassinated by Rajasinghe , who then crushed the rebellion with an iron fist . Hearing of his father ’ s death , Konappu Bandara , son of Virasundara Mudiyanse , fled to Colombo and entered the service of King Dharmapala . He was baptized as Dom João of Austria , became a Lascarin leader and married the daughter of Tammita Rala , by whom he had a son . He distinguished himself in battles against Rajasinghe , specially during the siege of Colombo , soon rising to the rank of " Mudali " . In 1588 Kandy revolted again , this time under Dom Francisco Mudali , a Christian grandson of Gampola Devi . They expelled the agents of Sitawaka and sent a message to Dom Filipe ( Yamasinghe Bandara , now the legitimate heir to the throne ) requesting his return . Dom Filipe arrived in Kandy in 1592 with an army of 400 Portuguese under Captain João de Melo and a force of Lascarins under Dom João of Austria ( Konappu Bandara ) . A few days after his coronation , Dom Filipe died under suspicious circumstances , presumably by poisoning . The Portuguese blamed Dom João of Austria , but Dom João and the Kandyan chieftains in turn accused the Portuguese of poisoning the king . Soon Kandy revolted and the Portuguese army retreated to Mannar . Dom João of Austria became the king of Kandy as Vimaladharmasuriya I . In 1593 Sitawaka Rajasinghe attempted to retake Kandy , but his army was defeated at Balana . While returning from the battle he died from an injury caused by a bamboo splinter . On Rajasinghe ’ s death , his general Mannamperuma Mohottila ( a Badaga mercenary leader named Aritta Kee - Vendu Perumal , who had risen in rank by winning the king ' s favour ) deserted to the Portuguese and changed his name to Jayavira Bandara Mudali . With his assistance , the Portuguese conquered Sitawaka in 1594 . During the looting of Sitawaka , Jayavira Bandara Mudali managed to secure a vast treasure , making him rich and influential . As the Jaffna kingdom was already subjugated ( since 1591 ) , with the fall of Sitawaka only the Kingdom of Kandy stood in the way of the Portuguese in completing their conquest of Sri Lanka . Although Vimaladharmasuriya ruled with the support of the inhabitants , being a son of a chieftain made him an usurper while the last legitimate heir to the throne , the princess Dona Catarina , remained with the Portuguese . Prelude . Planning . The campaign was masterminded by Francisco da Silva , captain of the fort at Colombo . His original plan was to enter Kandy with an expeditionary force in order to establish the princess Dona Catarina , then aged ten or twelve , on the Kandyan throne . Once Kandy was secured , she was expected to rule the kingdom as a vassal of the Portuguese king . Pedro Lopes de Sousa , a highly respected fidalgo from Trancoso , happened to call at Colombo on his way to Goa from Malacca , in order to pick up provisions and fresh water . Francisco da Silva received him well at the fort , and casually broached his plan . Silva also expressed a desire to lead the expedition , citing his long experience of fighting in Ceylon . He further requested Souza to pursue the matter in Goa , in order to obtain additional troops and other resources for the expedition . Sousa reached Goa in a few days and , as promised , he submitted the plan to the council of state . The council received the proposal enthusiastically , and unanimously approved its execution . They made three decisions , however , which were to have a crucial impact on the final outcome . First , instead of appointing either Francisco da Silva or Pedro Homem Pereira , Captain - Major of Portuguese Ceylon , both of whom were veterans in warfare with the Sinhalese , the council entrusted the leadership of the expedition to Sousa . Reluctant to accept the task , Sousa made two demands on behalf of a nephew of his ( name unknown ) : that he , instead of Pereira , be appointed Captain - Major of the Field , and that he be given Dona Catarina ' s hand in marriage . The council granted both requests , the latter under the condition that the marriage would be postponed until the Kingdom of Kandy was completely subjugated . They further granted Sousa the title of General Conquistador , the first ever created in Ceylon , with the administrative title of Governor and the field rank of Captain - General . Preparation . Before the end of April , 1594 , a ship under Dom Bernardo Coutinho sailed in advance from Goa , with ammunition and provisions . But the ship , being old and unseaworthy , was sunk by a storm in Colombo harbor . The Portuguese managed to unload the munitions , but the other provisions were lost , leaving them with low supply reserves by the time of the campaign . ( Charges were later laid against Matias de Albuquerque , viceroy of India 1591 – 1597 , for negligence and lack of support for the expedition , holding him largely responsible for its eventual defeat . ) A fleet of eighteen ships and a galley followed the supply ship , carrying Sousa with six or seven hundred Portuguese soldiers . They were at Negombo when they encountered the storm which sank the supply ship . They were forced to anchor there and travel to Colombo over land . By the time Sousa reached Colombo , Captain Francisco da Silva had left for Mannar to command the garrison there . Instead he found a resentful Pedro Homem Pereira , who denied assistance to the expedition in protest of the Sousas ' having been preferred over him . Sousa managed to muster a force of eight hundred Portuguese soldiers , including the troops brought from Goa and a hundred soldiers obtained from the Sitawaka garrison . Meanwhile Jayavira Bandara Mudali arrived in Colombo , after his southern campaigns , with a force of nine thousand Lascarins and offered his assistance . Against the advice of veteran soldiers , Sousa made up his mind to proceed with his expedition at once , disregarding the low supply reserves and the upcoming monsoon season . He sent a message to Silva at Mannar , where Princess Dona Catarina was staying , announcing his intentions . Silva gathered a force of two hundred Portuguese and four hundred Lascarins in order to rendezvous with Sousa ’ s army . As they were about to depart , the bamboo pole of Dona Catarina ’ s royal palanquin gave way . The princess considered it a bad omen , saying " . . . " Wada " , forebear and remove me not thus , for it portends a great calamity . . . " . Francisco da Silva calmed her down , and after repairing the palanquin they left towards the Kandyan border , delayed by eight days . In June 1594 the Portuguese and Lascarins ( now 15 , 000 strong ) marched out from Sitawaka . Their first stop was Attanagalla . After three days they reached Menikkadawara , but the monsoon rains delayed them there for fourteen days . Then they advanced towards Galbodagama ( which stood at the site of the current - day Polgahawela railway station ) , burning and destroying the countryside of Seven Korale . The prince of Seven Korale , uncommitted thus far , became a Christian and declared his allegiance to the Portuguese . Leaving Seven Korale , the army camped in the vicinity of Balana Pass , gateway to the Kingdom of Kandy , to await the princess and the force from Mannar . Once these had arrived , Sousa advanced toward the pass . Opposing forces and the effect of terrain . Portuguese army . The strength of the Portuguese army amounted to 20 , 000 men and 47 war elephants . Captain - General Pedro Lopes de Sousa was in command , with his nephew as Captain - Major of the Field . His 1000 Portuguese soldiers included 600 – 700 from Goa , in twenty companies ; 100 from Sitawaka ; 200 from Mannar , in six companies ; and some drawn from other garrisons . Jayavira Bandara Mudali commanded 15 , 400 Lascarins , comprising 15 , 000 from Sitawaka and Colombo and 400 from Mannar , with an unknown number of Badaga mercenaries . The army was supported by coolies , oxen and transport elephants . To feed this host of 20 , 000 men the Portuguese had provisions sufficient only for a month , but Sousa was confident of supplying his forces from the Kandyan countryside once the territory had been secured . Kandyan army . The Kandyan army consisted of forces raised from the five divisions of the kingdom . None of the muster rolls from this era has survived , from which to accurately determine the initial strength of the Kandyan army , but a reasonable estimate of 10 , 000 men has been made from studies of revenue registers . Terrain and the Balana pass . The Kandyan kingdom , comprising five divisions surrounding the capital , Kandy ( also known as Senkadagalapura ) , is situated on a plateau 1500 feet ( 450 m ) above sea level , more or less completely surrounded by an impregnable mountain wall . The only access to the central plateau is through gaps in the mountains . Of these passes the important was the Balana pass , the one closest to Colombo , which was called " the door to the Kandy Realm " . It was steep and difficult to traverse , and during wartime the usual paths were obstructed with felled trees and " elephant thorn " . Invading armies often required scaling ladders , in order to climb near - perpendicular rocks . The Kandyans , using this terrain to their advantage , fortified the pass with felled trees and stockades mounted with cannon . At the summit of the Balana pass a fortalice functioned as a lookout post that could give early warning of an approaching enemy ( hence the name " Balana " , which means " lookout " ) , in addition to its defensive purpose . Sentinels gave warning signals by blowing a conch shell ; alarms were relayed to inland hills at Diyakelinavella and Gannoruwa . Most of the Kandyan kingdom was mountainous and thickly forested , inhabited by snakes and leeches . The cold , wet climate compounded the difficulties of the terrain . Invaders were forced to march in single file along narrow paths , stretching the army over a long distance . The Kandyans often used these narrow paths to set up ambuscades , trapping advancing columns by suddenly felling trees to the front and rear . Invasion . Battle for the Balana pass . On 5 July 1594 , Captain - General Pedro Lopes de Sousa began the invasion of Kandy with the battle for the Balana pass . A combined force of Portuguese and Lascarins from the advance guard mounted the assault . They were commanded by the captains Rui Dias Pinheiro , Alexandre de Abreu and Assenco Fernandes . Encountering stiff resistance at the first level of fortifications , after heavy fighting the Portuguese stormed the stockades with their battle cry , " Santiago " . Pinheiro , Fernandes , fifteen other Portuguese soldiers , and many Lascarins were killed in this battle . After securing the fortifications the Portuguese continued their ascent through the pass . To their surprise the Kandyan forces began to retreat rapidly , even abandoning easily defendable positions . Veterans were concerned , but Sousa saw the retreat as evidence of Kandyan weakness and pressed the assault . The Portuguese vanguard ascended the Balana pass , capturing stockades at every turn . Despite being separated from the main body of the army , they continued to advance and soon entered an area of relatively flat land called the Danture tract . By nightfall they had reached Gannoruwa , where they spent the night on the western bank of the Mahaveli River — still separated from the main army , which lagged behind in order to bury the dead and because of its slow baggage train . On the following day the main body caught up with the advance guard , and forded the Mahaveli River at Gatambe . They entered Kandy , without encountering any resistance , to find the Royal Palace abandoned and partly burned . King Vimaladharmasuriya had retreated to Wellassa with his followers , but some of the chieftains loyal to the Gampola dynasty had remained at Kandy . Coronation of Dona Catarina . Sousa rapidly organized a raiding party , which consisted of a hundred Portuguese soldiers under Francisco da Silva and a large number of Lascarins under Jayavira Bandara . He sent them to Wellassa and Uva in order to capture the King . Additionally he placed a bounty of 10 , 000 pagodas ( equal to 20 , 000 rixdollar s ) on the life of King Vimaladhrmasuriya . Meanwhile Dona Catarina entered Kandy in a grand procession . Captain - General Sousa , accompanied by Kandyan princes and chieftains , welcomed her at the city gates and escorted her into the Palace . Gold and silver coins were scattered in the streets for the inhabitants to gather . After three days she was crowned as Empress of Kandy in a large celebration attended by many people from the countryside , including local princes and nobles . King Vimaladharmasuriya ’ s men used the festivities as cover to infiltrate Kandy in the night , disguised as beggars , and set fires at various locations around the city . As soon as one fire was extinguished the Portuguese found another place in flames , in a completely different direction . The fires lasted all night , as the Portuguese tried fruitlessly to apprehend the infiltrators . Fearing a rebellion , Sousa decided to keep Empress Dona Catarina closely guarded . Kandyans were not allowed to visit her and were asked to meet Portuguese officials for state matters . Acts of lawlessness and harassment of civilians by Portuguese soldiers further complicated matters and strained the relationship between Kandyans and Portuguese . Soon the Kandyans realized that the Portuguese were not the liberators they claimed to be . Rumors that the Empress was to marry a Portuguese convinced some to join King Vimaladharmasuriya ; the Portuguese gradually lost the support of the Kandyan chieftains and population . Plans for Dona Catarina ’ s marriage . Francisco da Silva and Jayavira Bandara Mudali met little resistance in Wellassa and Uva . Although they failed to capture King Vimaladharmasuriya , they did manage to take the Prince of Uva , who was King Vimaladharmasuriya ’ s uncle . They brought him back to Kandy , where he was later publicly executed — over Jayavira ' s objections . For reasons unknown , Sousa changed his earlier plans and offered the empress ’ s hand in marriage to the Captain Francisco da Silva , who was considered by his men to be the " most good looking man in Portuguese Asia " . But he refused the honor , and with Sousa ' s permission returned to Mannar with several soldiers from his company . ( He died soon after , shipwrecked at Kaffraria on his way back to Lisbon . ) After Silva ' s departure , Jayavira Bandara Mudali approached Pedro Lopes de Sousa and requested permission to let the empress marry his brother - in - law . ( According to Baldaeus , Jayavira himself asked for permission to marry the empress . ) But the Captain - General prudently refused the proposal , saying he was unable to give consent without obtaining the prior approval of the emperor . He also raised the matter of Jayavira ' s not being of noble birth . Disappointed , Jayavira expressed his dissatisfaction : " . . . you who are but a stranger have with my assistance accomplished all your schemes of ambition and now endeavor to trample me underfoot . . . " But they ended their conversation on good terms , Sousa agreeing to consider the proposal on his return to Colombo . Logistical problems and guerrilla attacks . With growing support from the country ' s inhabitants , the Kandyans prevented Portuguese supply caravans from reaching Kandy . Desperate for food , the Portuguese soon began to scour the countryside . Kandyans frequently ambushed these foraging parties and cut down the stragglers . So Pedro Lopes de Sousa decided to organize a large raiding party instead of small foraging groups , and Jayavira Bandara persuaded him to send out Luís Moro Mudali , with a force of 3000 men , to the Principality of Uva . On the fourth day of the raid , men of Uva ambushed the party , annihilating it and capturing Luís Moro Mudali . He was executed on orders from King Vimaladharmasuriya , to Sousa ' s great grief . Jayavira Bandara requested permission to invade Uva in order to avenge his death , but Sousa decided to remain at Kandy . Since Luís Moro Mudali was known to be more devoted to the Portuguese than to Jayavira , the ambush raised suspicions of treachery on Jayavira ' s part . Encouraged by the success at Uva , the Kandyans grew bolder . They infiltrated nearby hills and raised battle cries at night in order to demoralize the enemy . A body of 150 Portuguese under Francisco de Brito and 300 Lascarins under Pedro Afonso were sent to drive them away . Leaving without a guide they soon got lost , and wandered in the hills for almost two days . On the third day they sent a detachment of Lascarins to find the way back to the camp . The Lascarins surprised a group of Kandyans , whom they killed ; some of them were identified as household servants of Jayavira Bandara Mudali . On further inspection they found a present of inlaid firelocks , velvet and jewels , with a message containing information on the strengths of Brito and Afonso ’ s forces and a request to attack them . The Captain - General ’ s routine of visiting a tower for recreational activities , accompanied by just a few guards , was also described . ( Queiroz says there was a promise to assassinate the General in this letter , but according to Baldaeus this was added by the Portuguese in order to justify their later actions . ) These items of evidence were secretly brought back to the camp and presented to the war council , which concluded that they had been sent by Jayavira Bandara Mudali to the Kandyan king . Pedro Afonso Mudali declared that he had previously intercepted messages of similar nature , supposedly sent by King Vimaladharmasuriya to Jayavira Bandara , promising him the kingdoms of Sitawaka and Kotte if he rose against the Portuguese . A Franciscan priest further disclosed a confession made by a Badaga mercenary , who happened to be a relative of Jayavira ' s , regarding an impending betrayal . The council was divided in their opinion , but Sousa decided to wait until they returned to Colombo to hold an inquiry , as it would be dangerous to seize Jayavira in the middle of the campaign . Forged letter and the death of Jayavira . Meanwhile King Vimaladharmasuriya devised a plan to drive a wedge between the Lascarins and the Portuguese . The local chronicle " Rajavaliya " and Captain Ribeiro both confirm its existence . A letter was forged , purporting to be written by Jayavira Bandara Mudali to King Vimaladharmasuriya . The king entrusted the letter to a carefully chosen , loyal Kandyan and instructed him , The Kandyan spy succeeded in his mission and the letter was brought to the General . It contained a message to King Vimaladharmasuriya requesting that he attack Kandy on the following night , when Jayavira Bandara ’ s men would set fire to a part of the Portuguese camp . It also indicated that Jayavira had a group of mercenaries disguised as yogi s , who would attack the Portuguese from within during the assault . The Captain - General alerted his men and appointed extra patrols to guard the compound , but on the following night the Portuguese waited for an attack that never came . Sousa even claimed to have seen signals from the Kandyans , just as suggested in the letter . Convinced that the letter was genuine , Sousa went to Jayavira ' s house to confront him , accompanied by his captains . Jayavira denied all the allegations as fabrications of his enemies , but requested to be held under guard until an inquiry could be convened . Sousa was inclined to agree , but his captains D . Gastão Coutinho , António Barbosa the Draque , Francisco de Brito and Francisco Dalium saw it as a stalling tactic that would allow Jayavira to alert his men . The latter three fell on him with daggers and killed him , along with his brother - in - law and household guards . Other Portuguese soldiers also joined the affray , and about fifty Badaga mercenaries were killed during the night . Meanwhile Jayavira ’ s house was looted , and the Portuguese found there 14 " paras " ( about 9 bushels ) of gold coins and gems , with letters indicating locations of other hidden treasures . These were secured by the order of General ; among them was the far - famed " Washerman ’ s Stone " . ( It is believed that this gem was presented to King Sitawaka Rajasinghe by Mutukon Sinha Vidane Henaya from the caste of washers and , as documented in an undated manuscript at Sabaragamu Saman Dewale , it was equal in size to a wild cucumber or " kekiri " fruit . ) Retreat . Mass desertions . Soon word of Jayavira ’ s murder spread through the Lascarin camp . Shouts of " Rajadore Jayavire marapue ! " ( " King Jayavira is murdered ! " ) echoed from all directions and many Lascarins fled in panic to the Kandyans , along with the remaining Badaga mercenaries . By the morning of the following day most of the Lascarins , excepting those from Colombo and Mannar , had deserted . Morale was low in the Portuguese camp as the gravity of the situation became apparent . Even those captains who had demanded Jayavira ' s death now blamed Sousa for not having seized him for return to Colombo . The Captain - General appointed Panikki Mudali , a Sitawakan chieftain who had twice defected to the Portuguese during the lowland campaign , to command the remaining Lascarins , less than a thousand in number . Adding to their problems , the Portuguese were running out of provisions . As all Kandy was now in rebellion , nobody was willing to sell them any . Even if they managed to get a message through to Colombo , they could not expect resupply from that quarter : Pedro Homem Pereira did not have enough soldiers to escort a caravan , even if he was willing to cooperate . Goa was too far away ; with the remaining supplies they could not expect to hold Kandy until help arrived . In order to keep the remaining Lascarins content , Sousa paid them on the spot , and again after a few days , on 4 October 1594 . But after receiving this payment , all but three hundred deserted . Unable to hold Kandy with his remaining forces , the Captain - General decided to fall back to the fortalice at Balana , expecting to keep it until reinforcement should arrive from Colombo or Goa . Ambush at Halloluwa . On 5 October 1594 the Portuguese abandoned Kandy , and with the Empress they began their retreat towards the Balana fortalice . The remaining few supplies , Jayavira ' s treasure and the ammunition reserves were loaded on elephants . Their first day ' s march was uneventful : they forded the Mahaveli River at Gatambe and made their camp at Gannoruwa . On the following day , for reasons unknown , the Portuguese army remained at Gannoruwa instead of recommencing the retreat . On 7 October the food supplies ran out . In a last - ditch attempt to replenish themselves before retiring to the Balana fortalice ; the Portuguese sent a raiding party to the village of Halloluwa , on the west bank of the Mahaveli River , several kilometers north of the encampment . This force consisted of 150 Portuguese soldiers under António Barbosa the Draque , Francisco Correia , and Álvaro de Sousa , with the 300 Lascarins under Pedro Afonso Mudali and Miguel Monteiro Mudali . They successfully raided the village and managed to capture a large quantity of rice . Not being content with this , they wasted time plundering the village and setting fire to the temples and houses . This provided the Kandyans , numbering some 7000 , with an opportunity to set up an ambush , cutting down trees to block the return route . The Portuguese , already exhausted by days of fighting , were forced to fight for each step along rough paths through thick forests . One by one they fell . Captain Álvaro de Souza and few Lascarins managed to escape and brought the news of the defeat to the Portuguese camp . Battle of Danture . In the dawn of 8 October , after receiving the sacraments of confession and communion , the Portuguese prepared themselves for the retreat . The remaining 368 Portuguese , with a few Lascarins , formed themselves into three equal columns . D . Gastão Coutinho led the first column as a vanguard . With the second column came Empress Dona Catarina , mounted on an elephant , and the Captain - General ’ s small son , Diogo Lopes de Sousa . Other transport elephants bearing munitions and the treasure of Jayavira Bandara were in this column as well . The rearguard was led by Pedro Lopes de Sousa himself . The Captain - General made a speech to boost the morale of his men , calling upon their loyalty and honor . Then , after worshiping the crucifix held by the Jesuit priest Father António Esquipano , they began their march towards the Balana fortalice . Strengthened by defecting Lascarins and men from all regions of Kandy Kingdom , King Vimaladharmasuriya ’ s army now numbered somewhere between ten and twenty thousand . He sent a small body of men to cut down trees in order to block the narrow , winding path to Balana known as the Danture tract . He then sent an army under Ekanayake Mudali to occupy Balana and cut off the Portuguese retreat . Determined to avoid an engagement in the open , he waited for the Portuguese columns to leave the Gannoruwa plain . Once they entered the Danture tract he surrounded them . At seven in the morning the Kandyans appeared , covering the slopes that lined the Danture tract . They waited for the Portuguese to come within range , then opened fire with muskets , " gingals " and arrows . The brunt of the attack fell on the advance guard ; its commander , D . Gastão Coutinho , and several captains including Simão Pereira and Francisco de Brito were killed . This attack slowed the retreat , and the columns came to a halt . The forest concealed the Kandyans , who were able to cause casualties while remaining almost invisible . So the Portuguese decided to charge the enemy in front of them , in order to clear a path . This charge was successful and the Kandyans were driven off , allowing the columns to resume their retreat . The fighting soon evolved into a march - and - fight battle . The Portuguese repeatedly repulsed Kandyan missile attacks by charging and dispersing the enemy , using the resulting lull to advance until the Kandyans returned . Although slow , and costly in terms of casualties , this tactic allowed the Portuguese to advance halfway to Balana and approach Danture . As a result of the running battle , the Portuguese columns gradually became disorganized , reducing the formations to a long straggling line . Last Stand . Now the Kandyans concentrated their attack on the middle column . After heavy fighting they were repulsed , but this took some time during which the middle column became separated from the vanguard , who were continuing their running battle . In the confusion the elephants carrying Dona Catarina and other valuables , including the ammunition reserves , left the column and wandered into the forest . Meanwhile the advance guard , now proceeding without a guide , took a wrong turn and stumbled into a marshy field . Here the Kandyans surrounded and overwhelmed them . Following them in , the second column mounted a better resistance , managing to hold out for three hours , but they were eventually annihilated after their captains Henrique Pinto and Diogo Borges were killed . With the destruction of the first two columns , only the rearguard under Pedro Lopes de Sousa remained as an effective fighting force . Leaving the path to avoid the marsh , the Captain - General advanced up a slope and occupied a hilltop . Here the Portuguese made their last stand . Since the ammunition reserves had been lost with the elephants , they soon ran out of gunpowder . But they continued to fight with spears until nightfall , when darkness brought a lull to the fighting . Surrender . Only 93 Portuguese remained , and almost all of them were wounded . Sousa himself had suffered two critical wounds and six minor ones . They had been fighting without food since the morning of the 7th . Exhausted and demoralized , they surrendered to the Kandyans in the morning of 9 October 1594 . Meanwhile Ekanayake Mudali ’ s men came across the elephant carrying the empress Dona Catarina . She and the Captain - General ’ s small son were brought to King Vimaladharmasuriya , who granted them protection . In a departure from the normal post - battle conduct of Sinhala troops , the Portuguese soldiers were subjected to torture and mutilation . Both Portuguese and local sources provide vivid details of the brutality inflicted on the captives . Their noses , ears and sometimes even their privy parts were cut off . Not even the Captain - General or the military chaplains were spared . This deviation from traditional ideals of chivalry has not been fully explained . " In revenge for the atrocities of Portuguese " , " as a warning to others " and " simply in rage and to humiliate " are some of the reasons given in various sources . At Dona Catarina ’ s request , the wounded Captain - General was nursed and treated well by King Vimaladharmasuriya . But three days later he succumbed to his injuries , after entrusting his small son to the King . ( Diogo Lopes was sent back to Colombo three years later , in fulfillment of the King ' s promise . ) There were five Portuguese captains among the captives : Francisco Pereira Deca , the brothers Vicente and Luís Sobrinho , Filipe Toscano , and Rui Deca . The latter two were executed during their captivity . Of the priests who were among the prisoners — three Franciscans and one Jesuit — two were released later . Enough of another group of captives were blinded so as to leave only one eye for each five men , and these were sent back to Colombo holding one another by the hand . The rest were forced to build fortifications , which were to be tested in the Campaign of Balana from 1602 to 1603 . Not all the Portuguese underwent harsh treatment . Manuel Dias , the Captain - General ' s footboy , joined the service of King Vimaladharmasuriya . He served as a double agent for the Kandyans ( notably in an assassination attempt against King Vimaladharmasuriya in 1602 ) and later rose to the rank of Mudali . Casualties . Except for the handful that escaped or returned to Mannar with Captain Francisco , all of the 1000 Portuguese soldiers were killed or captured . In addition to the soldiers , six Franciscan priests died in the battle , including Fr . Simão de Liz and Fr . Manuel Pereira who were killed in the last stand . Only three soldiers are known to have escaped from the Battle of Danture . The captive Francisco Correia managed to escape through the forest with some Lascarins from Colombo . Pedro Veloso , a native of Amarante , was wounded and left to die with his nose cut off . He was found by his friend Domingos Carvalho , a native of Vila Real , who carried Veloso back to friendly territory on his back . Domingos was promoted to Captain and later became the " Dissawe " ( an administrative title ) of Matara . Pedro Veloso became the first Captain appointed by the King of Portugal to the newly built fort at Galle , " Santa Cruz de Gale " . The exact numbers of Lascarin and Kandyan casualties are not known . Although Fernão de Queiroz states that the Kandyans lost 5000 men ( 5 % of the entire Kandyan population ) during the fight on 8 October alone , secondary sources dismiss these high figures as an exaggeration . The Kandyan preference for long - range attacks from hidden positions , and their reluctance to engage in melee without assurance of victory , limited the casualties they suffered as well as those they could inflict . Aftermath . Soon after the battle , King Vimaladharmasuriya married Dona Catarina with a festival that lasted for 110 days . He also granted lands , offices and titles to warriors who had distinguished themselves in the campaign . He began to reinforce the Balana pass with three new forts , which were to prove their effectiveness during the Balana Campaign in 1602 . With the destruction of the Portuguese expeditionary force , the lowlands rose in rebellion against Portuguese rule . The timely arrival of Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo with reinforcements averted a disaster ; the rebellion was eventually subdued in 1596 . Political consequences . Just before the Campaign of Danture , Kandy was a politically unstable state , ruled by an usurper with insignificant military power . After the battle , with his marriage to Dona Catarina , Vimaladharmasuriya ’ s claim to the throne was secured and marked the beginning of a new dynasty . The victory at Danture saved Kandy from subjugation by the Portuguese at a time when they had already conquered the rest of Sri Lanka ; it remained an independent state till 1815 , effectively resisting the Portuguese , Dutch and British . Military consequences . The tactics the Kandyans used in this campaign served as a model for their future repeated successes against three major European powers . They had captured as spoils of war a large stock of Portuguese weapons and the treasure of Jayavira , further strengthening Kandy ' s arsenal and its treasury both . This was the first time that a Portuguese army had been completely annihilated during their military operations in Sri Lanka . The Portuguese were determined to avenge the Kandyan victory , and in 1602 , after many years of preparation , another army was to invade Kandy , under Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo . But the Kandyans would defeat them at Balana , leading to a desperate retreat across the country , known as the " Famosa Retirada " . See also . Balana Campaign