Question: when did the portuguese come to sri lanka
Answer: ුගීසි ලංකාව ( Sinhalese ) போர்த்துகீசியம் இலங்கை ( Tamil ) Portuguese colony 1597 -- 1658 Flag Coat of arms Extent of Portuguese rule in Ceylon Capital Colombo Languages Portuguese Sinhalese Tamil Religion Roman Catholicism Political structure Colony King of Portugal 1597 -- 1598 Philip I 1598 -- 1621 Philip II 1621 -- 1640 Philip III 1640 -- 1656 John IV 1656 -- 1658 Afonso VI Governors 1597 -- 1614 Jerónimo de Azevedo 1656 -- 1658 António de Amaral de Meneses Historical era Colonialism Portuguese arrival 1505 Death of Dharmapala of Kotte 27 May 1597 Luso -- Kandyan Treaty 1633 Surrender of Jaffna June 1658 Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Kotte Kingdom of Jaffna Dutch Ceylon Today part of Sri Lanka