Kandyan Treaty of 1638

The King of Kandy , who had arrived at Batticaloawith his army on the 14th May, had in the mean-time several interviews with Westerwold, andafter the fort was taken, they entered into atreaty by which the King and the Dutch enteredinto a firm alliance against their common enemy,the Portuguese. This Treaty, which was madethe basis of all the future relations between thetwo parties, was signed at Batticaloa on the23rd May, 1638 by His Majesty Raja Sinha onthe one part and Adam Westerwold, Commanderof the Dutch Naval Forces and William Jacobsz
Coster, Vice-Commander, on behalf of the DutchEast India Company, on the other part. Itconsisted in substance of the following Articles :
1. The King of Kandy and his subjectsacknowledged and accepted the Dutch as theirfriends and allies, and the protectors of theircountry against the Portuguese. The Dutch wereto help the King in defending his lands whichwere usurped by their common enemy.
2 That when any forts and strongholds,such as Batticaloa or any other place, was takenby the Dutch with the help of the King, eitherby treaty or by force, all the booty and goodsfound therein were to be equally divided betweenthe two parties.
3. That in the event of any forts or strong-holds being taken and occupied by the Dutchand the King in manner aforesaid, these fortsshould be garrisoned with officers and soldiersand supplied with ordnance and ammunition ofwar; and if the Dutch considered the defencesinsufficient, His Majesty was to strengthen andfortify the same to their satisfaction.
4. The King was also bound, when any fortsor fortresses were garrisoned by the Dutch officersand soldiers, to pay them their monthly wages.
5. The King was also bound to allow theDutch suitable places for storing their goods andmerchandise, and, as soon as possible, to causeto be built storehouses, approved by the Dutch,which would ensure the safety of the goods againstfire and other accidents and disasters ; and like-wise to build a gunpowder magazine for thepreservation of the gunpowder, munitions ofwar, and other appliances.
6. The King, when desirous of attackingthe Portuguese, or undertaking anything againstthem, was previously to consult with some ofthe principal Dutch military officers, and to aidthem both by counsel and by deed.
7. The King was to have some frigates withoars built in his country, as speedily as possible,manned by rowers of his own people, to be providedwith soldiers and ammunition by the Dutch,for the protection of His Majesty's river outletsand harbours.
8. The King was also, in terms of the promiseand undertaking made by him to the Governor-General and Council of India, to pay the yearlyexpenses, as well as to bear the cost of the presentequipment of the ships, yachts, and smaller vessels,and of the crews, officers, soldiers, ammunition,and all requirements which the Dutch Companysent in his service, to be recouped in cinnamon,pepper, cardamom, indigo, wax, rice, and othervaluable products of his country, except wildcinnamon.
9. The King, in return for the friendshipand alliance of the Dutch, was to allow them fullpermission to carry on trade and commercethroughout his dominions with his subjects,including inhabitants of all towns, villages, andhamlets ; to allow them to go to and fro with theirships and other vessels by all streams, rivers,and harbours without hindrance ; to traffic withHis Majesty's subjects free from tolls, taxes,or other duties of any kind whatever; and HisMajesty was to forbid any of his subjects of what-ever state or quality to sell to anyone cinnamon,pepper, wax, and elephant tusks. The elephantbeing his sole property he was to deliver to theDutch 4 or 10 or 20 of the animals when he solda like number to anyone else.
10. The King and his subjects were to resistto the utmost any attempt on the part of anyother European nation, such as the English,French, or German, or any Oriental nation, to tradein the country, and to prevent any of their shipsor yachts entering the harbours of Ceylon. Theproduce of the country was to be deliveredexclusively to the Dutch East India Company ;provided only that the people of the neighbouringcountry, Travancore, were to be permitted tocome and go unmolested in their vessels withprovisions and paltry commodities.
11. The King was to send to Batavia yearlyat least one or two shiploads of cinnamon, pepper,cardamom, indigo, wax, and other valuable mer-chandise, in payment of the expenses incurredin the equipment and upkeep of the vessels senthere in his service, the Company undertakingto reimburse His Majesty in merchandise, articlesor cash, according to his pleasure, any excessin value of the yearly expenditure which theshiploads amounted to.
12. The King was to permit any factorsor merchants of the Dutch to travel freely overhis country for the purpose of trade and commercewith the inhabitants, and to remove any mer-chandise purchased by them without molestation;and the inhabitants were to be bound to provideon payment of expenses, beasts of burden forthe transport of such goods and merchandise,and to convey the same to the Dutch Headquar-ters or on board ship.
13. No person trading with the Dutch wasto be at liberty to deliver any articles reservedfor them by the Treaty to anyone else, on penaltyof being arrested and imprisoned. Any personindebted to the Dutch for a large amount was tobe dealt with in the same way ; and if suchperson was a subject of the King, notice thereofwas to be given to His Majesty.
14. No one, of whatever class or condition,was to be permitted to coin, make, or circulatemoney, unless he were appointed thereto by theKing and by the Dutch, on pain of corporalpunishment and forfeiture of property.
15. All fugitives from justice from the Dutchseeking refuge in the King's territory were tobe delivered up by His Majesty and his subjects,and any like refugees from the King's dominionswere to delivered up to His Majesty.
16. Neither the King nor any of his subjects,in terms of this contract, was to carry on a corres-pondence openly or secretly with the Portuguese,or enter into any contract with them, or haveany dealings with them whatever, commercialor otherwise. And any subject of the Kingselling to the Portuguese any merchandise orother article was to receive corporal punishment.
17. The King was not to tolerate any RomanCatholic priests, monks, or other ecclesiastics,but was to do his best to exterminate them,they being the cause of all commotion, dissensions and disturbances, wherever they were, who also set up the inhabitants of a country against the King.
18. Any prizes made by the Dutch shipsin the service of the King on their homewardor hitherward voyage was to be the exclusivebooty of the Dutch; in like manner all lossesin these expeditions were to be borne by theDutch.
19. Any ordnance frotn the Dutch shipsplaced in the forts or fortresses for the serviceof the King were to be at the disposal of theDutch, to be removed by them on board theirvessels whenever considered desirable by them.
20. All vessels departing hence with pass-ports from the King were to receive the aid andassistance of the Dutch.
The Treaty having been signed, Westerwoldleft Batticaloa on the 4th June.

References

[http://www.iaf.nl/Users/janpoel/anthonisz/dutch_title.html Dutch in Ceylon]
[http://www.iaf.nl/Users/janpoel/dic/dic_index.html Dutch Ceylon]