Kingdom of Kandy

Infobox Former Country
native_name = Lanka
conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Kandy
common_name = Kingdom of Kandy
continent = moved from Category:Asia to South Asia
region = South Asia
country = Sri Lanka
era =
status =
empire =
government_type = Monarchy
event_start = Unification of all Sri Lanka-End of Dutch period in Ceylon
date_start =
year_start = 1581-1796
event_end = Kandyan Convention
date_end = March 5
year_end = 1815
p1 = Kingdom of Sitawaka
flag_p1 = Flag of Ceylon.svg
p2 = Dutch period in Ceylon
flag_p2 = Flag of the Dutch East India Company.svg
flag_s1 = British Ceylon flag.pngs1 = British Ceylon

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flag_type = The Royal Standard of the Kingdom of Kandy till 1815


symbol =
symbol_type =


image_map_caption =
capital = Kandy
national_motto =
national_anthem =
common_languages = Sinhala
currency =
leader1 = Unoffically Rajasimha I
leader2 = Vimaladharmasuriya I
leader3 = Senarat
leader4 = Râjasimha II
leader5 = Vimaladharmasurya II (Fifth)
leader6 = Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (8th and Last)
year_leader1 = 1581-1593
year_leader2 = 1591-1604
year_leader3 = 1605-1635
year_leader4 = 1629-1687
year_leader5 = 1687-1707
year_leader6 = 1798-1815
title_leader = Kingdom of Kandy
representative1 =
year_representative1 =
representative2 =
year_representative2 =
title_representative =

stat_year1 =
stat_area1 =
stat_pop1 =
footnotes=

Kingdom of Kandy (Sinhalese: මහනුවර රාජධානිය; Tamil:கண்டி இராச்சியம்; mahanuvara rājadhāniya) is the English name for the historical Kingdom of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura) which existed in the central hills of Sri Lanka.

Founding

It was initially founded by Wickrama Samantha, the son of Vijaya Bahu VI, who was killed by his sons in 1492. The incident caused the country to get separated into 4 different parts. The Kingdom of Sitawaka was formed by King Mayadunna, the Kingdom of Kotte by King Parakramabahu VI, the Kingdom of Raigama by King Raigam Bandara and the Kandy kingdom to Wickrama Samantha.

Portuguese Era

In 1505 the Portuguese landed on the west coast of Ceylon belonging to the Kotte Kingdom. They befriended Parakramabahu VI who was the ruler of Kotte at that time. When the ruler of the Sitawake Kingdom built an army and attacked the Kotte Kingdom, the king deployed the help of the Portuguese who offered their services as mercenaries. After the demise of Mayadunna, his son Rajasinge I preceded as the ruler of the Sitawaka Kingdom. As internal feuds continued, he finally managed to defeat both the Kotte Kingdom and the Kandy Kingdom. The new king established Kandy as his new ruling capital. His time as the new ruler was short lived though: he was soon poisoned. Karaliyadde Bandara was the first king to officially rule from Kandy. He renamed himself as Vimaladharmasuriya I, and this was the start of the of the Second Konnapu bandara Dynasty, one of the prominent Dynasties of the Kandy Kingdom. The Second Mahanuwara Dynasty lasted until the death of King Sri Vira Parakrama Narendra Singha in 1739.

Nayakkar Dynasty

The next notable Dynasty was the Nayakkar Dynasty. It began with the rule of King Kirti Sri Raja Singha in 1747. The Nayakkar Dynasty saw the Kandyan Wars, wars fought between the British and the local kings. The British, who at the time occupied some of the coastal areas, finally managed to ally with of the Kandyan nobility. The Nayakkar Dynasty ended in 1815 with occupation by the British Empire and the exile of the last King to rule the island, King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The signing of the Kandyan Convention on 2 March of 1815 marked the start of the British rule of all of Ceylon, making it a part of the growing British Empire. The Kandyan Convention recognized the British Monarch as the Monarch of the country.

Post Independence

In 1948 the Dominion of Ceylon was established with Ceylon gaining Independent rule with in the commonwealth. With it the British Monarch, King George VI remained the head of state, with the title King of Ceylon, represented by the Governor-General. The newly elected Ceylonese government, considered that the new state was linked to or was the successor to the Kingdom of Kandy. This was depicted when the country adapted the Royal Standard of the Kingdom of Kandy as its national flag (it is still used with several modifications), the Tudor Crown which was used in many government institutions was replaced by the Crown of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, including in the national coat of arms and the Kandian Throne was used in royal court, especially during the two visits to Ceylon by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Ceylon (since 1953). In 1972 when the Ceylon became a republic and was remaned Sri Lanka, the monarchy in the island ceased to exist and the Crown was removed from all state insignia.