The Dutch Wars with Kandy 1764 - 1766
 Major R. Raven-Hart (Part II) - Extracts
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dutch_map.jpg (53069 bytes)A Dutch Map showing the Kammala area where some of the events described took place. Kammala, Chilaw, Negambo and Thambarawila etc found in the Genealogy Charts, are shown here.

 

 

 

 

The extracts below gives some interesting facts from the book which relate to the treaty signed with the rulers of Kandy and the plundering of the Palace of Kandy. 

The Plundering of the Palace of Kandy:

Correspondence with Batavia(1) and Holland 1765
 Archives 4880 8/11/1765 to Batavia  (extract):

We cannot give a list of the Kandia booty, since as already reported the Palace was plundered. Feber and van Angelbeek report (X 10/8) that although van Eck forbade plundering and on his arrival tried to stop it, all was in vain. The booty was mostly linen, fine furniture and curiosities, with some coined and uncoined silver. Van Eck took possession of a large silver-gilt machine (sic) like a bell but closed below and in two pieces of which the upper can be removed, weighing 210 lbs*, which served to contain their holiest Relic, the famous Tooth of Boedoe in a gold and jeweled chest. And van Eck (as the two Members testify) presented this to the troops, to be distributed among them in addition to the 100,000 florins promised. We request YYEE's (Governor and Members of the Council in Colombo or Batavia) orders, adding that we feel that this promise can hardly now be cancelled, and that it were best fulfilled by melting and sale, and distributing its value in the form of minor articles of equipment. (It was later restored intact, XIX 26/1/67, and is in Kandy today.)

(Hague Archives 3030, folios 363-378) 10/11/1765  to Batavia from Falck:

After investigation I consider that La Baume, in spite of rumours, profited no more from the looting in Kandia than did other officers, and that this matter is now closed.

Certain objects have been taken over from van Eck's executors and are in the Treasury, including a golden case and golden ola; a metal Boedoe statue, one-third gold and two-thirds copper; a little cannon inlaid with silver; a sort of canopy, wood overlaid with thin gold and silver (the howdah carrying the relics in the Kandy procession today); a bow and arrows and quiver (and four other minor articles) The cannon was promised to Duke Louis of Brunswick. Wolfenbuttel and has been sent by me. The ola and case were bought by van Eck from Cadet van Driesken for its weight in pagodas, not yet paid; and a golden stylus from a soldier for 100 Rxd(2), to be paid in Holland.

(1) Present day Jakarta, Headquarters of the Dutch Command.
(2) Rix Dollars.

The Treaty with the rulers of Kandy

Correspondence with Batavia and Holland 1766 - 1767
Archives 4882 14/2/1766 to Batavia. Copy of Treaty 'at last concluded'.

TREATY dated Feb. 14.

The preamble cites as the negotiators Doembere Dessave of Matele. Pilime Talauwele Dessave of Saffergam and the 3 Korles, Angamonne Dessave of Oedepallate, Miewattere Secty, and Morgamme Mohanderam. (The two first are the brothers of the better-known ones of those names.)

 The Articles are

  1. unbreakable friendship;
  2. cession by the Kind of all rights and pretensions to lands held by the Coy(3) before the war;
  3. and of all the shores not then occupied by it, to wit on the West from Kaimelle (Maha Oya) to Jaffna district, and on the East from the border of that district to the Waluwe River, to a width of one Singalese mile more or less, as may be most convenient from the position of hills and rivers;
  4. Commissioners to be appointed by both Parties to measure and mark this, not taking into account the broken coast or the islands and the Coy to pay the King what he loses in income from these lands, the amount to be fixed by the Commissioners;
  5. the Coy to recognise the King as Sovereign of the rest of the island;
  6. the Coy for love of peace to restore all the lands recently captured, except the shores;
  7. the King's subjects to have free access to the salterns, with the right to take as much as they desire:
  8. the Coy to have the right to peel cinnamon in the King's lowlands as far as Ballane, that is to say in the Dessavony of Saffergam and the 3,4 and 7 Korles;
  9. the King to have peeled and delivered to the Coy the cinnamon of his highlands, and to receive 5 pagodas per bale;
  10. Ivory, Pepper, Cardomoms, Coffee, Areca, to be sold only to the Coy at the following prices quoted, the pagoda being taken as 2 Rxd);
  11. but that of Ivory to be fixed later;
  12. as also those of any other products of the King's lands which the Coy may later require;
  13. the subjects of both Parties to trade freely in all permitted materials:
  14. both Parties to present smuggling;
  15. the Coy to import anything the King may desire, if obtainable;
  16. such timber to be delivered at Trincomale and Battikaloa as the Coy may need;
  17. all prisoners, deserters, and rebels to be handed back as also the cannon captured at  Hangwelle and elsewhere;
  18. runaway slaves in future to be handed over, the owner to pay 10 Rxd for each slave to whoever captures him:
  19. employees of the Coy committing crimes in the King's lands to be arrested and handed over to the Coy with proofs and similarly subjects of the King committing crimes in the Coy's lands;
  20. the Coy to protect the King against attacks from without, and the King to assist in this;
  21. the King and the CDs(4) to carry on no correspondence with Nations other than the Dutch, much less conclude any Treaties, and to hand over to the Coy any foreigners that may slip into the island, also to have no correspondence or Treaties with the Princes of India to the detriment of the Coy;
  22. the Coy to make no Treaty to the detriment of the King;
  23. both Parties to send yearly Ambassadors to maintain mutual friendship, who may also make useful proposals regarding the import of salt and dried fish, and the peeling of cinnamon, and these to be received with such Honours as are proper between friends and allies the ceremonial to be identical on both sides;
  24. should any of the stipulations be broken or omitted, peace and friendship not to be destroyed thereby, but complaint to be made and reparation given within 6 weeks, the offended Party to have the right of recourse to arms

Signed on the parchment copies after ratification, in Dutch by Falck, Fever, Burnat, De Coste, de Lij, van Angelbeek, Schmidt, Moens and Borwater, with the Coy's seal in red wax, and around it "By order of the Govr and Council, van Angelbeek Secty", and in Singalese "Srilanka Dieswerre Srikirti Sri Radja Singa" with the King's seal in read wax in the margin.

(3) Coy - Company Dutch East Indies
(4) CD - Court Dignitaries

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