Overview
Dutch Ceylon was a governorate established in present-day Sri Lanka by the Dutch East India Company, existing from 1640 until 1796. This period marked Dutch control of Ceylon, though they never fully controlled the interior Kingdom of Kandy. In the early 17th century, the Sinhalese king of Kandy invited the Dutch to help defeat the Portuguese, who had ruled parts of Sri Lanka oppressively. The Dutch, interested in a united front against the Iberians, managed to capture most of the coastal areas of the island.
Historical Periods
Dutch Ceylon (1687–1712)
1687 CE – 1712 CE
Area: 44,064 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1713–1720)
1713 CE – 1720 CE
Area: 43,949 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1721–1733)
1721 CE – 1733 CE
Area: 44,064 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1734–1768)
1734 CE – 1768 CE
Area: 43,949 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1769–1771)
1769 CE – 1771 CE
Area: 28,765 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1772–1774)
1772 CE – 1774 CE
Area: 28,851 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1775–1787)
1775 CE – 1787 CE
Area: 28,765 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1788–1790)
1788 CE – 1790 CE
Area: 28,851 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1791–1793)
1791 CE – 1793 CE
Area: 28,765 km²
Dutch Ceylon (1794–1795)
1794 CE – 1795 CE
Area: 28,765 km²