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Colonial Colombo: From Trading Port to Imperial Capital (1505–1948) – By Francis Paul Welangoda
Source : Francis Paul Welangoda’s Facebook post
The history of colonial Colombo spans over 400 years, during which it was transformed from a simple trading port into a fortified administrative hub by three successive European powers: the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British.
Portuguese Era (1505–1656) Arrived accidentally in 1505 and established a trading post by 1517.They built a massive fortified city known as “Our Lady of Victories” to protect the cinnamon trade. The area outside this fort became known as Pettah (meaning “outer fort”).
Dutch Era (1656–1796) Captured Colombo after a seven-month siege. The Dutch demolished the Portuguese structures and rebuilt the city into two distinct sections: the Casteel (military quarter) in the west and the Oude Stad (residential quarters) in the east. They introduced the Dutch Canal system for transportation and defense.
British Era (1796–1948 Captured the city in 1796 and made it the capital of Ceylon in 1815 after conquering the Kingdom of Kandy.
Demolished the fort walls in the 1870s to facilitate urban expansion.
Established major infrastructure, including the Colombo Municipal Council (1865), railways, and the National Museum (1877).
Neighborhood Names: Slave Island (where the Dutch housed enslaved Africans) and Cinnamon Gardens (formerly a massive plantation). Legal & Administrative Systems: The British established the Supreme Court in 1801.
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