1st Kandyan War
| 1st Kandyan War | |
|---|---|
| 1803-1805 | |
| Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns | |
| |
| Location: Sri Lanka | |
| Combatants: | |
| East India Company | Sinhalese |
| Result: British victory | |
| Medals: | |
| Links: | |
| Category: 1st Kandyan War | |
Summary
The British gained control of the coastal areas in the 1795-96 War against Dutch in Ceylon but the Kingdom of Kandy continued to rule the central highlands. In 1802 the Treaty of Amiens formally ceded the Dutch territories to Britain and they were declared a Crown Colony so were not a part of British India.
Competing rivals for the Kandyan throne sought assistance from the British and tensions arose when British subjects were maltreated by agents of the Kandyan First Minister. Frederick North, first British Governor of Ceylon, used this as an excuse to invade on 31 January 1803. Two forces were dispatched - one under Maj-Gen Hay MacDowell from Colombo and the other from Trincomalee under Col Barbut. After initial success the British became isolated in hostile territory and subject to guerilla warfare. The garrison at Candy was compelled to surrender under promise of safe conduct but the commander, Major Adam Davie, was taken prisoner and later executed and the garrison massacred almost to a man. The British gained a significant victory at Hanwella and hostilities ceased without a treaty when General Thomas Maitland succeeded North as governor in 1805.
British forces
Colombo Division under Maj-Gen Macdowell
- Two companies of 19th Regiment of Foot
- 51st Regiment of Foot (625 men)
- 2nd Ceylon Regiment (1,000 men)
- One company of 1st Ceylon Regiment
- One corps of Pioneers
- Two partial companies of Bengal Artillery
Trincomalee Division under Colonel Barbut
- Five companies of 19th Regiment of Foot
- Greater part of 1st Ceylon Regiment
- One company of Madras Artillery
- Lascars and Pioneers
External Links
1st and 2nd Kandyan War (Ceylon) 1798-1818 The British Empire
1st Kandian War 1803-05 Wikipedia
An account of the war in 1803
The Campaign in 1803 Google Books
Lt-Col Burton Gage Barbut Google Books
Corporal George Barnsley's narrative Google Books
Historical books online
- "Ceylon, a general description of the island and its inhabitants; with an historical sketch of the conquest of the colony by the English" by Henry Marshall 1846 - English Period 1803 Google Books
- "Observations on the Campaign in Ceylon: Part 2 The British Campaign from 1803", involving the 19th and 65th Regiments of Foot, together with Royal Artillery and troops from Bengal. The Naval and Military Magazine Volume 3, page 240 1828 Google Books
- The Life of Alexander Alexander Volume 1, page 100 by Alexander Alexander and edited by John Howell 1830 ( Google Books). The author arrived in Ceylon in 1803 with the Royal Artillery
