Region: Sri Lanka
Historical Overview
Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)
- 1602: the Dutch arrive
- 1636–1658: struggle with the Portuguese (the Portuguese had ruled the coastline only, from 1505)
- 1640–1656: Galle the capital of Dutch Ceylon
- 1656: Dutch capital switched to Colombo
- 1796: the British take over Ceylon
- 1802: signature of Treaty of Amiens formalizes cession