Chapter I: The Kandy War
Gustaaf Willem baron van Imhoff (1705-1756), governor of Ceylon from 1736 to 1741.
Chapter I: The Kandy War
Since the Dutch Golden Age, the Dutch East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) had territories in Ceylon. It was an important colony for the Dutch trading empire. However, in 1736 the VOC made a decision which would be decisive for the future of Ceylon and The Netherlands itself: the appointment of Gustaaf Willem baron van Imhoff as governor of Ceylon
A year later, after the rejection of a new colonial treaty, Van Imhoff decided that he wanted total control for the VOC on Ceylon and start a policy of divide and conquer. He argued this could only be achieved trough war with and annexation of the Kingdom of Kandy, the only other power on the island except the VOC:
However, originally the Raad van Indië (Council of the Indies), the central colonial government of the VOC in Asia, opposed Van Imhoffs ideas. But then, on 11 July 1739, a conversation happened between him and members of the Raad, where he could convince them to go to war against Kandy. They gave Van Imhoff much troops to preparate the war, which would decide the future of Ceylon.
The opposites between the Tamils and the Sinhalese, the two population groups inside Kandy, were used by Van Imhoff in the war, which broke out on 5 October 1739. The VOC cooperated with some Sinhalese against the Tamils, and they promised a strong administrative role for these Sinhalese after the war.
After winning some small battles, in the spring of 1740 the armies marched to the capital of the kingdom, called Kandy too. From 5 April to 9 April 1740 the Battle of Kandy took place, ending in a Dutch victory. After this battle the war was over and the VOC annexed the kingdom. Van Imhoffs ideal of a Ceylon dominated by the VOC now became reality.