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Rajasinha II
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Rajasinha II

king of Kandy
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Rajasinha II was the king of Kandy, a Sinhalese kingdom in Sri Lanka's Central Highlands. He reigned from 1635 to 1687. During his rule, Kandy was the last independent Sinhalese kingdom, resisting Portuguese and later Dutch colonial powers. Rajasinha II strategically allied with the Dutch to expel the Portuguese, signing treaties that granted them trade monopolies and forts in exchange for military assistance. However, he grew wary of Dutch ambitions to control the island's coastal areas, leading to conflict even as they worked together to oust the Portuguese. He is known for his role in the struggle against European dominance in Sri Lanka.12

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. history of Sri Lanka - Kandy and its struggle with European powers
  2. Sri Lanka - Kandy and its struggle with European powers
  3. Sri Lanka - The Anuradhapura period
  4. Rājāvaliya

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