The island of Sri Lanka was colonised by Portugal from 1505-1658. During this period the Portuguese attempted to acclimatise the native population to Western customs in order to stem the flow of any potential resistance to their rule and gradually eradicate the local cultural and religious ways. One of their chief methods they used to implement this goal was through the Roman Catholic Church, an important aspect of culture in the colonists' homeland of Portugal (1, 2). This paper will address how and why the Portuguese sought to forcefully spread Christianity, how certain sectors of society responded to this, and then finally examine the role of Christianity and Catholicism in Sri Lanka.
Whilst some in high places and positions of authority such as the Kandyan prince Vijaya Pala may have accepted Portuguese customs and traditions by adopting them as their own (3), the majority of the civilian population resisted Western religion and culture. The Sinhalese continued to practice Buddhism, as is their custom, and the minority Tamil population in the north also generally remained devout Hindus. There was also a sizeable minority of Arabic traders in the island who adhered to Islam. All three of these groups would come under the direct and violent persecution of their colonial leaders as they attempted to forcefully ensure the spread of Catholicism.
However, the Portuguese also used more covert methods to convert the local populace to Christianity. The colonial rulers offered incentives to those who converted to Catholicism. Some Sri Lankans even used a deathbed conversion in order to gain the privilege of an inheritance for their children or as a method of pardon from crimes that they had committed such as murder or robbery. This is something which would otherwise be withheld if they were not Catholic.
