Title
In Praise of the Portuguese: Images of Power and Religion in Seventeenth-Century Ceilão
Abstract
Around 1619, Alagiyavanna Mukuveti, a Sinhala court poet and convert to Catholicism during the expansion of Portuguese rule in Ceilão, composed a poetic work of around 189 stanzas called Kustantínu Hatana (The War of Constantino). This text is noteworthy for its reliance on poetic conventions and religious ideas adopted from Sinhala Buddhist culture. This essay will examine images of power and religion in this work to gain insights into how a Buddhist convert and civil servant under Portuguese authority transformed the figure of the resident capitão-geral Constantino de Sá de Noronha and the religion of the Portuguese in local terms.
Department(s)
Religious Studies
Document Type
Article
Keywords
Buddhism, Ceilão, conversion, poetry, Portuguese colonialism, budismo, colonialismo português, conversão, poesia
Publication Date
3-1-2012
Recommended Citation
Berkwitz, Stephen C. "In Praise of the Portuguese: Images of Power and Religion in Seventeenth-Century Ceilão." Anais de Historia de Alem-Mar 13 (2012): 433-452.
Journal Title
Anais de História de Além-Mar
