The Fatal History of Portuguese Ceylon

George Winius is the first historian in 300 years to tell the story of the Dutch takeover of Ceylon from the viewpoint of the vanquished Portuguese. Drawing on official Portuguese records, he has woven a suspenseful, fast-moving tale which will interest both historian and history buff. Ceylon was part of a far-flung empire troubled by military and diplomatic intrigues, maneuverings and alliances, misgovernment and betrayal. This is the first book in any language to probe the reasons for the period of imperial decline and decay known as the Portuguese decadéncia. Winius’s theory is that Portugal’s interest shifted from Asia to South America during the wars of the Restoration period, and that Portugal, convinced that Brazil was more valuable than Ceylon, all but deliberately let it go.