Atlas of Battles

siege, early modern

Siege of Colombo

Siege of Colombo was a siege conducted in 1587 at Colombo, in what is now Sri Lanka; it ran into the following year. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Colombo. It was part of Sinhalese–Portuguese conflicts, which ran from 1527 to 1658. The recorded result: Portuguese victory.

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Fought1587ran into the following year
WhereColombo, Sri Lanka6.927N, 79.861E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomePortuguese victory
BelligerentsKingdom of PortugalagainstKingdom of Sitawaka
Casualties and losses24 soldiers; 80 lascarins; 500 civiliansand5,000 men
Part ofSinhalese–Portuguese conflicts1527 to 1658

Where it sits in Sinhalese–Portuguese conflicts

Battle of Mulleriyawa, 1559Siege of Colombo, 1587Sitawaka campaign, 1594Battle of Vannarapannai, 1619Battle of Gannoruwa, 163815591638Siege of Colombo, 1587
5 placed engagements of Sinhalese–Portuguese conflicts in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1587 (year precision)
to 1588
PlaceColombo, Sri Lanka
6.927N, 79.861E
KindSiege, early modern
StrengthStart of the siege: 300 Portuguese soldiers; 700 Lascarins; 1 galley, 5 fustas; End of the siege: 2,000 soldiers50,000 soldiers; 2,200 elephants; 60,000 servants
Casualties and losses24 soldiers; 80 lascarins; 500 civilians5,000 men
Commanders
  • João de Correia de Brito
  • Tomé de Sousa Arronches
  • Rajasinha I
Siege of ColomboSiege of ColomboEaster Sunday RaidSiege of ColomboSiege of KotteAction of 2 May 1654Battle of MulleriyawaSiege of ColomboAction of 2 May 1654KandyGalleRatnapuraPuttalan100 km6.927N, 79.861E
Placed at Colombo; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1587

Siege of Colombo is one of 1,470 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 30 in present-day Sri Lanka.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q125998118, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Colombo (1587–1588), revision 1383805686, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.