Great Rebellion of 1817–1818
Sinhalese rebellion against British authority in 1817-1818 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Great Rebellion of 1817–1818 (Sinhala: ඌව වෙල්ලස්ස මහා කැරැල්ල), also known as the 1818 Uva–Wellassa Rebellion (after the two places it had started), was the third Kandyan War in the Uva and Wellassa provinces of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which is today the Uva province of Sri Lanka. The rebellion started against the British colonial government under Governor Robert Brownrigg, three years after the Kandyan Convention ceded Kingdom of Kandy to the British Crown.
 | This article may be unbalanced towards certain viewpoints. (March 2021) |
| Uwa-Wellassa Uprising of 1817–18 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Kandyan Wars 1796-1818 | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Kandy rebels |
Radala collaborators | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Wilbawe Mudiyanse Doresami (as assigned King) Pilimatalavuva Maha Adikaram III Kivulegedara Mohottala Kohukumbure RateRala Butewe Rate Rala Ehelapola Maha Adikaram Gode Gedara Adikaram Thanne Adikarama Madulle Nilame Megaskumbure Nilame Kandepolla Nilame Dunuwila Nilame Iriyagama Nilame Dimbulana Disave Galagoda Mohottala Galagedara Mohottala Hitihami Mudiyanselage Rate Rala Dambawinna Disave Kurundukumbure Mohottala Madugalle Basnayake Nilame Millawe Disawa Nanapurowa Raterala Allamulle Rala Baknigahawella Mudiyanse Nakkala Mudiyanse Ketakala Mohottala Maha Betmerala Kuda Betmerala Palagolla Mohottala Passerewatte Vidane Yalagomme Mohotalla Udamadure Mohottala Kohukumbura Mohottala Unanthenne wasala mudiyanse Kohukumbura Gahawela Raterala Maha Badullegammene Raterala Bulupitiye Mohottala Palle Malheyae Gametirale Hapategamme Mohottala |
Gen. Sir Robert Brownrigg, 1st Baronet GCB Sir John D'Oyly, 1st Baronet, of Kandy Molligoda Maha Adikaram Ratwatte Adikaram Eknaligoda Dissawa Molligoda Podi Nilame Kawigamuwa Nilame Mahawala Thanna Nilame Mullegama Disaawa Doloswala Nilame Ahaliyagoda Nilame Katugaha Maha Nilame Katugaha Podi Nilame Dibulana Nilame Godagedara Nilame Binthanne Adikaram Gonigoda Nilame James Gray Simon Sawers P.E. Woodhouse George Turnor James Sutherland Col. John Kelly Lt. Col. Hardy Lt. Col. Hook Hadji Muhandiram Major MacDonald Major Wilson Major O’Brien Capt. O’Neil Lt. Newman Lt. J. Maclaine Captain Ritchie Captain Fraser Lieut-MacCornell Lieut-Taylor Native Lieut. Annan Native Lieut. Cader-Boyet | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
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Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot Green Howards 19th Regiment of Foot King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 51st Regiment of Foot Royal Berkshire Regiment 49th Regiment of Foot Royal Ulster Rifles 86th Regiment of Foot Madras Army 105th Regiment of Foot (Madras Light Infantry) Ceylon Light Dragoons Lascarins | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown - From 20,000 to 100,000 in an islandwide network. | 15,000 to 24,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 8,000 to 10,000 | 900 to 2,000 | ||||||
The rebellion was initiated by disgruntled Kandyan chiefs who were disillusioned by the British colonial administration. It gained initial success with many Kandyan chiefs such as Keppetipola Disawe sent to suppress it joining the rebel forces. Major Sylvester Douglas Wilson, the Assistant Resident in Badulla was killed and the rebels soon gained much control over the region. A pretender to the throne of Kandy, Wilbawe was proclaimed king. Governor Brownrigg established his field headquarters at Kandy and directed military operations against the rebels, who had resorted to hit-and-run attacks, with the assistance of Kandyan chiefs who remained loyal which included Molligoda Maha Adikaram and Ratwatte Adikaram. Brownrigg soon received reinforcements from British India. Following the capture of many rebel leaders, the rebellion eventually fizzled out as the last remaining rebel holdouts were killed or captured by the British.[1]