Vikrama Rajasinha of Kandy

Sri Vikrama Rajasinha
King of Kandy
HM Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, King of Kandy.
Reign	1798 – February 10, 1815
Coronation	1798
Predecessor	Rajadhi Rajasinha
Successor	End of Sinhalese monarchy George III of the United Kingdom, as King of British Ceylon
Born	1780 Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Died	January 30, 1832 Vellore Fort, India
Spouse	Vencataranga Rajammal Venkatamma Moodoocunamma Venkata Jammal
Issue	Rajadhi Rajasingha (d. 1843) Letchumi Devi (d. 1856) Raja Nachiar Devi (d. 1860)
House	Nayaks of Kandy
Father	Sri Venkata Perumal
Mother	Subbamma Nayaka
Religion	Theravada Buddhism
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Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (1780 – January 30, 1832, born Kannasamy Nayaka) was the last of four Kings, to rule the last Sinhalese monarchy of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. The Nayak Kings were Telugu nominal Buddhists who practiced Hinduism. It is claimed that they spoke Tamil. The King was eventually deposed by the British under the terms of the Kandyan Convention, in 1815, ending over 2300 years of Sinhalese monarchy on the island. The island was incorporated into the British Empire, and Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was succeeded by George III, as monarch of British Ceylon.

Prior to his coronation in 1798, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was known as Prince Kannasamy. He was a member of the Madurai Nayak Dynasty and the nephew of Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha. He succeed his uncle as the King of Kandy in 1798 at the age of eighteen.

There was a rival claimant to succeed Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha, the brother of Queen Upendrama, who had a stronger claim. However, Pilimatalauwa, the first Adigar (Prime Minister) chose Prince Kannasamy, reportedly with deep seated plans to usurp the throne to set up a dynasty of his own. Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was faced with numerous conspiracies to overthrow him and reigned through one of the most turbulent periods in Sri Lanka's history.

During his time, the British who had succeeded the Dutch in the Maritime Provinces had not interfered in the politics of the Kandy. But Pilimatalauwa, the first Adigar of the King, started covert operations with the British to provoke the King into acts of aggression, which would give the British an excuse to seize the Kingdom. The Adigar manipulated the King into beginning a military conflict with the British, who had gained a strong position in the coastal provinces. War was declared and on March 22, 1803 the British entered Kandy with no resistance, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha having fled. The adigar massacred the British garrison in Kandy in June and restored the King to the throne. Pilimitalava plotted to overthrow the King and seize the crown for himself, but his plot was discovered, and, having been pardoned on two previous occasions, he was executed.