Chandra R. de Silva is Professor of History and Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA

’This is a well-presented collection of historical texts...’ e-Journal of Portuguese History '... these selections could work not just as a case study of the workings of Portuguese expansion, but also of the ever-vexed issue of European colonialism's encounter with Asia, and even an introduction to the business of working with historical sources in general. De Silva carefully contextualizes the documents by explaining their origins, virtues, particularities, and also provides the necessary historical narrative in which to situate them.' Bulletin of Spanish Studies 'The clarity of the translations and the quality of the supporting apparatus make this volume a valuable contribution to the inquiry into the nature of the Portuguese seaborne empire, the history of the Indian Ocean, and the larger issue of cross-cultural encounters and interaction in the area.' Sixteenth Century Journal

• Contents: Introduction; The first visit of the Portuguese to Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka and its peoples; King Bhuvanekabahu and the Portuguese; Kandy: religion and politics; Jaffna: conquest, resistance and governance; The Peace Treaty of 1617; The Portuguese and the Maldives; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

Chandra R. de Silva is Professor of History and Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA

’This is a well-presented collection of historical texts...’ e-Journal of Portuguese History '... these selections could work not just as a case study of the workings of Portuguese expansion, but also of the ever-vexed issue of European colonialism's encounter with Asia, and even an introduction to the business of working with historical sources in general. De Silva carefully contextualizes the documents by explaining their origins, virtues, particularities, and also provides the necessary historical narrative in which to situate them.' Bulletin of Spanish Studies 'The clarity of the translations and the quality of the supporting apparatus make this volume a valuable contribution to the inquiry into the nature of the Portuguese seaborne empire, the history of the Indian Ocean, and the larger issue of cross-cultural encounters and interaction in the area.' Sixteenth Century Journal

• Contents: Introduction; The first visit of the Portuguese to Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka and its peoples; King Bhuvanekabahu and the Portuguese; Kandy: religion and politics; Jaffna: conquest, resistance and governance; The Peace Treaty of 1617; The Portuguese and the Maldives; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.