Michael Roberts
The information and Thoughts presented here have been prompted by PHILIP SANSONI’s excellent book THE LAST STAND (2025,Case ID 1-14944717771) presented earlier in this website: namely, ….. https://thuppahis.com/2026/06/11/philip-sansonis-last-stand-in-kandy-reaches-the-world/ …. & ….. …. https://thuppahis.com/2026/06/12/reflections-on-sansonis-last-stand-in-kandy/
Quite remarkably AI provides a Capsule Sketch of this work
AI Overview
The British invasions of the Kingdom of Kandy ranged from roughly 3,400 to nearly 4,000 troops. While initial 1790s campaigns were logistical, the First Kandyan War (1803) utilized 3,387 men in a two-pronged attack. The decisive 1815 campaign deployed 3,969 men, succeeding largely via political collaboration rather than direct combat. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The scale and composition of British forces evolved throughout these campaigns:
-
- 1795–1796 (Initial Conquest): Following the declaration of war against Dutch territories, a force of approximately 3,000 troops captured coastal Ceylon. This force was commanded by Colonel James Stuart and consisted of King’s Regiments (71st, 72nd, 73rd Foot), Madras Native Infantry, and Royal Artillerymen. [1, 2]
- 1803 (First Kandyan War): A two-pronged invasion force of 3,387 soldiers pushed inland. The Colombo Division of 1,900 men was led by Major-General Hay MacDowall, while the Trincomalee Column of 1,434 men was led by Colonel Barbut. These were backed by British regulars (19th and 51st Regiments of Foot) and colonial units, including the 1st and 2nd Ceylon Regiments. [1, 2]
- 1804 (Expeditionary): After the disastrous garrison failure at Kandy, a smaller, punitive strike of only 857 men was routed by Kandyan forces. [1, 2]
- 1815 (Second Kandyan War): Governor Robert Brownrigg dispatched a heavily structured expeditionary force of 3,969 British and colonial troops. This time, the British capitalized on internal rebellions and defecting Kandyan aristocrats to take the capital with virtually no resistance. [1, 2, 4]
- 1818 (Uva Rebellion): To permanently crush the subsequent rebellion, the British escalated their military footprint, mobilizing a force between 15,000 and 24,000 men over the course of the campaign. [1, 2]
Would you like to explore:
-
- The specific tactics and weapons used by both armies?
- Details on the Kandyan guerrillas’ ambush capabilities?
- The specific terms of the Kandyan Convention of 1815?
Wikipedia
-
The British Conquest of Ceylon and the Massacre at Kandy …
As the British now considered Ceylon their responsibility, an invasion force arrived off Trincomalee on 1 August 1795, comprised o…
The Napoleon Series -
-
Kandyan Wars Facts for Kids
17 Oct 2025 — The Kandyan Wars were a series of conflicts between the British and the Kingdom of Kandy in what is now Sri Lanka. These wars took…
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
EMAIL MESSGAE From Bernard Van Cuylenburg in Melbourne, 12 July 2026
This is brilliant Michael and provides much food for thought. I shall peruse it in earnest…….
Regards, Bernard.