Kusumasana Devi

Kusumāsana Devi (died 10 July 1613), also known as Dona Catherina, was ruling Queen of Kandy in 1591.

Kusumāsana Devi
Queen of Kandy
Kusumāsana Devi being welcomed by the General Conquistador Pedro Lopes de Sousa
Reign1591
PredecessorKaralliyadde Bandara
SuccessorRajasinha I
SpouseVimaladharmasuriya I (m. 1594)
Senarat
IssueMaha Astane
Suriya Mahadasin
Santana Mahadasin
Kumarasinghe
Vijayapala
Rajasinha II of Kandy
HouseHouse of Siri Sanga Bo
FatherKaralliyadde Bandara
MotherDenawaka Kusumasana Devi (Gallegama Adasin)

Life

In her infancy she and her father Karaliyadde Bandara fled the kingdom to the Portuguese. Later she was baptised by the Portuguese and named Dona Catarina.[1]

Queen regnant

After the death of her father in 1581, the Portuguese installed her as a client ruler in the Campaign of Danture. She was at this point a teenager. She succeeded her father Karaliyadde Bandara as king of Kandy. The attempt was a disaster, with Portuguese forces completely wiped out. She was deposed by Rajasinha I of the Kingdom of Sitawaka in the same year she ascended the throne.

Queen consort

In 1594, she became the Queen Consort to Vimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy to solidify his rule after the defeat of King Rajasinhe I three years prior.[1][2] Finally, she married her former brother-in-law Senarat who succeeded to the throne following the death of King Vimaladharmasuriya in 1604, also to solidify his legitimacy as ruler.[2] Her ascendancy was contingent on converting to Buddhism, but she secretly taught Catholicism to her subjects during her life.

She had three children by King Vimaladharmasuriya - Mahastana Adahasin, Surya Mahadahasin and Santana Adahasin. She also had three children, Kumarasingha Astana, Vijayapala Astane and Mahastane by King Senerath Bandara. Mahastana Adahasin died in 1612 after six days of sickness. Her youngest son Mahastane later succeeded his father as King Rajasinhe II, known for the agreement with the Dutch to end Portuguese rule.

She fell sick after her son Mahastane Adahasin died in 1612, with her illness attributed to excessive grief by Philippus Baldaeus. She died on 10 July 1613 at the age of 35.

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See also

References

Citations
  1. Obeyesekere 2017, p. 161.
  2. Rajiva Wijesinha: Political Principles and Their Practice in Sri Lanka

Bibliography
  • Gananath Obeyesekere (2017). "Between the Portuguese and the Nāyakas: the many faces of the Kandyan Kingdom, 1591– 1765". In Biedermann, Zoltan; Strathern, Alan (eds.). Sri Lanka at the crossroads of history. London: UCL Press. ISBN 9781911307846.
Kusumasana Devi
Born: ? 15?? Died: July 1613
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Karalliyadde Bandara		 Monarch of Kandy
1581–1581		 Succeeded by
Rajasinha I


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