6) Acquisition of Ceylon - navy

Question	Answer
What year did Britain acquire Ceylon?	1815.
Ceylon was initially a colony that belonged to who?	It was initially a Dutch colony, and the Netherlands were a British ally.
In 1794, when the Netherlands were conquered by France, what happened?	The Dutch royal family fled to England, where the were pressured to order the colonies to surrender to British forces for 'protection'.
What was dispatched?	Ship of the line HMS Suffolk and a frigate was dispatched, under Sir George Elphinstone.
When Suffolk arrived, what happened?	The settlements surrendered and a British governor was installed.
What was Ceylon an important provider of?	It was one of the only sources of cinnamon in the world.
The capture of Ceylon immediately yielded how much in goods?	Immediately yielded around £300,000 in goods, and cinnamon plantations were a profitable asset.
What suggests the Britain regarded it as important?	Because, unlike their other Dutch colonies, they retained it in the Treaty of Ameins, 1802.
What did the Kingdom of Kandy hope Britain would do?	They hoped Britain would restore some of the coastline to them, which didn't happen, and sporadic warfare broke out.
Although a fragile peace was established, what did Governor Brownrigg do?	He supported a group of nobles against the king in 1815, Kandy was occupied and the king was captured.
What was decided at the Kandyan Convention?	Kandy became a self-governing protectorate with the requirement to pay tribute to the British coastal territory.

Resource summary

	Created by Lauren Le Prevost over 7 years ago