Battle of Vannarpannai
| Battle of Vannarpannai | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Jaffna Kingdom Thanjavur Nayaks | Portuguese Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Cankili II (POW) Khem Nayak |
Phillippe de Oliveira Antonio da Motta Galvão Francisco Pereira Velho | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 4,000 |
230 Portuguese 3,000 Lascarins | ||||||||
The Battle of Vannarpannai was a battle fought in 1619 between the forces of Cankili II, the last ruler of the Jaffna Kingdom, and the Portuguese under Phillippe de Oliveira.
After arriving in Jaffna, Phillippe de Oliveira demanded tribute and the surrender of Varunakulattan Cankili's South Indian mercenary commander. When Cankili II refused, tensions escalated into open conflict. the battle took place at Vannarpannai where Cankili's army of around 4,000 soldiers, including local Tamil troops and Vadugai mercenaries, initially managed to repel the Portuguese lascarins. However, the Portuguese, supported by superior weaponry and discipline, launched a counterattack that decisively defeated Cankili's forces. Following the defeat, Cankili II attempted to flee to South India but was captured by the Portuguese. His mercenary commander, Varunakulattan managed to escape to Tanjore. the Battle of Vannarpannai marked the fall of the Jaffna Kingdom leading to its formal annexation into the Portuguese Empire.