Nineteen leaders of the Great Rebellion of 1818 declared heroes | Daily News

Nineteen leaders of the Great Rebellion of 1818 declared heroes

[Painting by Prasanna Weerakkody]

President Maithripala Sirisena has reached into the annals of history to declare 19 leaders of the Great Rebellion of 1818, branded as traitors by the British Raj, heroes.

The Great Rebellion of 1817–1818, also known as the 1818 Uva–Wellassa uprising was the third of the Kandyan Wars against British colonial forces.

The uprising was led by Keppetipola Disawe and included several other regional leaders: Wilbawe II, Pilima Talauve Adikaram, Kohu Kumbure Rate Rala, Dimbulana Disave, Kivulegedara Mohottala, Madugalle Disave, Butewe Rate Rala, Galagoda family members, Galagedara Mohottala, Meegahapitiya Rate Rala, Dambawinna Disave and Gode Gedara Adikaram, Kurundukumbure Mohottala, Madugalle Basnayake Nilame and Ellepola Adikaram among these.

To quell the rebellion, the British issued a gazette notification [No. 6 of 1817] awarding a reward of two thousand Rix dollars to the head of each rebel leader, set fire to villages and livestock and finally brought in troops from India. The leaders were branded traitors and beheaded or exiled.  

 


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