Rajasinha II of Kandy

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Rajasinghe II
Thrisinhaladisuwara [1] Lankeshwara Bhupathi Imperador of Ceylon[2]
Rajasingha II, from Robert Knox's A Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon, 1693
King of Kandy
Reign	1635 – 6 December 1687
Coronation	1635
Predecessor	Senarat
Successor	Vimaladharmasurya II
Regent of Kandy[3]
Tenure	1628 – 1635
Monarch	Senarat
Born	1608 Aluthnuwara Palace, Mawanella, Sri Lanka
Died	6 December 1687 Hanguranketha Palace, Sri Lanka
Burial	Royal Garden of Hanguranketha, Sri Lanka later; Royal Cremation Yard, Asgiri Temple, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Spouse	Queen Consort of Madurai
Issue	Vimaladharmasurya II
Father	Senarat
Mother	Dona Catherina of Kandy
Religion	Theravada Buddhism[4]

King Rajasinghe II, also known as Rajasingha II (pre coronation, Prince Dewa Astana/Dewarajasinghe), was a Sinhalese King, reigned 1629 – 6 December 1687; seventh king of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. Rajasingha requested aid from the newly formed Dutch East India Company to help expel the Portuguese from the island, which they successfully did in 1656. By this time however it had become clear to the Kandyans that the Dutch not only intended to expel the Portuguese but to replace them as the major colonial power on the island. This transfer of power is also believed to be where the Sinhala idiom / figure of speech “ඉඟුරු දී මිරිස් ගත්තා වාගේ” Inguru di miris gaththa wagay (Literal meaning: Like one exchanged ginger for chili) was originated - in reference that the Dutch Rule was much more of a menace to the king and cruel to the people in the island than the Portuguese. From 1645 onwards Rajasingha was engaged in sporadic warfare with his erstwhile allies.