Samarakone Rala information

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Don Diaz Abeysundere Samarakone (Chevalier) - Head Mudaliyar of Portuguese Ceylon also referred to as Samarakone Mudaliyanse Ralahami in Mahawansa or Don Diaz Abeysundere Samarakone Fernández Mudaliyar was a Military Chief and Minister in the Royal Court in the Kingdom of Kotte and later served as the Head Mudaliyar Military Chief of Portuguese Ceylon.^[1]

He was born to a family of Chieftains of the Kotte Kingdom. With the growing influence and solidarity of the Portuguese with the then King Weera Parakramabahu VIII and later his heir King Don Juan Dharmapala of Kotte, Samarakone Rala proved his loyalty to the Portuguese which earned him the titles of Diaz and Fernández. He belonged to a Govigama family named Abeysundere Samarakone Mudaliyanse in Hakmana which is confirmed in Rajavaliya and Mahawansa, despite the attempts of certain clans and castes attempting to distort history by stating he belonged to the Karawa caste due to the honorary titles he was awarded by the Portuguese. According to multiple records he was the first to be awarded the Knighthood of Order of the Christ in Asia.^[2] Being known to the Portuguese as a Military Chief of the Kotte Kingdom, due to his Military Skills and brilliance as well as loyalty he was the Captain as well as the first and only Maha Mudaliyar of Ceylon appointed by the Portuguese.^[3] This family is one of the most influential aristocrats in the Kotte Kingdom and later Portuguese Ceylon. According to historical records including the Mahawansa Samarakone Ralahami was offered the Throne of Seetwaka by King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe but refused and remained loyal to the Portuguese as per the Commands of his former King, King Don Juan Dharmapala.^[4]