ABSTRACT
Colombo was occupied by the British on 16 February 1796, ending Dutch power. At first, permanency of possession was uncertain. Britain valued the country mainly because of its strategic importance in protecting India and was loathe to spend money on it. Not until 1802 with the Peace of Amiens was Sri Lanka confirmed as a British dependency. By that time, military rule under the East India Company had ended and the first Crown-appointed Governor and Advisory Council were in place.
