The Portuguese arrived in the Kingdom of Kotte in 1505. By 1551, they had appointed a captain-major to control the Portuguese occupied territory called Ceylon on the island of modern-day Sri Lanka. In that time, there were numerous captain-majors until 1594. The post of captain-major was preceded by that of the captain in 1518. In 1594, the captain-major was replaced with a governor.
List of captain-majors Portrait Name Birth Death Captain-major from Captain-major until SovereignJoão Henriques--15511552John IIIDiogo de Melo Coutinho(1st time)--15521552John IIIDuarte de Eça148015??15521553John IIIFernão Carvalho--15531555John IIIAfonso Pereira de Lacerda--15551559John IIISebastianJorge de Meneses Baroche--15591560SebastianBaltasar Guedes de Sousa--15601564SebastianPedro de Ataíde Inferno--15641565SebastianDiogo de Melo--15651568SebastianFernando de Monroy--15681570SebastianDiogo de Melo Coutinho(2nd time)--15701572SebastianAntónio de Noronha--15721575SebastianFernando de Albuquerque--15751578SebastianManuel de Sousa Coutinho1540159115781583SebastianHenryFilipe IJoão de Correia de Brito--15831590Filipe ISimão de Brito--15901591Filipe IPedro Homem Pereira--15911594Filipe I
See also List of monarchs of Sri Lanka List of captains of Portuguese Ceylon List of captain-generals of Portuguese Ceylon History of Sri Lanka
References List of heads of state of Sri Lanka at worldstatesmen.org