Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo (Estate of Barbosa, Entre-Douro-e-Minho, Portugal, circa 1560 – Lisbon, São Jorge Castle, 1625) was a Portuguese fidalgo, Governor (captain-general) of Portuguese Ceylon and viceroy of Portuguese India. He proclaimed in Colombo, in 1597, the King of Portugal, Philip I, as the legitimate heir to the throne of Kotte, thus substantiating the Portuguese claims of sovereignty over the island of Ceylon.
Early life
He was born Jerónimo de Azevedo de Ataíde e Malafaya, one of the thirteen children of Dom Manuel de Azevedo, Comendador of the monastery of São João de Alpendurada. He was thus a half-brother of the Jesuit martyr, Blessed Inácio de Azevedo.
Not being the firstborn son, he did not inherit his father's estate, that included the lordship of the medieval honras of Barbosa and Ataíde, each with an estimated annual income of 100 thousand reais, a considerable sum in 16th century Portugal. Dom Jerónimo was thus compelled to follow the example of many second sons of the Portuguese nobility of that era, by emigrating at a young age to the most important of Portugal's overseas possessions, the Estado da Índia, where he made his career.
He entered royal service on 25 March 1577, as a page (moço fidalgo) of King Sebastian's household (this was a posting usually reserved for very young members of the nobility, suggesting he was born sometime around 1560 - and not in 1540 as referred in some sources). The appointment was made with his going to the East already in view and some time later, he sailed to India.
Governorship of Ceylon
Azevedo was Captain-Major of the Malabar coast for a period of 15 years, before being nominated Captain-General of Ceylon in the year 1594. He stayed in charge in Ceylon for a period of 18 years (from Christmas 1594 until November 1612), an unusual long period for holding one office in the Estado da Índia. He was a key figure in the late 16th-century and early 17th-century Portuguese attempts to take full control over the whole territory of present-day Sri Lanka.
The touchstone of Portuguese ambitions in Ceylon by the end of the 16th century was the bequest by King Dharmapala of Kotte in 1580 of his entire realm to the king of Portugal. Dharmapala was a Christian convert and his bequest was unacceptable to many of his Buddhist subjects and to the ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Kandy. The takeover was therefore resisted, and the Portuguese had to subjugate Kotte by force.
Capture of Maldives
The leader of the Portuguese forces during the capture of the Maldives in 1558 was Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo. He played a significant role in the Portuguese expansion in the Indian Ocean.
Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo led the military expedition to the Maldives, and under his command, the Portuguese captured the Maldivian capital, Malé, in 1558. The Maldivian ruler at that time was Sultan Ali VI, and the Portuguese captured him during their invasion.
However, the Portuguese rule in the Maldives was relatively short-lived, lasting for about 15 years. The Maldivians successfully revolted against Portuguese rule, and in 1573, they managed to drive the Portuguese out of their islands and regain their independence. Maldivians Refer to him as Andhiri Andhirin.
Military campaigns in Kotte
Azevedo arrived in Colombo with fresh troops on 24 December 1594, barely three months after his predecessor, Pedro Lopes de Sousa died at the battle of Danture (9 October 1594). The Portuguese army had been annihilated by the Kandyan forces in that battle and Azevedo found a kingdom of Kotte in full rebellion. On the first of January 1595 he held a review of the armed forces at his disposal, with king Dharmapala (the source of legitimacy for Portuguese rule in Kotte) at his side. He mustered 900 Portuguese and 2,000 Lascarin soldiers. He sized up the situation and decided he had to pacify the lowlands of Kotte before he could retaliate against Kandy. A difficult, ruthless and prolonged campaign to crush the revolts in the lowlands was thus started and it would concentrate most of Azevedo's attention until it was successfully concluded in 1602. By the end of 1601 the king of Portugal was already writing to the viceroy in Goa, promising to remember Azevedo's many services to the crown.
Proclamation of Philip I of Portugal as King of Kotte and the Malvana Convention
His governorship in Kotte is also noted for his dealing with complex political issues, which he tried to address in two steps - first, by convening a ceremony for the proclamation of the Portuguese King as sovereign of Kotte and second, by summoning the Convention of Malvana, after the death of king Dharmapala in 1597.