Rajasinha II vs Sunjo of Joseon

Rajasinha II signed a treaty with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to expel the Portuguese from Sri Lanka. The treaty promised the Dutch a monopoly on cinnamon trade and control of captured Portuguese forts.

Rajasinha II's forces, allied with the Dutch, captured Colombo from the Portuguese after a long siege. This ended Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka.

After the capture of Colombo, the Dutch refused to hand over the fort to Rajasinha II, as stipulated in the 1638 treaty. This led to a breakdown in relations and subsequent conflict between the Kandyan kingdom and the Dutch.

Dutch forces, in retaliation for Rajasinha II's attacks, captured and sacked Kandy. The king fled to the mountains, and the Dutch briefly occupied the capital.

After Jeongjo's death, the Andong Kim clan, led by Queen Sunwon's family, seized power. They purged reformist officials and controlled the young King Sunjo. This marked the beginning of in-law family rule (sedo politics) that lasted for decades.

Sunjo's government launched a severe persecution of Catholics, executing hundreds of converts and foreign missionaries. This was part of a broader crackdown on Western ideas. The persecution strengthened Joseon's isolationist policy.

A peasant rebellion led by Hong Gyeong-rae broke out in Pyeongan Province, protesting heavy taxes and corruption. The rebellion lasted several months and was suppressed by the government. It exposed the weaknesses of the Joseon administration under in-law rule.