The Dutch arrived in the 17th century, ... (1990) on Portuguese creole folklore in Sri Lanka and India – to Portugal, with ‘Adverse Genres in Fernando Pessoa’ (2010), ...

Then Europeans arrived, starting with the Portuguese in the 16th century, followed by the Dutch in the 17th, and in the late 18th, the British, who held onto the island for almost 150 years.

The island fell under Portuguese and Dutch influence after the 16th Century. ... Some key dates in Sri Lanka's history: 1505 - Portuguese arrive in Colombo, marking beginning of European interest.