Bhuvanekabahu VII, with the help of Portuguese, defeated Mayadunne's invading forces, eventually paving the way to an uneasy peace between two kingdoms.

[citation needed] After the unsuccessful siege of Kotte from 1557 to 1558 by Mayadunne, the Portuguese laid plans to invade Sitawaka.

[7] It is widely accepted that a Portuguese army led by Captain-Major Afonso Pereira de Lacerda was defeated by Sitawakan forces at Mulleriyawa in the year of 1562.

[citation needed] Pereira de Lacerda was suffering from chronic malaria which almost reduced him to a state of delirium.

So Goa sent a veteran commander named Jorge de Menezes (nicknamed Baroche for his exploits at the city of Broach which lies in the bay of Cambaya) to take over.

[8] De Menezes held the office of captain-major of Portuguese Ceylon from 1559 to 1560 which places the battle sometime after May 1559 and at the same time questions the above date (1562).

[11] King Mayadunne received the news of this invasion force and sent an army under the command of his son Tikiri Bandara towards Hewagama.

When the captains approached de Menezes regarding low gunpowder reserves, it led to the famous reply “...If there is no powder they might load their muskets with sand, and if they did not shoot, they might finish the fight with the sword, because such brave Portuguese had no need of arms as long as they had nails and teeth.”[15] De Menezes renewed the attack, but his men withdrew against his orders to hold back.

[12] Then he reinforced Wickramasinghe Mudali's remaining forces with elephants and elite targe bearers and deployed them in left and right wings.

[16] Finally, Tikiri Bandara deployed the remaining targe bearers, war elephants, and cavalry in the center and assumed the command himself.

[12] Meanwhile, the Portuguese found their rear blocked by large trees[15] and the enemy close by, they drew up themselves (arranged in battle ranks) in an open area at Mulleriyawa.

[12] The intensity of the battle described in Portuguese sources by accounts of men trying to stop elephants with banner staffs, and a soldier attacking Chingalaz (Sinhalese) with teeth when he lost his weapons.

[17] Tikiri Bandara rode throughout the battle line, encouraging men to continuously press the attack and to close the gaps.

Although the Sitawakans were no longer pressing the attack, Portuguese sources provide names of 6 soldiers which were killed in this wood by Sitawaka forces using musket fire alone.

After the battle, Tikiri Bandara sent for the Arachchies of Koratota, Hewagama, Korale and Hokanrdara, rewarding them for their vital charge against the Portuguese rear.

[5] The Arachchi of Koratota was gifted Bandara's personal sword, and to this day his descendants still maintain the weapon in their possession, using in to practise the martial art of angampora.

Before retiring back to Sitawaka, he organized raiding sorties along the river towards Portuguese held area to lay waste.

After three months, the Portuguese were reinforced by fresh troops from Goa and launched a three pronged attack towards the Mapitigama stockade.

[5] “Kattala” was built in Modara area, by lashing together two river barges called Padavs (Padawwa in Sinhala).

He dragged two field pieces to the river, ordered to lower them to the bank, and mounted the cannons at water level well hidden from the approaching enemy.

1).Mapatigama Stockade – High ground closer to the northern bank of Kelani River at Ranala – Udumapitigama ferry.

[27] Emboldened by this victory, Mayadunne and Tikiri Bandara conducted frequent attacks against the Portuguese and the Kotte Kingdom.

They abandoned Kotte and moved to Colombo (which was guarded by a powerful fort and the Portuguese navy) with their puppet King Dharmapala.