'The world is a strange place and its inhabitants even stranger.’ I ended my last blog with a view that we have continued to act in ways that have always been a farsighted idea or built bridges for generations that continue to explore this strange circle of the world. Today, I bring to you a story that goes back to a time even before international relations became a well established idea.
This story is about Bhuvanekabāhu VII, a relatively small ruler of Sri Lanka who ruled for a brief number of years during the 16th century. Although his kingdom would only spread across Colombo, he claimed lordship over a number of rulers across the island and the imperial title of “cakravarti” which designated the ability to impose tributes on such rulers under him in Sinhalese political arrangement. However, things became tough for him when he had to choose his successor. In 1539, when his family was blessed with a grandson, his desire to have his grandson as the next King was met with stiff opposition by his nobles and his own brother Māyādunnē, who had always ambitioned to be the next king. With the decision of promoting a younger candidate instigating uproar, Bhuvanekabāhu VII looked towards his Portuguese allies to strengthen his position over his rivals. He sought to be a key vassal of the Portuguese monarch John III and strengthen military ties to defend his kingdom. Although the Portuguese empire owed him a sizable sum of money in their operations in Asia, the Sinhalese king’s situation called for a completely different approach.
Carried by a Tamil ambassador who was to facilitate talks about his king’s vassalage to the Portuguese monarch, Bhuvanekabāhu VII sent across a marvellously carved ivory casket with a gold statue of Dharmapala, the successor to the Sri Lankan throne.While casket featured carvings depicting Portuguese superiority, its real intention was best described on the front side of it. Under Portuguese political setting, kings were anointed but in Sinhalese culture, kings were crowned. Thus, in the effort to bridge the intercontinental gap and reiterate prince’s claim, Bhuvanekabāhu VII had his craftsmen carve an imagery of how the exchange would take place with Prince Dharmapala’s sculpture presented by Sri Ramaraksa, the Tamil purhoita, and John III crowning the grandson prince when he comes to age.
The Portuguese monarch, overwhelmed with the gift and the approach, soon realised the role of the Sinhalese king’s lineage and the need for continued support to the Estado da India. It accepted the gift as a token of diplomacy and formally established an embassy for Bhuvanekabāhu VII in Portugal. Although the alliance was further strengthened through a number of diplomatic missions in the subsequent years, the significance of the event could well seen at the time when the Sinhalese king was much troubled. The Portuguese monarch’s resilience to both the Franciscans complains about Bhuvanekabāhu VII not converting to Christianity and Māyādunnē’s attempt to politically hack the position of the king and become a vassal himself by deciding to convert, showed the ever lasting effects of the coronation casket.
But with the casket now in Munich, historians believe that it was sold to a representative of Markus Fugger, a German politician and businessman, on behalf of the German Duke Albert V. Although the gift remained inside the realm of diplomacy as it was later used for the marriage between his daughter and the grandson of John III, it does put to question on what holds greater value, the gift or the exchange. Firstly, along with the casket, a number of ivory fans, combs, small jewellery boxes and rock crystal figures were sent, which were much welcomed by the queen and her family. But the casket held a much higher value politically and diplomatically for the manner of its presentation. Secondly, not the casket, but the papers of demand in 1541 and a series of royal decrees in response to it, were the objects that they chose to preserve as the remainders of diplomacy. Thus, it was never the gift itself,but the approach in giving the gift that held a greater value between the two continental monarchs.
Although we have come a long way from early modern diplomacy, the practice of giving gifts and its meaning, still continue to guide our most basic relationships in life. From birthdays to anniversaries, or even in our little tokens of appreciation, giving gifts have always been a sign of the love and care that we hold on to for our close ones. But do gifts have to be an expensive custom made casket that carves our feelings? No. Gifts are nothing but mere materials. As the coronation casket shows, gifts can be parted or may find its place somewhere else with time. But the meaning of such gifts will never fade away in our hearts if given with the right intention, for kings are only humans and humans have always been kings of their own lives.
