Puran Appu

Role in the Matale Rebellion Francisco (Veera Puran Appu) attended the Wesleyan school in Moratuwa and was a very mischievous boy. After a fight and thrashing the village headman from Lakshapathiya, he fled from Moratuwa in 1825 at the age of 13. His uncle, W. Marcellenus Franciscu Fernando, was the first Sinhalese proctor who had a flourishing practice at Ratnapura and in 1840 Francisco stayed with him.

Puranappu's army first attacked Fort McDowl in Matale. Government buildings and property were ransacked – kachcheries, jails, rest houses and court house records. The coffee stores of Lieutenant General Herbert Maddock, a key adviser to the Government in Kandy was set on fire. Puran Appu was successful in capturing Matale for a while and the people in another demonstration of popular fervor, proclaimed him King of Kandy.

thumbnail His success, however, was short-lived. An ill-trained army, equipped with primitive weapons was no match for the superior arms and organisation of the British Half-way between Matale and Kandy, the Sinhala forces, depleted by desertions and their movements betrayed by traitors, were intercepted by British troops and Puran Appu himself was captured and taken to Kandy. With his capture, the Rebellion fizzled out.

Brought to trial before a Court Martial, he was found guilty of having waged war against H.M. Queen Victoria and condemned to be shot.

On August 8, 1848, on the banks of the Bogambara Wewa, Veera Puran Appu was executed.

Legacy Weera Puran Appu Vidyalaya, a school in Moratuwa is named after him. A new frog species found from Adam's Peak, was named Pseudophilautus puranappu, by the researchers for his great dedication to protect the country from foreign invasions. A biographical film of Puran Appu was made on 1978, where Ravindra Randeniya acted as Puran Appu.