Samarakone Rala
Don Diaz Fernández Abeysundere Samarakone ''' was a Ceylonese military chief and minister of the Royal Court in the Kingdom of Kotte. He served as the Head Mudaliyar Military Chief of Portuguese Ceylon.
Life
Don Diaz Fernández Abeysundere Samarakone was born in Hakmana, Matara to a Govigama family named Abeysundere Samarakone Mudaliyanse, which was confirmed in the chronicles Rajavaliya and Mahāvaṃsa. The family consisted of Kotte chieftains.With the growing influence and solidarity of the Portuguese with Parakramabahu VIII and his heir Dharmapala of Kotte, Samarakone proved his loyalty to the Portuguese, which earned him the titles of Diaz and Fernández. According to multiple records, he was the first to be awarded the Knighthood of Order of the Christ in Asia. Samarakone was known to the Portuguese as a military chief of Kotte, due to his military skills and brilliance, as well as his loyalty. He became the captain and also the first and only Maha Mudaliyar of Ceylon appointed by the Portuguese. His family is one of the most influential in Kotte and later Portuguese Ceylon. According to Mahāvaṃsa, Samarakone was offered the Throne of Seetwaka by Kirthi Sri Rajasinha, but he refused and remained loyal to the Portuguese as per the commands of his former king, Dharmapala of Kotte.
He was appointed the Dissave by the Portuguese for the Matara Dissavaniya. He was appointed Captain of the Uduwara Fort built by the Portuguese in Ceylon. He served as Captain of Gaua, which was the then Headquarters of the Portuguese in Asia. At the time of his death he was the Captain of Homuz. He was the first Asian to be awarded the Order of the Christ Knighthood.