Chapter Seven. Regime Change And Transitional Politics 1795-1798

De Meuron made an intensive investigation in the papers of the Dutch government, and sent alarming letters to Hobart, informing him that the rebellion was growing out of proportion and requesting orders for how to deal with the situation. By trial and error the British rulers learned of the strength of the local elites in the southwest of the island, and they came to realize that without them their government simply could not work. The collaboration of the native elite with some of the former Dutch officials and Kandyan ministers put too much pressure on the British and they had little choice but to give in to their demands. The choice to return to the Dutch system and the search for stabilization fits in very well again with the regime change theories, but in this case it did not mark the final phase of the transitional period.Keywords: British rulers; De Meuron; Dutch government; Dutch officials; Hobart; Kandyan ministers; local elites; regime change theories; transitional period