The Portuguese arrived in the Kingdom of Kotte in 1505. By 1518, they had appointed a captain to control the Portuguese-occupied territory called Ceylon on the island of modern-day Sri Lanka. In that time, there were numerous captains until 1551. The post of captain was succeeded by that of the captain-majors in 1551 and by the governor in 1594.
| width=9% | Portrait | width=25% | Name | width=9% | Birth | width=9% | Death | width=9% | Captain from | width=9% | Captain until | width=30% | Sovereign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| João da Silveira | align="center" | - | align="center" | - | 1518 | 1518 | Manuel I | ||||||
| Lopo de Brito | align="center" | - | align="center" | - | 1518 | 1522 | Manuel I John III | ||||||
| Fernão Gomes de Lemos | align="center" | - | align="center" | - | 1522 | 1524 | John III | ||||||
| Vacant | align="center" | - | align="center" | - | 1524 | 1551 | John III |