An Epitome of the History of Ceylon.

REMARKS.

princes subsequently disagreed among themselves, and Praakrama openly aimed at the sovereignty-He first drove Gajaabahoo from the capital into Saffragam. The conflict was again renewed, and the capital was regained by Gajaabahoo. The priests then interfered and mediated between them. They met Gajaabahoo at Mandalaagiri wihare, who consented to resign the sovereignty to Praakrama, and caused that abdication to be engraven on a rock near that temple. He ra tired to the " River-city" where he died in the 20th year of his reign. It is not defined from what date his reign commenced, if reckoned from the demise of Wejayabahoo, the error in the chronology is six years.

Crowned king of Pihitee, at Pollonnaroowa, in 1696, on the abdication of Gajaa bahoo-He immediately took the field in person to reduce the provincial chiefs to subjection. His father, who was similarly engaged in Roohoona, effected his object first, and sent his minister Mihindoo to invade Pihitee-In the absence of Praakrama with his army in the northern districts, both Pollannaroowa and Anooraadhapura fell into the hands of Maanaabarana. A furious war ensued, which terminated in the father being compelled to recross the Mahawelliganga-On his death bed, by the advice of his ministers and the priests, he forgave his son, sent for him, and caused him to be crowned king of Roohoona. The king returned to his capital, and reduced the whole island to complete subjection: reestablished the ordinances of budhism; built a rampart round the city; a palace seven stories high, and two edifices of five stories, for priests and devotees; formed the garden Manda-Oodeyana, and erected in it the coronation hall of three stories, and built a temple for the Dalada relic. He mar ried, secondly, a daughter of Kitsri Maiwan, which queen built the Rankot daagoba. At this period the greater streets of Pollonnaroowa extended seven gows, and the lesser streets four gows, from the town, through its suburbs-He sent a minister to Anooraadhapoora, to repair the neglected editices and tanks near that city.

In the 8th year of his reign, the chiefs of Roohoona revolted, and were subdued by the minister, after a protracted straggie, which occasioned a great destruction of lives and property-a severe example was made among the insurgents, by impaling, beheading and other executions-The minister remained in that part of the island, and founded the town Mahanaaga-poora at Gintotta.

The king of Cambodia and Arramana had committed many acts of violence on Singhalese subjects-he had plundered some merchants trading in elephants-had inflicted indignities on the Singhalese ambassador, whom he banished to the Malayan peninsula, maimed and mutilated-he had intercepted ships conveying some princesses from Ceylon to the continent-In the 16th year of his re gn, to avenge these insults, the king equipped in five months several hundred vessels " which sailed from the port of Pallawatotta, on the same day, with an army on board, commanded by Demilla Adikaram, fully provisioned and provided for 12 months. The expedition landed in Arramana, vanquished the enemy, and obtained full satisfaction,

66

The king next turned his attention to the chastisement of Koolasaikera, king of Paandi, for the countenance and aid he had always afforded to all invaders of Ceylon-a powerful army was sent, under the command of the minister Lankanaatha, which subdued Rammissaram, and the six neighbouring provinces: drove the king from his capital, and placed his son Weerapandoo on the throne-The names of all the chiefs, who opposed or submitted to the invading army, are given-Koo Jasaikera made three attempts to recover his kingdom, with the aid of the king

An Epitome of the History of Ceylon.

REMARKS.

of Sollee-Being defeated in all, and seven gows of the territory of Sollee also being subdned, he surrendered himself, and made the required concessions. Не was restored to his kingdom, and the conquered portion of Sollee was made a principality for Weerapondoo-Lanka-naata returned with a great booty, and received an extensive grant of land for his services.

During the remainder of his reign, the most martial, enterprizing, and glorious, in Singhalese history, the king occupied himself in internal improvements-He repaired the religious and other public edifices at Pollannaroowa, Anooraadhapoora, Seegiri and Wijittapoora, and constructed others,-among them, the Ruan welli daagoba at Kirrigama, in Roohoona, to the memory of his queen-He cut many canals for the purpose of diverting rivers into the great tanks-among them the Goodaaviree canal, to divert the waters of Karaganga into "the sea of Praakrama"; the Kaalinda canal, to conduct the waters of Mennairia lake to the north ward; and the Jayaganga canal to conduct the waters of the Kalaawewe tank to Anooraadhapoora.

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Nephew also a prince of great promise-He composed in great merit to the king of Aramana, soliciting him to depute learned and pious budhist priests to Ceylon, to decide on certain controverted points of doctrine in their mutual faith-Before the mission arrived, the king was put to death by one Mihindoo, whom he had selected as bis successor, in a dispute regarding herdsman's daughter.

Not of the royal family-put to death.

Relationship not

stated-He came from the Kalingoo country-built seve ral wihares and gilt 73 images at Dambulla wihare, which temple thereby got the name of Rangiri Dambulla-his son Weerabahoo was put to death on the night of his accession, by a minister, as being unworthy of succeeding his father. In the Mahawanse, he is stated to have died a natural death.

Brother of Kirti Nissanga-put to death.

Nephew of Kirti Nissanga-his eyes were put out by the minister Kirti, who married the widow of Praakrama bahoo.

The widow of Praakrama bahoo-her husband governed the kingdom, in her name, till she was deposed by Saahasa Mallawa.

Of the Okaaka race-he was himself deposed by the influence of the mi. nister Neekanga, who set up the sister of Kirti Nissanga.

Sister of Kirti Nissanga.

Of royal extraction, placed on the throne at the age of three months,

The above named minister usurped the throne by the aid of a Sollean force-put to death by his minister Manoda, who restored the deposed queen to the throne

An Epitome of the History of Ceylon.

REMARK'S

Again dethroned by a foreigner.

Usurped the throne by means of a foreign army, and was deposed by the Ex-queen, Restored for the second time, and again deposed by means of a foreign army.

A usurper: Maagha invaded the island from Kalingoo with an army of 24000 men, conquered the whole of it-captured the king, and put his eyes out.

A malabar-he broke open and plundered many religious edifices-and destroyed all those not adapted for his purposes, or the accommodation of his army-demolished the national edifices of the capital, and destroyed all literary records that could be collected by him.

Descendant of Siri Sangabo 1st-He recovered the Maaya division of the island, made Dambadiniya his capital-restored Budhism-brought the Dalada relic from Kotmale, where it was concealed during the foreign usurpation-repaired the Kellania daagoba.

Son--ascended the throne in 1809: completed the conquest of the islandbut in the 11th year of his reign, the island was invaded by an army of Javakoo (the general appellation of the Malays) under the command of Chandra-baanoo, who were repelled by the king's relation, Weerabahoo-The king invited over to the island the celebrated budhist priest Dharma Kirti, from Tambaratta-He founded the town of Siriwardhnapoora in the seven korles, and removed the Daladaa relic to it-He improved internal communication, by building many bridges, which are all named-The largest being "280 cubits long, to communicate with Saalaagama which is not stated to be over a river-The next in size across the Kallooganga of 86 cubits, on the road from Adam's peak to Bentotte-To carry on these public works, he delegated his authority to his son Wejayabahoo, who assumed the name of Bosat, and was assisted by the king's nephew Weerabahoo-For the great works they executed at Pollonnaroowa, Ya pahoo and Kurunagalla, the son was crowned king at Pollonnaroowa, and the government of that division was intrusted, under him, to Weerabahoo-The Dalada relic was removed to that city-Chandrabanoo again invaded the island assisted by the Pandians and Solleans, and met with a sigual defeat-In this reign, the Mahawanse was compiled to this period, from the reign of Maha Sen, by Dharmakirti Terunnanse-and the Poojaawalliya by Mairoopaada Terunnanse.

Son-murdered by Mitta Sena, a minister, in an intrigue in which they were both engaged with the same woman. According to the Mahawanse, he employed a slave to commit the murder, with the view of usurping the throne -Mitta Sena fled to Dambadiva, to raise forces to oppose the king's brother.

Brother-happened to be at his brother's court when he was murdered, and immediately filed to Yapahoo, which had been his place of residence-Mitta Sena despatched a force after him-though overtaken, the king succeeded in