An Epitome of the History of Ceylon. REMARKS. Grandson-raised to the throne by the Portuguese, who brought Wilponte Alphonso Perera, a roman priest from Goa, purposely to baptize the king-a number of chiefs and people followed his example in apostacy-He was vigorously opposed by Raajasingha, throughout his reign, who ultimately obtained the ascendancy-The king never recovered his authority beyond those parts which were under the immediate controul of the Portuguese. Descendant of Siri Sangabo--a great favorite of the nation. Son of Maaya Dunnai of Seetaawaka-In the course of his wars with Don Juan, he captured Kotta, and laid siege to Colombo, which he was obliged to raise, in consequence of the Portuguese bringing Koonappoo Bandar from Goa, and sending him with an army to Oudarata, to make a diversion in their favor--he was a descendant of the branch of the royal family, that had settled at Peradeniya, and had, been sent in his childhood to Goa-The king subsequently relinquished budhism, and became a convert to the braminical faith-he built the Bairaindi kowille at Awissawelle and bestowed the shrine of Adam's Peak on some Aandee Fakiers-he extir pated the priests of Budha, and destroyed the books containing the tenets of their religion, wherever they could be found--he also put to death every member of the royal family, he could get into his power-he died, while engaged in war with Koon Appoo Bandar, at Kukul bittrawella in 2135. His relationship to Raaja Singha is not stated-he succeeded him at Seetaa waka, and was put to death-Raaja Singha's sister, who had married Weedeye Raja ascended the throne-She was made prisoner by Don Juan, and the Por tuguese, and her daughter five years old, was sent to Goa. On the death of Raaja Singha, Koonappoo Bandar proclaimed himself sove. reign of the island under this title The Portuguese marched against him, taking with them, as the candidate for the throne, Donna Catharina, daughter of Weerabaabu, the expelled king of Kandy-The king defeated the invading army, took the princess prisoner, and united her right to his own, by marrying her-Siuce the landing of the Portuguese, the relic had been removed, for security, from Kotta, to Delgamoowe in Saffragam-The king transferred it to Kandy, and by bring. ing priests from Arracan in 2140 renewed the Upasampada ordination in the island-He died leaving issue two sons, Wijayapaala and Koomara Singha. Brother of the late king-he had been a priest-by marrying queen Catha rina, he ascended the throne and assumed the guardianship of the two prin. cos-he was forced by the Portuguese to quit Kandy and retire to a wilder An Epitome of the History of Ceylon. REMARKS. ness (Nowera-Elliye) and from thence to Bintenna, where Raaja Singha was born-he returned to Kandy on the retreat of the Portuguese-before the king died, be assigned Matale and Ouvah to the two elder princes, and the rest of the island to his own son. Son-Koomaarasingha died soon after his father-Wijayapaala made war against the king; being defeated, he repaired to Colombo and embarked for GoaThe king himself carried on a successful war against the Portuguese during his father's reign-At seventeen years of age, he defeated a Portuguese army, and took their general Don Constantino prisoner-after he assumed the government himself, he drove the Portuguese from all their possessions, excepting the fortified towns on the sea-coast-From these, also, he expelled them by a treaty entered into with the Dutch, at Dennaanaka, or Digaa wewa near Batticalow, which was taken to Holland by two of his chiefs to be ratified. An auxiliary force arrived, and Colombo was taken in 2199, and the whole of the coast was transferred to the Dutch, excepting Batticalow and Putlam-married a princess of Madura. Son-Religion had been greatly neglected during his father's martial and tyrannical reign-The Upasampada order was almost extinct, which he renewed by bringing over learned priests from Arracan, and he improved the religious establishments-also married a princess of Madura. Son-The ordinances of budhism had again fallen into such neglect, that the Upasampada order had become completely extinct-By the advice of Welliwitte Samanairoo, he exerted himself to prevent the extinction of religion itself by keeping up the Samanairoo order-built a palace at Koondasaala-the Naatha dewalla in Kandy-encouraged literature. He married a princess of Madura, whose brother succeeded him-the Singhalese royal family being extinct. Brother-in-law-by the advice of the same Welliwitta, he sent a deputation of chiefs to Siam, to bring over learned priests to restore Upasampada, and the other neglected ordinances of Budha-The vessel was wrecked-one of the chiefs and two of the followers only escaped, who reached their destination, but only succeeded in bringing a single book on religion-Welliwitte, then prepared to depart himself, with a retinue Samanairoo priests, he was dissuaded by the king, who consented to send a suitable mission-Wilbaagedere Mudiyanse and Doraneagama Mudiyanse were selected-They sailed in 2288The latter was detained by illness at Batavia-Wilbaagedera Mudiyanse fulfilled the object of his mission, and when on the point of returning with the Siamese priests, he heard of the death of his sovereign-The Siamese king would not allow his priests to proceed to their destination, until the wishes of the new sovereign of Ceylon were known-Wilbaagedere Mudiyanse returned to the island without them—The king built a palace at Hanurangkettu-died without issue-he had married also a princess of Madura, whose brother succeeded him. An Epitome of the History of Ceylon. REMARKS. Brother-in-law of the late king-who died without issue-he again despatched Wilbaagedere Mudiyanse, with three other chiefs on the same mission-They sailed in a Dutch ship from Trincomalie in July 2293, and arrived at the court of king Dhaarmaka in the following June In December they left that court, accompanied by the Siamese priests, and two Ambassadors, to embark for Ceylon-The ship was stranded, and they were obliged to return and to wait till the Dutch could prepare another vessel-They then embarked and landed at Trincomalie in August 2296-The ordinances of Budha were restored in their original purity-Welliwitte was placed at the head of the church with the title of Sanga Raaja, and made chief of Adam's peak-The Siamese priests returned after, a residence in the island of 6 years-The king afterwards entered into hostilities with the Dutch, who drove him to Meda Maha Nowera, from Kandy, which they occupied-The Dutch abandoning that position, and retreating to the coast, a peace ensued. Under his auspices, the Maha wanse was compiled from the reign of Praakrama Bahoo of Kurunaigalla to 2301, by Tibbootoowewa Terrunnanse-The king died in consequence of a fall from his horse. Brother-co-operated with the English in the capture of the sea coast in 2339. Son of the late king's wife's sister-deposed by the English in the 17th year of his reign-imprisoned at Vellore, where he died in 2375, leaving a son, born during his captivity. |