Volume 1 / Part 3 — CHAPTER I.

SOURCES OF SINGHALESE HISTORY.—THE MAHAWANSO AND OTHER NATIVE ANNALS.

It was long affirmed by Europeans that the Singhalese annals, like those of the Hindus, were devoid of interest or value as historical material; that, as religious disquisitions, they were the ravings of fanaticism, and that myths and romances had been reduced to the semblance of national chronicles. Such was the opinion of the Portuguese writers DE BARROS and DE COUTO; and VALENTYN, who, about the year 1725, published his great work on the Dutch possessions in India, states his conviction that no reliance can be placed on such of the Singhalese books as profess to record the ancient condition of the country. These he held to be even of less authority than the traditions of the same events which had descended from father to son. On the information of learned Singhalese, drawn apparently from the Rajavali, he inserted an account of the native sovereigns, from the earliest times to the arrival of the Portuguese; but, wearied by the monotonous inanity of the story, he omitted every reign between the fifth and fifteenth centuries of the Christian era.[1]

A writer, who, under the signature of PHILALETHES, published, in 1816, A History of Ceylon from the earliest period, adopted the dictum of Valentyn, and contented himself with still further condensing the "account," which the latter had given "of the ancient Emperors and Kings" of the island. Dr. DAVY compiled that portion of his excellent narrative which has reference to the early history of Kandy, chiefly from the recitals of the most intelligent natives, borrowed, as in the case of the informants of Valentyn, from the perusal of the popular legends; and he and every other author unacquainted with the native language, who wrote on Ceylon previous to 1833, assumed without inquiry the nonexistence of historic data.[1]

It was not till about the year 1826 that the discovery was made and communicated to Europe, that whilst the history of India was only to be conjectured from myths and elaborated from the dates on copper grants, or fading inscriptions on rocks and columns[1], Ceylon was in possession of continuous written chronicles, rich in authentic facts, and not only presenting a connected history of the island itself, but also yielding valuable materials for elucidating that of India. At the moment when Prinsep was deciphering the mysterious Buddhist inscriptions, which are scattered over Hindustan and Western India, and when Csoma de Körös was unrolling the Buddhist records of Thibet, and Hodgson those of Nepaul, a fellow labourer of kindred genius was successfully exploring the Pali manuscripts of Ceylon, and developing results not less remarkable nor less conducive to the illustration of the early history of Southern Asia. Mr. Turnour, a civil officer of the Ceylon service[2], was then administering " /> the government of the district of Saffragam, and being resident at Ratnapoora near the foot of Adam's Peak, he was enabled to pursue his studies under the guidance of Gallé, a learned priest, through whose instrumentality he obtained from the Wihara, at Mulgiri-galla, near Tangalle (a temple founded about 130 years before the Christian era), some rare and important manuscripts, the perusal of which gave an impulse and direction to the investigations which occupied the rest of his life.

It is necessary to premise, that the most renowned of the Singhalese books is the Mahawanso, a metrical chronicle, containing a dynastic history of the island for twenty-three centuries from B.C. 543 to A.D. 1758. But being written in Pali verse its existence in modern times was only known to the priests, and owing to the obscurity of its diction it had ceased to be studied by even the learned amongst them.

To relieve the obscurity of their writings, and supply the omissions, occasioned by the fetters of rhythm and the necessity of permutations and elisions, required to accommodate their phraseology to the obligations of verse; the Pali authors of antiquity were accustomed to accompany their metrical compositions with a tika or running commentary, which contained a literal version of the mystical text, and supplied illustrations of its more abstruse passages. Such a tika on the Mahawanso was generally known to have been written; but so utter was the neglect into which both it and the original text had been permitted to fall, that Turnour till 1826 had never met with an individual who had critically read the one, or more than casually heard of the existence of the other.[1] At length, amongst the books which, were procured for him by the high, priest of Saffragam, was one which proved to be this neglected commentary on the mystic and otherwise unintelligible Mahawanso; and by the assistance of this precious document he undertook, with confidence, a translation into English of the long lost chronicle, and thus vindicated the claim of Ceylon to the possession of an authentic and unrivalled record of its national history.

The title "Mahawanso," which means literally the "Genealogy of the Great," properly belongs only to the first section of the work, extending from B.C. 543 to A.D. 301,[1] and containing the history of the early kings, from Wijayo to Maha Sen, with whom the Singhalese consider the "Great Dynasty" to end. The author of this portion was Mahanamo, uncle of the king Dhatu Sena, in whose reign it was compiled, between the years A.D. 459 and 477, from annals in the vernacular language then existing at Anarajapoora.[2]

The sovereigns who succeeded Maha Sen are distinguished as the "Sulu-wanse," the "lower race," and the story of their line occupies the continuation of this extraordinary chronicle, the second portion of which was written by order of the illustrious king Prakrama Bahu, about the year A.D. 1266, and the narrative was carried on, under subsequent sovereigns, down to the year A.D. 1758, the latest chapters having been compiled by command of the King of Kandy, Kirti-Sri, partly from Singhalese works brought back to the island from Siam (whither they had been carried at former periods by priests dispatched upon missions), and partly from native histories, which had escaped the general destruction of such records in the reign of Raja Singha I., an apostate from Buddhism, who, about the year A.D. 1590, during the period when the Portuguese were in occupation of the low country, exterminated the priests of Buddha, and transferred the care of the shrine on Adam's Peak to Hindu Fakirs.

But the Mahawanso, although the most authentic, and probably the most ancient, is by no means the only existing Singhalese chronicle. Between the 14th and 18th centuries several historians recorded passing events; and as these corroborate and supplement the narrative of the greater work, they present an uninterrupted Historical Record of the highest authenticity, comprising the events of nearly twenty-four centuries.[1]

From the data furnished by these, and from corroborative sources,[1] Turnour, in addition to many elaborate contributions drawn from the recesses of Pali learning in elucidation of the chronology of India, was enabled to prepare an Epitome of the History of Ceylon, in which he has exhibited the succession and genealogy of one hundred and sixty-five kings, who filled the throne during 2341 years, extending from the invasion of the island from Bengal, by Wijayo, in the year B.C. 543 to its conquest by the British in 1798. In this work, after infinite labour, he has succeeded in condensing the events of each reign, commemorating the founders of the chief cities, and noting the erection of the great temples and Buddhist monuments, and the construction of some of those gigantic reservoirs and works for irrigation, which, though in ruins, arrest the traveller in astonishment at their stupendous dimensions. He thus effectually demonstrated the misconceptions of those who previously believed the literature of Ceylon to be destitute of historic materials.[2]

Besides evidence of a less definite character, there is one remarkable coincidence which affords grounds for confidence in the faithfulness of the purely historic portion of the Singhalese chronicles; due allowance being made for that exaggeration of style which is apparently inseparable from oriental recital. The circumstance alluded to is the mention in the Mahawanso of the Chandragupta[1], so often alluded to by the Sanskrit writers, who, as Sir William Jones was the first to discover, is identical with Sandracottus or Sandracoptus, the King of the Prasii, to whose court, on the banks of the Ganges, Megasthenes was accredited as an ambassador from Seleucus Nicator, about 323 years before Christ. Along with a multitude of facts relating to Ceylon, the Mahawanso contains a chronologically connected history of Buddhism in India from B.C. 590 to B.C. 307, a period signalized in classical story by the Indian expedition of Alexander the Great, and by the Embassy of Megasthenes to Palibothra,—events which in their results form the great link connecting the histories of the West and East, but which have been omitted or perverted in the scanty and perplexed annals of the Hindus, because they tended to the exaltation of Buddhism, a religion loathed by the Brahmans.

The Prasii, or people of Megadha, occupy a prominent place in the history of Ceylon, inasmuch as Gotama Buddha, the great founder of the faith of its people, was a prince of that country, and Mahindo, who finally established the Buddhist religion amongst them, was the great-grandson of Chandagutto, a prince whose name thus recorded in the Mahawanso[1] (notwithstanding a chronological discrepancy of about sixty years), may with little difficulty be identified with the "Chandragupta" of the Hindu Purána, and the "Sandracottus" of Megasthenes.

This is one out of the many coincidences which demonstrate the authenticity of the ancient annals of Ceylon; and from sources so venerable, and materials so abundant, I propose to select a few of the leading events, sufficient to illustrate the origin, and explain the influence of institutions and customs which exist at the present day in Ceylon, and which, from time immemorial, have characterised the inhabitants of the island.

NOTE (A.)

ANCIENT MAP OF CEYLON.

So far as I am aware, no map has ever been produced, exhibiting the comparative geography of Ceylon, and placing its modern names in juxtaposition with their Sanskrit and Pali.

LANGKÂ OR TÂMBRAPARNI. (CEYLON) according to The Sanscrit Pali & Singhalese Authorities. NB The modern Names are given in Italics. By Sir J. Emerson Tennet

NOTE (B.)

NATIVE SOVEREIGNS OF CEYLON.

N.B. The names of subordinate or cotemporary Princes are printed in Italics.

Names and Relationship of each succeeding Sovereign. Capital. Accession

B.C.

1. Wejaya, founder of the Wejayan dynasty Tamananeuera 543

2. Upatissa 1st, minister—regent Upatissaneuera 505

3. Panduwása, paternal nephew of Wejaya ditto 504

Ráma Rámagona

Rohuna Rohuna

Diggaina Diggámadulla

Urawelli Mahawelligama

Anurádha Anurádhapoora

Wijitta Wijittapoora

these six are brothers-in-law

4. Abhaya, son of Paduwása, dethroned Upatissaneuera 474

Interregnum 454

5. Pandukábhaya, maternal grandson of Panduwása Anurádhapoora 437

6. Mutasiwa, paternal grandson ditto 367

7. Devenipiatissa, second son ditto 307

Mahanága, brother Mágama

Yatálatissa, son Kellania

Gotábhaya, son Mágama

Kellani-tissa, not specified Kellania

Káwan-tissa, son of Gotábhaya Mágama

8. Uttiya, fourth son of Mutasiwa Anurádhapoora 267

9. Mahasiwa, fifth son of Mutasiwa ditto 257

10. Suratissa, sixth son of Mutasiwa put to death ditto 247

11. Séna and Guttika, foreign usurpers—put to death ditto 237

12. Aséla, ninth son of Mutasiwa—deposed ditto 215

13. Elála, foreign usurper—killed in battle ditto 205

14. Dutugaimunu, son of Káwantissa ditto 161

15. Saidaitissa, brother ditto 137

16. Tuhl or Thullathanaka, younger son—deposed ditto 119

17. Laiminitissa 1st or Lajjitissa, elder brother ditto 119

18. Kalunna or Khallátanága, brother—put to death ditto 109

19. Walagambáhu 1st or Wattagamini, brother—deposed ditto 104

20. Five foreign usurpers—successively deposed and put to death

Pulahattha ditto 103

Báyiha ditto 100

Panayamárá ditto 98

Peliyamárá ditto 91

Dáthiya ditto 90

21. Walagambáhu 1st, reconquered the kingdom ditto 88

22. Mahadailitissa or Mahachula, son ditto 76

23. Chora Nága, son—put to death ditto 62

24. Kudá Tissa, son—poisoned by his wife ditto 50

25. Anulá, widow ditto 47

26. Makalantissa or Kallakanni Tissa, second son of Kudátissa ditto 41

27. Bátiyatissa 1st or Bátikábhaya, son ditto 19

A.D.

28. Maha Dailiya Mána or Dáthika, brother Anurádhapoora 9

29. Addagaimunu or Amanda Gámini, son—put to death ditto 21

30. Kinibirridaila or Kanijáni Tissa, brother ditto 30

31. Kudá Abhá or Chulábhaya, son ditto 33

32. Singhawallí or Síwalli, sister—put to death ditto 34

Interregnum 35

33. Elluná or Ha Nága, maternal nephew of Addagaimunu ditto 38

34. Sanda Muhuna or Chanda Mukha Siwa, son ditto 44

35. Yasa Silo or Yatálakatissa, brother—put to death ditto 52

36. Subha, usurper—put to death ditto 60

37. Wahapp or Wasahba, descendant of Laiminitissa ditto 66

38. Waknais or Wanka Násica, son ditto 110

39. Gajábáhu 1st or Gámini, son ditto 113

40. Mahalumáná or Mallaka Nága, maternal cousin ditto 125

41. Bátiya Tissa 2nd or Bhátika Tissa, son ditto 131

42. Chula Tissa or Kanittbatissa, brother ditto 155

43. Kuhuna or Chudda Nága, son—murdered ditto 173

44. Kudanáma or Kuda Nága, nephew—deposed ditto 183

45. Kuda Siriná or Siri Nága 1st, brother-in-law ditto 184

46. Waiwahairatissa or Wairatissa, son—murdered ditto 209

47. Abhá Sen or Abhá Tissa, brother ditto 231

48. Siri Nága 2nd, son ditto 239

49. Weja Indu or Wejaya 2nd, son—put to death ditto 241

50. Sangatissa 1st, descendant of Laiminitissa—poisoned ditto 242

51. Dahama Sirisanga Bo or Sirisanga Bodhi 1st, do do.—deposed ditto 245

52. Golu Abhá, Gothábhaya or Megha warna Abhay, do. do. ditto 248

53. Makalan Detu Tissa 1st, son ditto 261

54. Maha Sen, brother ditto 275

55. Kitsiri Maiwan 1st or Kirtisri Megha warna, son ditto 302

56. Detu Tissa 2nd, brother ditto 330

57. Bujas or Budha Dása, son ditto 339

58. Upatissa 2nd, son ditto 368

59. Maha Náma, brother ditto 410

60. Senghot or Sotthi Sena, son—poisoned ditto 432

61. Laimini Tissa 2nd or Chatagáhaka, descendant of Laiminitissa ditto 432

62. Mitta Sena or Karalsora, not specified—put to death ditto 433

63. Pándu} ditto 434

Párinda Kuda} ditto 439

Khudda Párinda} 24.9. Foreign usurpers ditto 455

Dátthiya} ditto 455

Pitthiya} ditto 458

64. Dásenkelleya or Dhátu Séna, descendant of the original royal family—put to death ditto 459

65. Sígiri Kasumbu or Kásyapa 1st, son—committed suicide Sigiri Galla Neuera 477

66. Mugallána 1st, brother Anurádhapoora 495

68. Kirti Séna, son-murdered ditto 522

69. Maidi Síwu or Síwaka, maternal uncle-murdered ditto 531

70. Laimini Upátissa 3rd, brother-in-law ditto 531

71. Ambaherra Salamaiwan or Silákála, son-in-law ditto 534

72. Dápulu 1st or Dátthápa Bhodhi, second son—committed suicide ditto 547

73. Dalamagalan or Mugallána 2nd, elder brother ditto 547

74. Kuda Kitsiri Maiwan 1st or Kirtisri Meg-hawarna, son-put to death ditto 567

75. Senewi or Maha Nága, descendant of the Okáka branch ditto 586

76. Aggrabodhi 1st or Akbo, maternal nephew ditto 589

77. Aggrabodhi 2nd or Sula Akbo, son-in-law ditto 623

78. Sanghatissa, brother-decapitated ditto 633

79. Buna Mugalan or Laimini Bunáya, usurper-put to death ditto 633

80. Abhasiggáhaka or Asiggáhaka, maternal grandson ditto 639

81. Siri Sangabo 2nd, son-deposed ditto 648

82. Kaluna Detutissa or Laimina Katuriya, descendant of Laiminitissa-committed suicide Dewuneura or Dondera 648

Siri Sangabo 2nd, restored, and again deposed Anurádhapoora 649

83. Dalupiatissa 1st or Dhatthopatissa, Laimini branch-killed in battle ditto 665

84. Paisulu Kasumbu or Kásyapa 2nd, brother of Sirisangabo ditto 677

85. Dapulu 2nd, Okáka branch-deposed ditto 686

86. Dalupiatissa 2nd or Hattha-Datthopatissa, son of Dalupiatissa 1st ditto 693

87. Paisulu Siri Sanga Bo 3rd or Aggrabodhi, brother ditto 702

88. Walpitti Wasidata or Dantanáma, Okáka branch ditto 718

89. Hununaru Riandalu or Hatthadátha, original royal family-decapitated ditto 720

90. Máhalaipánu or Mánawamma, do. do. ditto 720

91. Kásiyappa 3rd o Kasumbu, son ditto 726

92. Aggrabodhi 3rd or Akbo, nephew Pollonnarrua 729

93. Aggrabodhi 4th or Kudá Akbo, son ditto 769

94. Mahindu 1st or Salamaiwan, original royal family ditto 775

95. Dappula 2nd, son ditto 795

96. Mahindu 2nd or Dharmika-Sîlámaiga, son ditto 800

97. Aggrabodhi 5th or Akbo, brother ditto 804

98. Dappula 3rd or Kudá Dappula, son ditto 815

99. Aggrabodhi 6th, cousin ditto 831

100. Mitwella Sen or Silámaiga, son ditto 838

101. Kásiyappa 4th or Máganyin Séna or Mihindu, grandson ditto 858

102. Udaya 1st, brother ditto 891

103. Udaya 2nd, son Pollonnarrua 926

104. Kásiyappa 5th, nephew and son-in-law ditto 937

105. Kásiyappa 6th, son-in-law ditto 954

106. Dappula 4th, son ditto 964

107. Dappula 5th, not specified ditto 964

108. Udaya 3rd, brother ditto 974

109 Séna 2nd, not specified ditto 977

110. Udaya 4th, not specified ditto 986

111. Séna 3rd, not specified ditto 994

112. Mihindu 3rd, not specified ditto 997

113. Sèna 4th, son—minor ditto 1013

114. Mihindu 4th, brother—carried captive to India during the Sollean conquest Anurádhapoora 1023

Interregnum Sollean viceroyalty Pollonnarrua 1059

Maha Lai or Maha Lála Kirti Rohuna

Wikrama Pándi Kalutotta

Jagat Pándi or Jagati Pála Rohuna

Prákrama Pándi or Prákhrama Báhu ditto

Lokaiswara Kácharagama

Subordinate native kings during the Sollean vice-royalty. (5 above)

115. Wejayabáhu 1st or Sirisangabo 4th, grandson of Mihindu 4th Pollonnarrua 1071

116. Jayabáhu 1st, brother ditto 1126

117. Wikramabáhu 1st ditto 1127

Mánábarana Rohuna 1127

118. Gajábáhu 2nd Pollonnarrua 1127

Siriwallaba or Kitsiri Maiwan Rohuna 1127

A disputed succession (4 above)

119. Prákrama Báhu 1st, son of Mánábárana Pollonuarrua 1153

120. Wejayabáhu 2nd, nephew—murdered ditto 1186

121. Mihindu 5th or Kitsen Kisdas, usurper—put to death ditto 1187

122. Kirti Nissanga, a prince of Kálinga ditto 1187

Wírabáhu, son—put to death ditto 1196

123. Wikramabáhu 2nd, brother of Kirti Nissanga—put to death ditto 1196

124. Chondakanga, nephew—deposed ditto 1196

125. Lálawátí, widow of Prákramabáhu—deposed ditto 1197

126. Sáhasamallawa, Okáka branch—deposed ditto 1200

127. Kalyánawati, sister of Kirti Nissanga ditto 1202

128. Dharmásóka, not specified—a minor ditto 1208

129. Nayaanga or Nikanga, minister—put to death ditto 1209

Lílawatí, restored, and again deposed ditto 1209

130. Lokaiswera 1st, usurper—deposed ditto 1210

Lílawatí, again restored, and deposed a third time ditto 1211

131. Pandi Prákrama Báhu 2nd, usurper—deposed ditto 1211

132. Mágha, foreign usurper ditto 1214

133. Wejayabáhu 3rd, descendant of Sirisangabo 1st Dambadenia 1235

134. Kalikála Sahitya Sargwajnya or Pandita Prakrama Báhu 3rd, son ditto 1266

135. Bosat Wejaya Báhu 4th, son Pollonnarrua 1301

Bhuwaneka Báhu Yapahu or Subbapabatto

136. Bhuwaneka Báhu 1st, brother ditto 1303

137. Prákrama Báhu 3rd, son of Bosat Wejayabáhu Pollonnarrua 1314

138. Bhuwaneka Báhu 2nd, son of Bhuwaneka Báhu Kurunaigalla or Hastisailapoora 1319

139. Pandita Prákrama Báhu 4th, not specified ditto

140. Wanny Bhuwaneka Báhu 3rd, not specified ditto

141. Wejaya Báhu 5th, not specified ditto

142. Bhuwaneka Báhu 4th, not specified Gampola or Gangásiripoora 1347

143. Prákrama Báhu 5th, not specified ditto 1361

144. Wikram Báhu 3rd, cousin Partly at Kandy or Sengadagalla Neuera 1371

145. Bhuwaneka Báhu 5th, not specified Gampola or Gangásiripoora 1378

146. Wejaya Báhu 5th, or Wíra Báhu, not specified ditto 1398

147. Sri Prákrama Bahu 6th, not specified Kotta or Jayawardanapoora 1410

148. Jayabáhu 2nd, maternal grandson—put to death ditto 1462

149. Bhuwaneka Báhu 6th, not specified ditto 1464

150. Pandita Prákrama Báhu 7th, adopted son ditto 1471

151. Wíra Prákrama Báhu 8th, brother of Bhuwaneka Báhu 6th ditto 1485

152. Dharma Prákrama Báhu 9th, son ditto 1505

153. Wejaya Báhu 7th, brother—murdered ditto 1527

Jayawíra Bandára Gampola

154. Bhuwaneka Báhu 7th, son Kotta 1534

Máyádunnai Setawacca

Raygam Bandára Raygam

Jayawíra Bandára Kandy

155. Don Juan Dharmapála Kotta 1542

A Malabar Yapahu

Portuguese Colombo

Wídiye Rája Pailainda Neuera

Rája Singha Aiwissáwelle

Idirimáné Suriya Seven Korles

Wikrama Báhu descendant of Sirisangabo 1st Kandy

156. Rája Singha 1st, son of Máyádunnai Setawacca 1581

Jaya Suriya Setawacca

Wídiye Rája's queen ditto

157. Wimala Dharma, original royal family Khandy 1592

158. Senáraana or Senarat, brother ditto 1604

159. Rája-singha 2nd, son ditto 1637

Kumára-singa, brother Ouvah

Wejaya Pála, brother Matelle

160. Wimala Dharma Suriya 2nd, son of Rájasingha Khandy 1687

161. Sriwíra Prákrama Narendrasingha or Kundasála ditto 1707

162. Sriwejaya Rája Singha or Hanguranketta, brother-in-law ditto 1739

163. Kirtisri Rája Singha, brother-in-law ditto 1747

164. Rajádhi Rája Singha, brother ditto 1781

165. Sri Wikrema Rája Singha, son of the late king's wife's sister, deposed by the English in 1815, and died in captivity in 1832 ditto 1798

NOTE.—The Singhalese vowels a, e, i, o, u are to be pronounced as in French or Italian.