Tennent's Ceylon - 1860

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

PART III.

THE SINGHALESE CHRONICLES.

CHAPTER I.

SOURCES OF SINGHALESE HISTORY—THE MAHAWANSO.

• Ceylon formerly thought to have no authentic history 311
• Researches of Turnour 312
• Biographical sketch of Turnour (note) 312
• The Mahawanso 314
• Recovery of the "tika" on the Mahawanso 315
• Outline of the Mahawanso 315
• Turnour's epitome of Singhalese history 316
• Historical proofs of the Mahawanso 317
• Identity of Sandracottus and Chandragupta 318
• Ancient map of Ceylon (note) 318
• List of Ceylon sovereigns 320

CHAP. II.

THE ABORIGINES.

• Singhalese histories all illustrative of Buddhism 325
• A Buddha 325
• Gotama Buddha, his history 326
• Amazing prevalence of his religion (note) 326
• His three visits to Ceylon 327
• Inhabitants of the island at that time supposed to be of Malayan type 327
• Legend of their Chinese origin 328
• Probably identical with the aborigines of the Dekkan 328
• Common basis of their language 328
• Characteristics of vernacular Singhalese 329
• State of the aborigines before Wijayo's invasion 330
• Story of Wijayo 330
• The natives of Ceylon described as Yakkos and Nagas 331
• Traces of serpent-worship in Ceylon 331
• Coincidence of the Mahawanso with the Odyssey (note) 332

CHAP. III.

CONQUEST OF WIJAYO, B.C. 543.—ESTABLISHMENT OF BUDDHISM, B.C. 307.

• Early commerce of Ceylon described by the Chinese 335
• Wijayo as a colonizer 336
• His treatment of the native population 336
• B.C. 505. His death and successors 336
• A number of petty kingdoms formed 337
• Ceylon divided into three districts: Pihiti, Rohuna, and Maya 337
• The village system established 337
• Agriculture introduced 338
• Irrigation imported from India 338
• The first tank constructed, B.C. 504 (note) 338
• Rapid progress of the island 339
• Toleration of Wijayo and his followers 339
• Establishment of Buddhism, 307 B.C. 340
• Preaching of Mahindo 340
• Planting of the sacred Bo-tree 341

CHAP. IV.

THE BUDDHIST MONUMENTS.

• Buddhist architecture introduced in Ceylon 344
• The first dagobas built 345
• Their mode of construction and vast dimensions 346
• The earliest Buddhist temples 346
• Images and statues a later innovation 347
• First residences of the priesthood 347
• The formation of monasteries and wiharas 348
• The first wihara built 349
• Form of the modern wiharas 349
• Inconvenient numbers of the Buddhist priesthood 350
• Originally fed by the kings and the people 350
• Caste annulled in the case of priests 351
• The priestly robe and its peculiarities 351

CHAP. V.

SINGHALESE CHIVALRY.—ELALA AND DUTUGAIMUNU.

• Progress of civilisation 352
• The new settlers agriculturists 352
• Malabars enlisted as soldiers and seamen 353
• B.C. 237. The revolt of Sena and Gutika 353
• B.C. 205. Usurpation of Elala 353
• His character and renown 353
• The victory of Dutugaimunu 354
• Progress of the south of the island 355
• Building of the great Ruanwellé Dagoba 355
• Building of the Brazen Palace 356
• Its vicissitudes and ruins 357
• Death and character of Dutugaimunu 358

CHAP. VI.

THE INFLUENCES OP BUDDHISM ON CIVILISATION.

• The Mahawanse or Great Dynasty 360
• The Suluwanse or Inferior Dynasty 360
• Services rendered by the Great Dynasty 360
• Frequent usurpations and the cause 361
• Disputed successions 361
• Rising influence of the priesthood 362
• B.C. 104. Their first endowment with land 363
• Rapid increase of the temple estates 364
• Their possessions and their vow of poverty reconciled 364
• Acquire the compulsory labour of temple-tenants 365
• Impulse thus given to cultivation 365
• And to the construction of enormous tanks 365
• Tanks conferred on the temples 365
• The great tank of Minery formed, A.D. 272 365
• Subserviency of the kings to the priesthood 366
• Large possessions of the temples at the present day 366
• Cultivation of flowers for the temples 367
• Their singular profusion 367
• Fruit trees planted by the Buddhist sovereigns 367
• Edicts of Asoca 368

CHAP. VII.

FATE OF THE ABORIGINES.

• Aborigines forced to labour for the new settlers 369
• Immensity of the structures erected by them 370
• Slow amalgamation of the natives with the strangers 370
• The worship of snakes and demons continued 370
• Treatment of the aborigines by the kings 371
• Their formal disqualification for high office 371
• Their rebellions 371
• They retire into the mountains and forests 372
• Their singular habits of seclusion 372
• Traces of their customs at the present day 373

CHAP. VIII.

EXTINCTION OF THE GREAT DYNASTY.

• B.C. 104 Walagam-bahu I 374
• His wars with the Malabars 374
• The South of Ceylon free from Malabar invasion 374
• The Buddhist doctrines first formed into books 375
• The formation of rock-temples 376
• Apostacy of Chora Naga 376
• Ceylon governed by queens 377
• Schisms in religion 377
• Buddhism tolerant of heresy but intolerant of schism 378
• Illustrations of Buddhist toleration 377
• Tolerance enjoined by Asoca 377
• The Wytulian heresy 377
• Corruption of Buddhism by the impurities of Brahnmanism 380
• A.D. 275. Recantation and repentance of King Maha Sen 380
• End of the Solar race 381
• State of Ceylon at that period 381
• Prosperity of the North 381
• Description of Anarajapoora in the fourth century 382
• Its municipal organisation 382
• Its palaces and temples 382
• Popular error as to the area of the city (note) 383
• Multitudes of the priesthood described by Fa Hian 384

CHAP. IX

KINGS OF THE LOWER DYNASTY.

• Sovereigns of the Lower Dynasty, a feeble race 385
• Kings who were sculptors, physicians, and poets 386
• Earliest notice of Foreign Embassies to Rome and to China 387
• Notices of Ceylon by Chinese Historians 387
• Fa Hian visits Ceylon A.D. 413 387
• Anecdote related by Fa Hian (note) 388
• History of "the Sacred Tooth" 388
• Murder of the king Dhatu Sena, A.D. 459 389
• Infamous conduct of his son 391
• The fortified rock Sigiri 392

CHAP. X.

DOMINATION OF THE MALABARS.

• Origin of the Malabar invaders of Ceylon 395
• The ancient Indian kingdom of Pandya 395
• Malabar mercenaries enlisted in Ceylon 395
• B.C. 237. Revolt of Sena and Gutika 395
• B.C. 205. Usurpation of Elala 396
• B.C. 103. Second Malabar invasion 396
• A.D. 110. Third Malabar invasion 396
• Jewish evidence of Malabar conquest (note) 396
• A.D. 433. Fourth Malabar invasion 397
• The influence of the Malabars firmly established 398
• Distress of the Singhalese in the 7th century, as described by Hiouen Thsang 399
• A.D. 642. Anarajapoora deserted, and Pollanarrua built 400
• The Malabars did nothing to improve the island 401
• A.D. 840. A fresh Malabar invasion 401
• The Singhalese seek to conciliate them by alliances 402
• A.D. 990. Another Malabar invasion 402
• Extreme misery of the island 402
• A.D. 1023. The Malabars seize Pollanarrua and occupy the entire north of the island 403

CHAP. XI.

THE REIGN OF PRAKRAMA BAHU.

• A.D. 1071. Recovery of the island from the Malabars 404
• Wijayo Bahu I. expels the Malabars 405
• Birth of the Prince Prakrama 405
• His character and renown 405
• Immense public works constructed by him 406
• Restores the order of the Buddhist priesthood 406
• Intercourse between Siam and Ceylon 406
• Temples and sacred edifices built by Prakrama 407
• The Gal-Wihara at Pollanarrua 407
• Ruins of Pollanarrua 408
• Extraordinary extent of his works for irrigation 409
• Foreign wars of Prakrama 409
• His conquests in India 410
• The death of Prakrama Bahu 410

CHAP. XII.

FATE OF THE SINGHALESE MONARCHY.

ARRIVAL OF THE PORTUGUESE, A.D. 1505.

• Prakrama Baku, the last powerful king 411
• Anarchy follows on his decease 411
• A.D. 1197. The Queen Leela-Wattee 412
• A.D. 1211. Return of the Malabar invaders 412
• The Malabars establish themselves at Jaffna 413
• Early history of Jaffna 413
• A.D. 1235. The new capital at Dambedenia 413
• Extending ruin of Ceylon 414
• Kandy founded as a new capital 414
• Successive removals of the seat of Government to Yapahoo, Kornegalle, Gampola, Kandy, and Cotta 415
• Ascendancy of the Malabars 415
• A.D. 1410. The King of Ceylon carried captive to China 416
• Ceylon tributary to China 417
• Arrival of the Portuguese in Ceylon 418