Chap. II.] 



ERESII WARS. 



61 



A.D. 



1707. 



A.D. 



1739. 



Eaja Singlia II. died in 1687 ^ ; his son, Wimala a.d. 

 Dliarma II., and liis grandson Koondasala, followed ^^^'^ 

 as successors to the throne ; but being indifferent to 

 everything except the revival of Buddliism, which had 

 fallen into decay during the prevalence of war, they 

 gladly accorded peace to the Dutch, who in return placed 

 sliips at their disposal to bring from Arracan priests of 

 sufficiently high rank to restore the upasampada order 

 in Ceylon.^ 



On the decease of Koondasala in 1739, the royal 

 Singhalese Hne became extinct, and a Malabar prince^, 

 brother of the late queen, was accepted as emperor 

 under the title of Sri Wijayo Eaja or Hangm^anketta. 

 Two other sovereigns of the same foreign Hneage fol- 

 lowed, and during then" reigns the utmost encouragement 

 was given to the lowlanders to combine with the 

 Kandyans for the dehverance of their country from the 

 despotism of Holland.* 



The alliance was, however, powerless from the decay 

 of the native forces, and the want of munitions of war ; 

 the Dutch, by an exertion of unwonted vigour, conducted 

 an army to Kandy ^, wdiich they held for some months ; 

 and a protracted struggle terminated in 1766, under the a.d. 

 judicious management of M. Falck, by a treaty which ^"'^^ 

 secured to the Dutch a considerable accession of terri- 

 tory, and the adjustment of more favourable conditions 

 for the conduct of the Company's trade. 



The story of the dominion of Holland in Ceylon is 



■nliom lie detained in captivity for a 

 number of j-ears. — Valextyn, ch. xv. 

 p. 202. 



^ Tttrnottr, in his Epitome, fixes 

 the date of his death 1685, but the 

 Dutch, who were not likely to be 

 mistaken, record, with minute par- 

 ticularity, that it occurred on the Otli 

 December, 1687. — Valentyn, ch, xv. 

 p. .343. 



^ Valenttn, ch. XV. p. 344. 



^ Although the new dynasty are 



spoken of imder the generic name 

 of Malabars, it is necessary to ob- 

 serve that tliey were not of the Tamil 

 race, who had been the ancient in- 

 vaders and enemies of Ceylon, but 

 TeliK/us, of the royal family of Ma- 

 diu-a, with whom the Singhalese 

 kings hfid iuterman-ied. 



* Bertolacci, p. 2S; Memoir of 

 M. Bitrnand, Asiat, Journ. vol. xi. 

 p. 442. 



^ a.d. 1763. 



