584 THE RUINED CITIES. [Part X. 



altogether deserting the capital, made this his favourite 

 residence, and died here a. d. 718.^ It had similar 

 attractions for his successors, and Mahindo I., towards 

 the close of the eighth centmy, abandoned Anarajapoora 

 for Pollanarrua, where he erected a palace and numerous 

 temples, one of which contained a statue of Buddha in 

 gold. Owing to the increasing power of the Malabars, 

 the seat of government was never again permanently 

 restored to the north. Pollanarrua itself was captured 

 and sacked by tliose insatiable marauders hi 1023"^, 

 and remained in tlieir hands till recovered by Wijayo 

 Baliu, the ancestor of the renowned Praki'ama, a.d. 

 1071. Here Prakrama was crowned in 1153, and 

 here he and his ancestors lield theu" cornet till fresh 

 disasters at the hands of theu' intestine foes, including 

 the plunder of Pollanarrua a second time ^, compelled the 

 native sovereigns to retire finally from their nortliern 

 dominions, and forced them hi the fomteenth centmy 

 to found new capitals in the mountams of Eohuna. 



It was to Prakrama Balm I. that . Pollanarrua owed 

 the magnificence which is attested by the ruins that 

 survive to the present day, and it is questionable 

 whether any of the existing monuments at Topare are 

 of a date anterior to his accession.^ 



The Mahawanso tells us that, in his time, the city 

 extended nine gows (or about thirty miles) in length, 

 by four in breadth.^ He smi'ounded it ^\dth a wall and 

 gates, constructed a fort within tlie enceinte, built a 

 residence for the royal family, erected numerous temples 

 for the national worship, planted gardens, fomided 

 hospitals and schools, and rendered the new capital in 

 eveiy essential a rival worthy of the old. The Eankot 

 Dagoba, whose enormous mound of masonry still towers 



1 TrKXorR's Epitome, &c., p. .33. ^ For an account of the works con- 



2 Rajcnali, p. 256, kc. stnicted by Prakrama I. at Polla- 

 ^ Pollanarnia was plundered a se- nannia, see ante, \o\. I. Pj. ni. ch. xi. 



coud time by the Malabars, a.d. 1204. p. 408, 409. 



3Iahaicanso, ch. Ixxix. i -^ MaJuiwanso, ch. Ixxii. 



