THE FIRST VOLUME. 



IX 



CHAP. II. 



THE AEORIGINES. 



Page 

 Singhalese histories all illustrative of 



Buddhism 325 



A Buddha 325 



Gotama Buddha, his history . . 326 

 Amazing prevalence of his religion 



{note) 32G 

 His three visits to Ceylon . . . 327 

 Inliabitants of the island at that 

 time supposed to be of Malayan 

 type . . . . _ . 

 Legend of their Chinese ongm . 

 Probably identical with the abori- 

 gines of the Dekkan 

 Common basis of their language 

 Characteristics of vernacular Singha- 

 lese 



State of the aborigines before Wi- 



jayo's invasion .... 



Story of Wijayo .... 



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 



327 

 328 



328 

 328 



329 



330 

 330 



CHAP. III. 



CONQUEST OF VFIJAYO, B.C. 543. — ESTA- 

 BLISHMENT OF BUDDHISM, B.C. 307. 



Early commerce of Ceylon described 



by the Chinese .... 335 

 Wijayo as a colonizer . . . 33G 

 His treatment of the native popula- 

 tion 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 n.c. 340 

 1' reaching of Mahindo . . . 340 

 Planting of the sacred Bo-tree . . 341 



CHAP. IV. 



THE BUDDHIST MONUMENTS. 



Buddhist architecture introduced in 



Ceylon 344 



The first dagobus 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 



Page 

 The formation of monasteries and wi- 



haras 348 



The first wihara built . . . 349 

 Form of the modern wiliaras . . 349 

 Inconvenient numbers of the Bud- 

 dhist 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 Ruauwelle 



Dagoba 355 



Building of the Brazen Palace . . 356 

 Its vicissitudes and ruins . . . 357 

 Death and character of Dutugaimunu 358 



CHAP. VI. 



THE INFLUENCES OF BUDDHISM ON CIVI- 

 LISATION. 



The Mahawanse or Great Dynasty . 3G0 

 The Suluwanse or Inferior Dynasty . 360 

 Services rendered by the Great Dy- 

 nasty 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 



