THE FIRST VOLUME. 



IX 



CHAP. II. 



THE ABORIGINES. 



Page 

 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 abori- 

 gines of the Dekkan . . .328 

 Common basis of their language . 328 

 Characteristics of vernacular Singha- 

 lese 329 



State of the aborigines before Wi- 



jayo's invasion .... 330 

 Story of Wijayo . . . .330 

 The natives of Ceylon described as 



Yahhos 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. ESTA- 

 BLISHMENT OF BUDDHISM, B.C. 307. 



Early commerce of Coylon described 



by the Chinese .... 335 

 Wijayo as a colonizer . . . 336 

 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 

 'Ihe 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 



Cevlon 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 



Page 

 The formation of monasteries and wi- 



haras 348 



The first wihara built . . . 349 

 Form of the modern wiharas . . 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 . x . . 353 

 The victory of Dutugaimunu . . 354 

 Progress of the south of the island . 355 

 Building of the great Ruanwelle' 



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 . 360 

 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.n.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 



