CHAF. XI.] THE REIGN OF PRAKRAMA BAHU. 405 



over all Dambadiva 1 , and ambassadors arrived at his 

 court from the sovereigns of India and Siam." 



As he died without heirs a contest arose about the A.D. 

 succession, which threatened again to dissever the unity 112C - 

 of the kingdom by arraying Eohuna and the south 

 against the brother of Wijayo Bahu, who had gained 

 possession of Pollanarrua. But in this emergency the 

 pretensions of_jill other claimants to the crown were 

 overruled in favour of Prakrama, a prince of accomplish- 

 ments and energy so unrivalled as to secure for him the 

 partiality of his kindred and the admiration of the nation 

 at large. 



He was son to the youngest of four brothers who 

 had recently contended together for the crown, and his 

 ambition from his childhood had been to rescue his country 

 from foreign dominion, and consolidate the monarchy 

 in his own person. He completed by foreign travel an 

 education which, according to the Mahawanso, comprised 

 every science and accomplishment of the age in which he 

 lived, including theology, medicine, and logic ; grammar, 

 poetry, and music ; the training of the elephant and the 

 management of the horse. 2 



On the death of his father he was proclaimed king by 

 the people, and a summons was addressed by him to his 

 surviving uncle, calling on him to resign in his favour 

 and pay allegiance to his supremacy. As the feeling of 

 the nation was with him, the issue of a civil war left Tiim 

 master of Ceylon. He celebrated his coronation as King 

 of Pihiti at Pollanarrua, A.D. 1153, and two years later, A.D. 

 after reducing the refractory chiefs of Eohuna to obe- 1153< 

 dience, he repeated the ceremonial by crowning himself 

 " sole King of Lanka." 3 



There is no name in Singhalese history which holds 

 the same rank in the admiration of the people as that of 

 Prakrama Bahu, since to the piety of Devenipiatissa he 

 united the chivalry of Dutugaimunu. The tranquillity 



1 India Proper. z Mahawanso, ch. Ixiv. 3 MaJutwanso, ch. Ixxi. 



CDS 



