CHAP. XII.] FATE OF THE SINGHALESE MONARCHY. 411 



^ CHAP. XII. 



FATE OF THE SINGHALESE MONARCHY. ARRIVAL OF 

 THE PORTUGUESE, A.D. 1501. 



THE reign of Prakrama Bahu, the most glorious in the 1155. 

 annals of Ceylon, is the last which has any pretension to 

 renown. His family were unequal to sustain or extend 

 the honours he had won, and his nephew 1 , a pious 

 voluptuary, by whom he was succeeded, was killed in 

 an intrigue with the daughter of a herdsman whilst 

 awaiting the result of an appeal to the Buddhist sove- 

 reign of Arramana to aid him in reforming religion. 

 His murderer, whom he had previously nominated his A.D. 

 successor, himself fell by assassination. An heir to the 1187> 

 throne was discovered amongst the Singhalese exiles on A.D. 

 the coast of India 2 , but death soon ended his brief reign. 1192 ' 

 His brother and his nephew in turn assumed the crown ; A D 

 both were despatched by the Adigar, who, having allied 1196. 

 himself with the royal family by marrying the widow of 

 the great Prakrama, contrived to place her on the throne, 

 under the title of Queen Lila-Wati, A.D. 1197. With- 1197. 

 in less than three years she was deposed by an usurper, 

 and he being speedily put to flight, another queen, AD 

 Kalyana-Wati, was placed at the head of the kingdom. 3202. 

 The next ill-fated sovereign, a baby of three months 



1 Wijayo Bahu II killed bv I 2 Kirti Nissanga. brought from 

 Mihiiido, A.D. 1187. | Kalinga, A.D. 1192. 



