1347.] formerly the capital of Ceylon. 223 



From the great size of the Abhayagiri dagobah, together with the 

 numerous other erections of Walagambahu about the same period 

 (87, B. C.) it would appear that notwithstanding the recent invasion 

 of the Malabars, the kingdom must have been in a very prosperous 

 and nourishing condition. To the Abhayagiri dagobah was attached a 

 wihare and priests' residence, which would seem to have been for a 

 long period the centre of the Buddhistic hierarchy in the island. At 

 length a schism arose in the third century of our era ; a small part of 

 the Abhayagiri priesthood joined the heretics, — the king Mahasen 

 favored them, expelled the orthodox followers of Buddhu, and spared 

 no pains to raise to eminence and popularity the sect whose principles 

 he had embraced. This was the period of the greatest splendour of 

 the Abhayagiri, but it was destined to be but of short continuance. 

 While the monarch's partiality for the sect continued, however, the 

 spoils of the Lowa Maha Paya, the Ruanwelle, the Maha Wihare and 

 the Thupharamaya, all went to decorate the Abhayagiri and enrich the 

 schismatics. But Mahasen soon found that whatever respect the people 

 might have for his person, they had a greater for their religion, and a 

 popular revolt which ensued on these changes, warned him not to 

 persevere in his schemes. He accordingly gave up the minister (by 

 whose advice he pretended to have been guided) to the fury of the 

 populace, and by his death diverted the torrent of indignation from 

 himself. The unconscious dagobah and wihare shared somewhat of the 

 fate of its supporters, and though not utterly destroyed, they were yet 

 very much reduced in magnificence and importance. After this period 

 we still read of the Abhayagiri wihare as a common resort of the priest- 

 hood, till the removal of the seat of government to Pollonaruwa, when 

 it is of course to be supposed, that the ancient capital would lose the 

 greater portion of its sacred inhabitants. There is little to distinguish 

 the dagobah in its present condition : overgrown to the very summit 

 with jungle, it affords, like the Ruanwelle and the Jaitawanaramaya, 

 but a glimpse here and there of the brick-work of which it is construct- 

 ed. In form it more approaches to the Jaitawanaramaya than to any 

 other of the ruins, a small portion of the spire being still apparent. 

 The Abhayagiri lies to the east of the Ruanwelle and Thupharamaya, 

 being about a quarter a mile distant from the latter. It is at present 



about "240 feet high 



2 h 2 



