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CEYLON BRANCH 



he continued to govern for many years. No sooner had he 

 died than Pandi Maluver, a chief of the Velldlas* without 

 any reference to the Singhalese King, proceeded to Madura 

 and induced a Prince, named Singh a Arimal or Singha Ariya f 

 to come over to Jaffna, and assume the reins of Government, 

 which, we are assured, he did in the year Kaliyugam 3101, or 

 B. o. 101.J This Prince was crippled in one of his arms; 

 hence he was surnamed Koolangai Chahravarti. Having fixed 

 his residence at Nalloor,\\ he built there a palace with a temple 

 to the god Kylasa Ndther,§ whom he worshipped, and being a 

 Prince of great energy and talent, soon found means to extend 

 his dominion over the adjacent parts of the country, called 



* Vellalas, those of the agricultural tribe. 



f Some accounts represent Singha Ariya as sprung from the 

 stock of Cholu by a Brahman female of Manavy in Ramnad;and and hence 

 he is said to have assumed the ambiguous title of Ariya to signify 

 both sides of his parentage; for the word Ariya is a synonyme for the 

 Chola Kings as well as for the Brahmans, Beitolacci, in his Account 

 of Ceylon, p. 1 2, favours this opinion. Speaking of the ancient town of 

 Mantotta, he says " it was the capital of a Kingdom founded by the 

 Brahmans, who had possession of almost all the northern parts of 

 Ceylon, including Jafthapatam." The Kylasa Mala, however, 

 asserts that he was of the race of Tandy a, and the fact of his having set 

 out from Madura, the seat of the Fandyan Kings, very much 

 strengthens the assertion. 



\ This nearly accords with the date assigned by Mr. Tumour 

 in his Epitome of the History of Ceylon to the invasion of the Island 

 by seven Tamils, who landed at Mahatittha (Mantotta) with a great 

 army, waged war against the Singhalese King Walagmbabu 1st, and 

 compelled him to take refuge in the mountains. See Ceylon Almanac 

 for 1833, p. 228. Mahawanso. chap, xxxiii. p. 203. 



|| Nalloor o.r as it is more usually but erroneously called Nellore, 

 is situated within a few miles -of the fort of Jaffnapatam, and forms 

 at present the head-quarters of the Church of England Missionaries 

 in the District. Adjoining the mission premises are pointed out the 

 site of the palace of the Tamil Kings, of which there are however 

 scarcely any traces now remaining. 



§ Kylasa Nat her, a title of Siva, implying " the lord of the 

 Elysium." 



