No. 33.— 188(5.] THE VEDDAS OF CEYLON. 



377 



which embraced the largest part of the Coromandel coast as 

 far as Canara on the west coast, and south down to the sea, 

 and of which at present there remains only the little State 

 of Madura. Later on, hordes bearing also the name of 

 Malabars poured over the Island from all parts of the pen- 

 insula, and also from the Coromandel coast as far as to the 

 north of Cuttack and Orissa. 



As early as the year 237 B.C. an invasion of the Damilos in 

 the north is mentioned, where they established a sovereignty 

 lasting twenty-two years.* Scarcely were they vanquished 

 when, under the next king of the Sihala dynasty, Asela (about 

 215 B.C.), again a Damilo, of the tribe of Uja in the Chola- 

 land,| usurped the thronej and ruled forty-four years. 

 Although regularly defeated the Damilos ever anew repeated 

 their invasions. In the reign of the king Mihinda (1023- 

 1054 A. D.) the foreign population in the Island had increased 

 to such an extent that they overpowered the aborigines, and 

 upon a new invasion of the people from Soli the king was 

 taken prisoner, and the country for a long time held under 

 subjection. § From Malabar fresh hordes continually streamed 

 in, and only after severe struggles was the foreign yoke 

 thrown off. But in the beginning of the thirteenth century the 

 Cholas invaded the land again. || This time, however, the 

 conquerors came from much more distant places, namely, from 

 Kalinga, and from the part of the Dekkan now called the 

 Northern Circars.H Their leader, Magha, sub j ected and cruelly 

 devastated the whole country from north to south, and became 

 king of Ceylon in 1211 A.D. Later, the Sinhalese prince 

 succeeded in winning back again the provinces of 



* The Mahawanso, chap. XXI., edited by Tumour, p. 127. In the same 

 book comp. Appendix : Sovereigns of Ceylon, p. lxi. 



f According to Tumour, Mahawanso, Glossary, p. 5, the Sinhalese Soli 

 is called Chola, and probably embraces Mysore and Tan j ore. 



| Mahawanso, p. 128. 



§ Mahawanso, chap. LXIV. 



|| A. De Silva Ekanayaka. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1876, 

 vol. VIII., p. 297. 



5f Tennent. /. e., I., p. 412. 



