NO. 36. — 1888.] MEDAMAHANUWAKA. 



323 



by turning swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning- 

 hooks, but in a still more practical manner, by melting down 

 the cannon and converting the iron into mamoties. 1 



As this paper on Medamahanuwara has been compiled 

 without regard to chronological order of the several build- 

 ings and localities, a brief summary of the history of the 

 district will here be given, so far as I have been able to glean 

 it from the only available source, — popular tradition. 



I have stated above that the reign of Senarat was probably 

 the time in which Medamahanuwara first became frequented 

 by Sinhalese royalty, but further inquiry has revealed that 

 the first king whose name is mentioned in connection with 

 the place is Vimala Dharmma (a.d. 1592-1627). The Vidiya 

 with the lock-up, and the first Maligawa, may be said to date 

 from his reign. The succeeding king Senarat (A.D. 1627- 

 1634) built the citadel of Galenuwara as a stronghold against 

 the Portuguese, between whom and the kings of Kandy 

 there existed a continual warfare ; and to the same king I also 

 ascribe the religious establishments of the Viharewatta and 

 Madamewatta. During Senarat's lifetime the kingdom was 

 subdivided, and it has been suggested that Medamahanuwara 

 belonged to the portion of Kumarasinha, the prince of Uva. 

 Kumarasinha did not long survive Senarat, and at his death 

 his possessions, and amongst them Medamahanuwara, reverted 

 to Raja Sinha the second, the tyrant described by Robert 

 Knox. The second Maligawa was built probably by Narendra 

 Sinha (A.D. 1706-1739). During this king's reign the Dalada 

 was enshrined in the Viharewatta, whence it was removed to 

 the Pitigoda Vihare, where it remained until it was finally 

 removed to the Kandy Maligawa in the reign of Kirti Sri 

 Raja Sinha (A.D. 1747-1780), after the evacuation of Kandy 

 by the Dutch. In 1815 Sri Wikrama Raja Sinha made for 

 Galenuwara on the invasion of his country and the occupa- 

 tion of his capital by the British forces. Accompanied by 

 two of his wives he arrived in the evening at Udupitiye- 



See note B. — Hon. Sec. 



