No. 44.— 1893.] 



YAPAHUWA. 



103 



was then in flood, and continued his flight till he reached 

 Subha-pabbata. * 



Mitta was soon afterwards slain. Bhuvaneka Bahu was 

 brought back to Dambadeniya by the army, which stood 

 faithful to the royal family, and anointed king in 1277 a.d. 

 After subduing his Tamil foes he remained a few years in 

 Dambadeniya and then removed the seat of Government, as 

 well as the sacred relics, to Subhdcliala," and caused that royal 

 city to be greatly extended and adorned, so that it shone with 

 exceedingly great beauty, and himself dwelt there." The 

 king who caused this handsome palace to be built was a 

 zealous Buddhist, and caused copies of the Tripitaka to be 

 written and distributed over the Island. He established 

 daily offerings to the daladd or " tooth-relic." 



The king died after reigning eleven years. A severe 

 famine then broke out, and the country was invaded by a 

 Pandiyan army commanded by Ariya Chakkravati, who, 

 having laid waste the country — 



entered the great and noble fortress the city of Subhagirl. And he 

 took the venerable Tooth-relic and all the solid wealth that was there, 

 and returned to the Pandian country. f 



In 1288 the seat of Government was transferred to Polonna- 

 ruwa, since when Yapahuwa ceased to be the capital ; never- 

 theless it continued to be a place of considerable importance 

 for over 200 years thereafter. 



In the reign of Sree Praakarama Kotta, a descendant of the royal 

 family was made Dissave of Yapahoo, and shortly after the accession 

 of Jaya Bahoo II., 1464 a.d., he rebelled, put the king to death, and 

 was raised to the throne under the title of Bhuvaneka Bahoo VI. 



In 1527 a.d. Yapahoo was the place of refuge of the two elder sons 

 of Wijaya Bahoo VII., when they fled from their father, who sought their 

 lives. They assembled their forces, and attacking him in their turn, 

 murdered him, and the eldest became king as Bhuvaneka Bahoo VII. 



The last mention of Yapahoo in history is in the reign of Don Juan 

 Dharmapaala, whom the Portuguese set up in 1542 a.d. ; when among 

 the many aspirants to the throne, one, a Malabar, took up his residence 



* Mahawatisa, XC, p. 313. 



+ Mahaioanm, XC. p., 315, 



