396 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XX. 



On the death of Raja Sinha, his elder son 1 Raja Surya was 

 proclaimed king, a younger brother of the latter's being 

 appointed by him governor of Beligal korale 2 . How long 

 Raja Surya reigned is not very clear 3 , but neither of the 

 brothers seems to have retained the respect or the affection of 

 the people, and they' were both murdered, with the connivance, 

 we are told, of Mannamperuma Mohottiya and Raja Sinha' s 

 elder sister, the widow of Vidiye Raja 4 , who was residing at 

 Mattamagoda. After the two brothers had been got rid of, 

 the old princess and her orphan grandson , a boy five years of 

 age, were brought to Sitavaka, the child being made nominal 

 king, while Mannamperuma Mohottiya actually exercised 

 authority 5 . A Portuguese and Sinhalese force, which marched 

 from Columbo to Negumbo with the object of capturing a 

 fort that Raja Sinha had had in Alutkuruva 6 , was defeated 

 with great loss by Mannamperuma, and had to return discom- 

 fited 7 . Being a foreigner, it is only natural that Mannam- 

 peruma Mohottiya had many enemies in Sitavaka, one of the 

 bitterest being the atapattu arachchi, who, to vent his spite 

 on his rival, set about ribald songs regarding Mannamperuma' s 

 former calling of fakir. These so much annoyed the Solian, 

 that eventually he forsook Sitavaka, and went to Columbo, 

 where he was welcomed by the Portuguese , King Dharmapala 

 conferring upon him the honorary title of Jayavira Bandara 8 . 



1 Or grandson, according to Val. {Ceylon 82). 



2 Rdjdvaliya 94. 



3 The Rdjdvaliya (94) says " 3 years " : but this is impossible. 



4 Of. supra, p. 176, where we read of her remaining in the hands 

 of the king of Jaffna after the death of her husband. When she left 

 there does not appear (c/. pp. 195, 203-4). 



5 Rdjdvaliya 95. 



6 The Rdjdvaliya (95) says it was at " Orutota," which was, perhaps, 

 the old name of Porutota, near Pallansena. 



7 Rdjdvaliya 95-6, where by the " Moorish mudali called Pida Silla" 

 is probably meant Diogo da Silva (see supra, p. 276, note 2 ). I have 

 no confirmation from Portuguese writers of the statement of the 

 Sinhalese historian. 



8 Rdjdvaliya 96. The Vida de M. de Alb. (i. xxiii.) says that Man- 

 namperuma, or " the modeliar Bica Narsinga," as it calls him (c/. 

 supra, p. 225, note 8 ). fled from Sitavaka to save his life, against which 

 he learnt, plots were laid 



