No. 43. — 1892.] ETHNOLOGY OF CEYLON. 



233 



Here intervene quarrels between the two brothers, Vali 

 and Sugriva. Rama sides with the younger, kills Vali, and 

 seats Sugriva on the throne. As a consequence Rama obtains 

 an army of Vanaras, literally monkeys, with their general 

 Hanuman, for his assistance. 



It is quite clear from the employment of Hanuman as 

 ambassador and then as general that these Vanaras were a 

 race of men inhabiting parts of India near to Ceylon. 

 Further on we shall see how other races of men have had 

 names literally implying they were not human. 



By the aid of Hanuman the Vanaras constructed a bridge 

 from the continent of India to Ceylon, and a reef still exists, 

 claimed as corroborating this part of the story ; and Rama, 

 passing over with his army, slew Ravana, after a hard 

 struggle, rescued Sita, placed Vibhishana on the throne of 

 Lanka, and returned with Sita to Oude, where he was received 

 as king. 



This Vibhishana was Ravana's brother, who had aided 

 Rama. No foreign settlement was therefore made in Ceylon 

 by Rama or Hanuman or their followers, and the native 

 inhabitants continued the same. The only description we 

 have of their late king is a mythological one, that is, that he 

 was a giant with ten heads and one hundred arms, having 

 significance to his military power. It is clearly implied that 

 Ceylon was inhabited, and that a strong force was required 

 to invade the Island and oppose the forces of the king of 

 Ceylon. 



It is highly probable that these original inhabi- 

 tants, thus subdued by the Brahman Rama, are the 

 same that were afterwards subdued by Vijaya and his 

 followers. 



According to an account of " The Tinnevelly Shanars," by 

 Dr. Caldwell, the grammarian of the Dravidian languages, 

 there are Ilavers and Tiers (i.e., "Sinhalese" and "Is- 

 landers "), who cultivate the cocoanut palm in Travancore, 

 and who are the undoubted descendants of Shanar colonists 

 from Ceylon. 



.64—92 G 



