246 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XII. 



These are not battles between Tamils on one side and 

 Sinhalese on the other, but fought with Tamil soldiers 

 on either side. 



In chapter L. is the invasion of Ceylon by the king 

 of Pandu, whose object seems to have been to collect booty. 

 In chapter LI. is related how a prince of the royal family 

 of Pandu, having a design to gain the sovereignty at Madura, 

 comes to Sena II., who takes this opportunity of recovering 

 the treasures taken away by the late invader, and joins the 

 pretender. They succeed, Madura is captured and pillaged, 

 and the booty brought back. Chapter LIII. relates how king 

 Pandu fled from the kindred tribe of Cholians and landed at 

 Mahatitta, but got no aid. The king of the Chola kingdom 

 followed and carried away the crown, but failed in Ruhuna, 

 and had to return to India. It is mentioned in chapter 

 LXXXIII. that the strong men of the Tamils had built 

 themselves fortresses, and taken hold of divers parts of the 

 Island. In the same chapter it is mentioned that a host of 

 men, forty thousand strong (not invaders), under two Tamil 

 kings, Magha and Jaya Bahu, consisting of Tamils and 

 Keralas, were harassed by the Sinhalese, — that the Vannian 

 (Tamil) princes were brought into subjection. When these 

 independent Tamil kings were harassed they said, u Yea, 

 even some of our Tamils are amongst his servants," that is, 

 as soldiers of Parakrama Bahu. The immigration and 

 settlement of such large bodies of Tamils is a factor in the 

 consideration of the ethnology of Ceylon. 



Even in more modern times the immigration of the tribe 

 of the Mahdbadda people from India, who have adopted 

 the Sinhalese language and the profession of Buddhism, 

 of which they are the most ardent of followers, places 

 another factor for our consideration. In chapter LXI. an 

 invasion of a different character by an " Aryan " is thus 

 related : — 



Now, at that time, a certain valiant and furious man, named 

 Viradeva, "who was born in the country of Aryas, and was chief of 

 the Palandipa, landed at Mahahatittha with mighty men, thinking that 

 he could take possession of Lanka. 



