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JOURNAL, r.a!s. (cbylon). [Vol. XXII. 
supremacy. 1 But the homage thus rendered was only at 
intervals and during their reigns. For nearly the ten previous 
centuries, owing to the dissensions in the kingdom, the Vanni 
chieftains left to themselves, had grown powerful and recog- 
nized no over-lord. The district had become Tamil, the thick 
jungles which covered the land made the country inaccessible, 
and the rocky fortresses where their forts were pitched made 
their strongholds impregnable. Parakrama decided to reduce 
them. At this period the tract was divided into eighteen 
districts or Vannis, each ruled by a Vanniyar or chieftain. 
They warred and hunted, and roamed the thick woods with 
the wild elephants in unrestrained liberty , until the silence of 
their solitudes was broken by the tramp of the royal army. 
Parakrama Bahu himself marched at the head of his forces, 
and personally directed operations from the city of Damba- 
deniya, which he made his headquarters.'- After a stubborn 
campaign, during which several hill forts were stormed, the 
Vannis at length submitted. They paid a yearly tribute of 
elephants to the suzerain, which they continued to render to 
Kotte till the reign of Don Joao Dharmapala (1551-1597). 
The conquest of the Vannis on his frontiers alarmed the king 
of Jaffna, and he took precautions to safeguard his dominions. ^ 
Relying on his former prestige, Arya Chakkravarti defied 
the Sinhalese monarch by having himself also proclaimed 
emperor of Ceylon. By this act he publicly asserted his 
claim to Sinhalese territory and reminded his neighbour of the 
time when the king of Jaffna exacted tribute from Sinhalese 
lands and ports. Sri Parakrama Bahu had at length obtained 
the provocation for putting in execution a design which he had 
long meditated. He was incensed at the affront, and deter- 
mined, to quote his own words, " there should no longer be two 
kings in Ceylon." ^ He entrusted the royeil army for the 
conquest of Jaffna to his general, Sapumal Kumara, with this 
grim message to be conveyed to the lord of Jaffna : " Tell him," 
jested the king, " since it ill becomes that Ceylon should have 
two emperors, I have sent my general to reheve you of that 
^ Mahdva^sa (Wijesinha), pp. 272, 280. 
^ Perakumhasirita, v. 46 ; Paravi Sandesa, v. 34, 
^ Bdjdvaliya, p. 68. 
