No. 63. — 1910.] AGE OF SRI PARAKRAMA BAHU VI. U 
far as they throw light on the state of Society at the time. 
My remarks as to the tentative character of the undertaking 
apply equally to this branch of the subject. It must be noted, 
however, that materials though scattered are more abundant 
for a social survey than for a sketch of the constitution. 
Under a fourth head is included an account of the literature 
of the period. It was an age of general culture, as it 
was of successful military achievement, and many of the 
productions of that time have descended to us. Unfortunately 
some of these works, though it must be confessed only a few, 
have stiU to be published. Greater attention has been directed 
to the consideration of the life and character of the men them- 
selves who created the era rather than to an elaborate critical 
analysis of their work. The estimate of their work f aUs more to 
the province of the critical scholar than to the historical student. 
Besides, some account of their productions is available, while 
no account of the lives of the brilliant band of scholars who 
lent lustre to the time has yet been attempted. This method' 
has commended itself as the best calculated to understand 
their work and the prevailing spirit of the age. 
Sri Parakrama Bahu VI. was the last great monarch of a 
single Lanka,' and his reign marks an epoch. A careful 
consideration of his times enables us to judge how far the 
Sinhalese had declined since the great days of Anuradhapura 
and Polonnaruva, what was the nature and degree of the 
culture they possessed when the Portuguese landed in Ceylon , 
and to what extent their customs a.nd institutions have been 
modified or superseded by the adoption of foreign ideals and 
the impact of European civilizations. 
I.__1412-1467 A.D.i 
Siri Sangabo Sri Parakrama Bahu VI. came to the throne 
under tragic circumstances. Legend says that with his own 
hand he struck off the head of the usurper Alakesvara at the 
bidding of Vidagama Maha Sami. This monarch was the 
1 Vide Journal, R.A.S. (C.B.),. vol. XVIII., p. 301, App. ; Rdjdvaliya, 
p. 68. 
