[Footnote 1:  Anula, the queen of Ceylon, A.D. 47, met with no opposition in raising one of her Malabar husbands to the throne.—­TURNOUR’S Epitome, p. 19.  Sotthi Sena, who reigned A.D. 432, had a Damilo queen.—­Mahawanso, ch. xxxviii. p. 253.]

[Footnote 2:  Sri Sanga Bo III.  A.D. 702, “made a figure of the God Vishnu; and was a supporter of the religion of Buddha, and a friend of the people.”—­Rajaratnacari, p. 78.]

[Footnote 3:  Mahawanso, ch. xxxvii. p. 234; TURNOUR’S Epitome, p. 25.]

[Sidenote:  A.D. 515.]

The Malabars, trained to arms, now resorted in such numbers to Ceylon, that the leaders in civil commotions were accustomed to hire them in bands to act against the royal forces[1]; and whilst no precautions were adopted to check the landing of marauders on the coast, the invaders constructed forts throughout the country to protect their conquests from recapture by the natives.  Proud of these successful expeditions, the native records of the Chola kings make mention of their victories; and in one of their grants of land, engraved on copper, and still in existence, Viradeva-Chola, the sovereign by whom it was made, is described as having triumphed over “Madura, Izham, Caruvar, and the crowned head of Pandyan;” Izham, (or Ilam) being the Tamil name of Ceylon.[2] On their expulsion by Dhatu Sena, he took possession of the fortresses and extirpated the Damilos; degraded the Singhalese who had intermarried with them; confiscated their estates in favour of those who had remained true to his cause; and organised a naval force for the protection of the coasts[3] of the island.

[Footnote 1:  Mahawanso, ch. xxxvi. p. 238.]

[Footnote 2:  DOWSON, on the Chera Kingdom of India.—­Asiat.  Journ. vol. viii. p. 24.]

[Footnote 3:  Mahawansa ch. xxxviii. p. 256. and xxxix.  TURNOUR’S MS., Trans.]

But his vigorous policy produced no permanent effect; his son Mogallana, after the murder of his father and the usurpation of Kasyapa, fled for refuge to the coast of India, and subsequently recovered possession of the throne, by the aid of a force which he collected there.[1] In the succession of assassinations, conspiracies, and civil wars which distracted the kingdom in the sixth and seventh centuries, during the struggles of the rival branches of the royal house, each claimant, in his adversity, betook himself to the Indian continent, and Malabar mercenaries from Pandya and Soli enrolled themselves indifferently under any leader, and deposed or restored kings at their pleasure.[2]

[Footnote 1:  TURNOUR’S Epitome, p. 29; Rajavali p. 244.]

[Footnote 2:  TURNOUR’S Epitome, p. 31; Rajavali p. 247.]

[Sidenote:  A.D. 523.]

The Rajavali, in a single passage enumerates fourteen sovereigns who were murdered each by his successor, between A.D. 523, and A.D. 648.  During a period of such violence and anarchy, peaceful industry was suspended, and extensive emigrations took place to Bahar and Orissa.  Buddhism, however, was still predominant, and protection was accorded to its professors.