The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

HEVIEW ARTJC:LE 301
chronicles. These are 1230, the date of Chandrabanu's Tambralinga
inscription of Nakorn Sri Thammaraj, and 1264, the date of Vira
Pandya's Kudumiyamalai inscription of South India. The dates in the
chronicles should be adjusted to these two inscriptions, but this is
something I will leave to future students. Meanwhile we return to 1236,
when the Dambadeniya period in Ceylonese history started,
19. PARAKRAMABAHU II OF DAMBADENIYA
When Magba was driven from the throne of Polonaruva in 1236,
Parakramubahu II, son of Vijayabaha III, the first king of Dambadeniya
on the west coast, became king. In 1258 he was afflicted by an incurable
disease and control of state affairs was entrusted to a minister. In
1262, the king's eldest son, the future Vijayabahu IV, was made virtual
ruler. Another prince, Virabahu, who was a son of the king's sister,
Svarnnamanikya, also had an important part to play in the story.
1247 A.D. Chandrabanu's first invasion of Ceylon: According to
the Culawamsa, as translated by Geiger and quoted on page 74 of Paranavitana's
book:
"When the eleventh year of the reign of this king bad
arrived, a king of the Javaka known by the name of Candabhanu
landed with a terrible Javaka army under the treacherous pretext
that they were also followers of the Buddha. All these wicked
Javaka soldiers who invaded every landing place and who with
their poison arrows, like to terrible snakes, without ceasing
harassed the people whomever they caught sight of, laid waste,
raging in their fury, all Lanka. Just as flashes of lightning with
floods of water (visit) a place destroyed by lightning with flames
of fire, so Lanka, which had been harassed by Magha and others,
was ravaged anew by the Javakas. Then the king sent forth his
sister's son, the heroic prince Virabahu, with soldiers to fight the
Javakas. The fearful Rahu, namely Virabahu, with his terrible
appearance completely destroyed (the moonlight, namely) Candrabhanu
in tbe fields of heaven, namely in the battle. He placed
his heroic Sihala soldiers here and there and began to open fight
with the Javaka warriors. The good Sihala warriors, sure in aim,