113992242-Dravidian-Settlements-in-Ceylon-and-the-Beginnings-of-the-Kingdom-of-Jaffna-By-Karthigesu-Indrapala-Complete-Phd-Thesis-University-of-London-1965

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(Jaffnapatam, now Jaffria) In the Portuguese period, 'from
Nigumbo [Negonibo) to Jafanapata they speak the TanLil language
better' To this day this holds good to some extent. There are
still Tamil speakers in Chilaw and Negombo, many of whom also
speak Sinhalese.
As we have already seen , the settle ent of the
Dravidians on the western coast began at a very early ate
There were sporadic settlements at places like Pomparippu
and Mahtittha before the Ca conquest. Tamil inscriptions
attest to the settlement at Maht.ttha in the eleventh century.
Inscriptions of the twelfth century reveal the existence of
Tamil settlements in the region bordering on the Puttalam
district. But there is not sufficient evidence to warrant the
conclusion that the whole of the western coast from Nanr
to Chilaw was settled by Tamils or Ker4as by about the twelfth
century.
In the thirteenth century, the soldiers of lgha
and Jayabhu are stated to have set up fortifications in
nmatta, ?4annra,and }ahtittha According to the Maakkaj.appu-
1. F. de ueyroz, . cit., p. k7.
2. Thid., p. li6.
3. See supra, ppL 1- ifk.
See supra, 2p1- 2l
5. See supra, p. 3c1.