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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the inscription. Similarly, the conquest of the 'old islands of
the sea numbering twelve thousand' by Rjarja I, lie says, 'Lust
indubitably refer to the Jaffna is1ande' In. his opinion, the
Maldives and the Laccadives were the dependent islands of JafZna
Such methods of historical analysis, it is needless to say, need
not be taken seriously.
The paucity of references to the Jaffna region in
our sources may suggest that this area was not of much significance
in the island. The few references that we come across in the
Pli chronicle seem to suggest that it was part of the Sinhalese
kingdom till the twelfth century. The authority exercised by
DevThampiya Tiasa over this region in the third century B.C.
is indicated by the account of his reign in the Mahvaisa
The port of Jainbukola in the Jaffna peninsula was under the
control of the Sinha].eae monarch and it is stated that he built
the Jambukola vihra there. There is no mention of that region
having been ruled by any other independent monarch at that time.
Ls Paranavitana has suggested, it appears that this northern
region, whicli was then known as NgadTpa,was administered by
1. C.Rasanayagam, . £•' p. 239.
2. Ibid., p. 262.
3. flv., 11:23, 38; 18:8; 19:23 ff., 60; 20:25.