Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 1

Recommendations

Info

Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 102 The Kadava, Lankan alliance attacked the Chola country and subdued the Cholas. Parakramabahu/Kadava forces were able to capture and imprison the Chola King Raja Raja III. This evidence was surfaced in 1986, half a century after Geiger wrote Culavamsa. (Ref: South Indian Inscriptions, Vol XII, Pallava Inscriptions, Archaeological Survey of India, 1986, Page XI, and Page 154). King Parakramabahu’s campaign in Pandu and Chola countries are documented in following Chola inscriptions – Annual Report of Epigraphy (ARE) Madras – 1899 – 1900, No 20, para 38, ARE 1905-6, pg 70, S 1.1 iii. Nos 86:87,88, Epigraphica Indica – vii, pg 169, ARE 1924, No 433). One Chola inscription reports of killing King Parakramabahu. According to Hultzch, he could be a Prince of the Royal court of King Parakrmabahu. (Ref: Epigraphica Indica, Volume VII, Page 168). Hence Parakramabahu was able to capture both Pandu and Chola kingdoms with forces he sent under Lankapura and Jagadvijaya. Ramanna Campaign: (Devanagala Rock Inscription): Mahavamsa account of the campaign to Ramanna (Burma) was supported by a rock inscription found in Devanagala in the Kegalle district. The intention of the rock inscription was to grant a certain land to one of King’s generals known as Kith Nuwaragal, who was instrumental in the Ramanna campaign. According to the inscription, name of the Burmese King at the time of the invasion was Bhuvanadittha. “His majesty Parakramabahu who is descended from the Royal line of the Okkaka dynasty which abounding in an assemblage of illustrious boundless and transcended virtues has made other Kshatriya dynasties of Jambudeepa its vassals; who is by right of descent, the lord of the maiden land of Lankadvipa, the chief queen of Kshatriya nobles by the effulgence of the nails of whose feet the heads of other Kings become anointed….. “On the tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Poson in the twelfth year when his majesty was enjoying the Royal splendor, in the noble city of Pulati (Polonnaruwa). Where as a person named Buvanadittha, lord of Aramana (Burma), said “We shall not contract a treaty with the island of Lanka, and where as his majesty had commanded “Put men on board on thousands of ships and send them and attack Aramana, and Kith Nuvaragal in pursuance of the said command, had taken by storm, a town called Kusumiya. Aramanas sent envoys saying “We shall contract a treaty” “Two yalas were granted as pamunu to Kith Nuvaragal including Malabatuwa and the sowing extent of twelve amunas and two palas in Kithsenpav which were granted by having this inscription engraved on this stone so that the same may last till the sun and moon endure” (Ref: Epigraphia Zeylanica – Volume III –Don Martino De Zilva Wikramasinghe) Author’s Note: Kithsenpav means, Pav (rock) that belong to Kithsen. Here sen means General and Kith is the name of the person.
Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 103 Yodha Wewa: (Giant Reservoir): Giant reservoir located in Mannar (Manthota) is another huge project of King Parakramabahu. Huge dam was built across the river today known as Aruvi Aru to bring water to Giant reservoir. The dam at Giant reservoir is a majestic structure with a length of 600 feet and a width of 75 feet!. British Governer Henry Ward made the following comment on this dam. “It is difficult to imagine anything more imposing than this dam, with all its strange associations of empires, civilizations and science and commerce long extinct- a population equal to that of London or Paris, once swarming about this desolate spot without tradition or a monument to mark its existence or to record its decay” (Ref: Ancient Irrigation Works of Ceylon, R. L. Brohier) Note on Parakramabahu: “As a ruler of a kingdom, he could be placed besides monarchs like Peter the Great of Russia, and Fredrick the Great of Prussia for beside being a warrior and statesman, like them he perceived the sources of power. Like them too he must have had a somewhat calculating and sinister side to his character. Reputation of this 12 th century ruler of Ceylon has been so impressive that a statue was built on a little knoll not far from one of his gigantic irrigation projects called sea of Parakrama”. Ref: E.F.C Ludowyk, “The Story of Ceylon” Sea of Parakrama – (Parakrama Samudra Details): Parakrama Samudra was constructed using three reservoirs. Thopavava of north and Dhumbutulu Weva of south were connected through Eramadu Weva. Parakramabahu’s master builders dammed up Kara Ganga (today Amban Ganga) and constructed nearly nine miles of embankments across valleys and existing reservoirs. The embankment was anchored to a four miles of rock for stability. Parakrama’s sea is a gigantic, yet intricate and sophisticated water storage system and considered to be an Engineering marvel. Sea of Parakrama has a catchment basin of approximately 75 sq. km. The reservoir was designed to be fed by small streams coming from the catchment basin and a long channel that’s been connected to the southern river system. Kara Ganga (Amban Ganga) was dammed and water was diverted to the Sea of Parakrama and to the city of Polonnaruwa. Sea of Parakrama obtained water from Minipe ela which was built across Mahaweli river as well. The channel carrying mighty water from Amban Ganga and Mahaweli river were used to fill the reservoir. Silt collected in the reservoir is minimal due to long distance of travel by river water in the channel known as Akasa Ganga. Sea of Parakrama is approximately 23 sq. km in surface area and has a volume of 0.13 cu. km. (130,000 cu. m). When completely filled the depth of the reservoir at the center would be 52 feet and 3 ½ mile line could be drawn from one corner to the other. Exact location of the Sea of Parakrama was identified by Hugh Neville and the reservoir was restored by the program started by British Governor Sir Henry Ward.
Page 1 and 2:
Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse,
Page 3 and 4:
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52: Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse,
Page 101: Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse,
Page 153 and 154:
show all

Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 1

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?