Page:Origin and spread of the Tamils.djvu/101



90 ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF THE TAMILS Răjarāja Cola completed his conquests by the capture of Mahinda himself, along with his crown jewels and the Pandyan regalia, left by Rājasimha. Ceylon became a province of the Cola Empire; and Polonnaruwa was renamed Jananāthapura. Mahinda died in captivity in India. Varaguņavarman, son of Sri Vallabha, was apparently the Pandyan king who invaded Ceylon under Sena I. For the inconsistencies and contradictions both chronological and otherwise, regarding the relations of Sena I and Sena II with South India, sce Nilakanta Sastri, The Pandyan Kingdom, pp. 70-71; also the Mahavainsa account of the Ceylonese conguest of Madura by Lankāpura. Ceylonese Influence on the Tamils : In the reign of King Gothabhaya (248 to 251 A. D.) there arose in addition to the Vaitulyan heretics, a third sect known as the Sahalya and a body of 60 monks were banished by the king and took ship to India where they settled down in the town of Kavira (Käverippattinam) and prospered under the continued patronage of the people of that place. King Elara, a "Damila of the illustrious Uju tribe" invaded the island from the Cola country, usurped the throne of King Asela (205 to 161 B. c.) and ruled the kingdom for 44 years administering justice with impartiality to friend and foe. He not merely tolerated Buddhism, but was one of its best friends, See H. Kern, Manual of Indian Buldhisın (Strassburg, 1896) pp. 124-5. G. Turnour, The Mahavarisa, Ch. XXXVII; W. Geiger, The Mahāvansa, Ch. XXVII; J. M. Senaveratna, The Story of the Sinhalese, Vol. II--Datugenmina to Mahasena, Chs. XLI-XLIII. Ceylonese bhikkhus and even laymen frequently crossed over to South India and thence walked all the way to Buddha