Page 1
SOME A.S.
OF TH
HISTORY OF AR
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SRI LAN
ခန္တီဇုံ။
Presidentic
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JAMES T. R.
9 November
JAFENA ARCHA Eo Lo
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CHAEOLOGY
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GICAL SOCIETY
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Page 3
SOME AS
OF T.
HISTORY OF AR
N
. SR] LA
*
Presidentici
ου
JAM ES T. F
9 Novembe
JA F F NA A R O HA E O L O
23 AM MAN
JA FF N A S R

DECATS
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CHtAEOLOGY
NKA
Address
RUT NAM
o 1974
C CAL SOCETY
R O A D
LAN KA

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JAFFNA ARCHAE 23 AMMAN ROAD,

OLOGICAL SOCIETY
JAFFNA, SRI LANKA
975

Page 5
Fore
For almost a century from the Department of Archaeology has funct archaeology in this country. During til Commissionership of the late Prof. S undertook remarkable research and pu Department still continues to be the on and publication work in archaeology a par with that of the forties and fifties.
The Department of Archaeology ( University of Ceylon) in 1956 made : Professor S. Paranavitana. But that survival, having lost its original hom deniya.
It is indeed regrettable that in a for its archaeological treasures, the val appreciated fully. Our scholars have a in this respect. Until such time as the the need to give archaeology its due help keep alive the tradition of archat
The Jaffna Archaeological Society example in this respect. It has unde existence, not only archaeological surve of inscriptions and monuments but publications include a journal of Tami and an annual bulletin entitled Piruaki
This booklet containing the text by Mr. James T. Rutnam in 1974 is whose seventieth birthday this month Volume, belongs to that small but rep worthy contributions to historical and
It is hoped that this publication of the commendable archaeological w local and foreign, will stimulate new in awareness of the value of such work fo
13th June 1975, 23, Amman Road, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Word
time of its inception the Government tioned as the sole research centre for he last fifty years, especially during the enarat Paranavitana, the Department blication work in this field. While the ly place where any appreciable research Lre undertaken, the output is not on a
stablished in our University (then the a good start under its first Research Department is now struggling for its e in the salubrious campus at Pera
country that has gained much fame tue of archaeological studies is not being very great responsibility to shoulder Government and the University realize place, voluntary organizations have to 2Ological research.
, it must be admitted, is setting a fine rtaken, during the short period of its ays that have resulted in the discovery also serious publication work. Its Il epigraphy called Epigraphia Tamilica alä.
of the Presidential Address delivered its sixth publication. The author, on the Society is releasing a Felicitation uted class of amateurs who have made archaeological scholarship in our land.
, which reminds our younger scholars work done by this class of amateurs, terest in the subject and lead to a fresh or our country.
Karthigesu Indrapala Vice President Jaffna Archaeological Society.

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JA IES THEATH
sified
P
 

SN RTNAM
r

Page 9
TEXT OF AN ADDRESS ON SOM OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN SRI LAN T. RUTNAM PRESIDENT OF T SOCIETY AT THE RAMANATHAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SRI LA ON 9 NOVEMBER 1974
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I fully appreciate the honour th has conferred upon me by electing me P Society. I am conscious of my own lin in which we are engaged, but I yield enthusiasm I have evinced in this and century.
I am also conscious of the fact tha been given the privilege to deliver the fil of the University of Sri Lanka at the memory of a great patriot, Sir Ponnaml
I am reminded, as I speak, of the days in Sri Lanka in 1915 when Rama in this country such as no other Ceylo. and when as the large painting which he was dragged in his carriage by his a queror returning with the spoils of war.
Apart from the artist who had ca poet too has left for posterity these me.
“Not horses but relays of men
Draw his carriage through the stre, A halt is made, he leaves his seat, Now see hin stand Above the crowd A new-enfranchised country's cho And now he speaks; be proud To tell in ages hence you heard tha
I have heard that voice many time I was only a lad of ten years. I reinemb in my home and in every home througho
Time moves on. The fascinating st past, known to us as archaeology has at a stage when it is possible to speal serves to confirm the truism which I v pursues, one finally gravitates to the stu
I. A. C. S(eneviratne) Ceylon Daily News fo
I930.

E ASPECTS OF THE HISTORY KA DELIVERED BY MR. JAMES IE JAFFNA ARCHAEOLOGICAL HALL OF THE JAFFNA CAMPUS NIKA, THIRUNELWELY, JAFFNA
at the Jaffna Archaeological Society resident of this honourable and learned itations in so wide a field as the one to none in the interest, devotion and related subjects for well-nigh half a
t this is a historic occasion, for I have
st public address at the Jaffna Campus Ramanathan Hall, dedicated to the
palam Ramanathan.
historic moments following the dark anathan reached the pinnacle of fame nese had ever reached before or since, you see hanging in this Hall testifies, doring countrymen like a Roman Con
ptured for us that glorious hour, the morable lines:
2ίS.
ce
t voice'
s, but not on that occasion; for then er however the echoes that were heard ut the land.
udy of the material remains of man's lso progressed. We have now arrived : on the history of Archaeology. This 2nture to state: Whatever studies one ly of History.
lowing Ramanathan's death on 26 November

Page 10
The Father of History was Herc as the Father of Anthropology and Arc the interest and attention of people fro
Like most sciences Archaeology of man. Interest in antiquities, both f itself during the course of time, and formal historical antiquarianism as di:
The advance of natural science : was a turning point in the history of burst its boundaries and engage in the assistance from contemporary written pology became indispensable aids, a as Prehistoric Archaeology took shap Ussher2 who claimed that man was cre foot who went one better than His ( exactitude he asserted that the Cre October 4004 B.C.8
Today Archaeology has become a trained and untrained minds. The pot of material by the latter could, ho such as ours, without in any way daim guidance, Supervision and assistanc researchers by the State and the Uni
It is not my intention in this disc historical narrative, for in that case accounts given by such able and leau damangala Karunaratna, R. H. de Sil of the Archaeological Department of Sr
In 1959 D. T. Devendra8a contribu Years of Ceylon. Archaeology to a jour New York University entitled Artibi. land. Devendra had dated the comin the appointment of Harry Charles Pur in February 1890. He followed up th entitled The Story of Ceylon Archaeo his story to 1868 when an "Archae consider practical measures to be ta structures and other works of art”. Thi logical Society of Ceylon, Colombo, wi its inception had fondly nourished a
Saddhamangala Karunaratna“a h of Archaeology in Ceylon in Sinhalese.
መ)
2. James Ussher (1581-1656) Archbisho chronology was later inserted in the m See Vergilius Ferm An Encyclopoedia ( 3. Joseph Lightfoot (1828-1889), Bishop
Years of Archaeology, London. I952, p. 3a. (I902-1972) Former Assistant Archa
XVI INS I 972 pp. 38-39. 4. Vol. XXII November 1954 Alfred Salı 4a. Senior Assistant Archaeological Comm.

dotus, and he has also been described haeology. Archaeology has thus engaged m classical times.
too began with curiosity on the part or possession and study, had manifested this interest had taken a turn towards stinct from dilettantism.
at the close of the eighteenth century all disciplines. Archaeology was able to è Study of prehistoric man even without
Sources. Geology and Physical Anthrond a section of Archaeology described )e. Gone were the days of Archbishop eated in 4004 B.C., and of Bishop LightGrace, when with a misplaced zeal for ation had occurred at 9 a.m. on 23
popular subject. It has attracted both ential danger arising from mishandling wever, be a verted in a socialist State pening the public interest, with proper e being made available to bona fide versity Campuses.
ourse to dwell solely or at length on the I feel I shall be obliged to repeat the ned scholars as D. T. Devendra, Sadva and C. E. Godakumbura, all officials iLanka at one time or other.
ited an article under the caption Seventy nal of the Institute of Fine Arts of the S Asiae published in Ascona, Switzerencement of Ceylon Archaeology from vis Bell as Archaeological Commissioner is article in 1969 with a small booklet logy, where he traced the beginings of ological Commission was appointed to ken to conserve ancient architectural S booklet was published by the Archaeoich Devendra as itsVice-President from ld supported until his untimely death.
ad earlier in 1956 published a History The need for a History of Archaeology
p of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, whose argins of the Authorised Version of the Bible; f Religion New York I945, p. 8o7.
of Durham; See Glyn E. Daniel A Hundred 27, eological Commissioner, See JCBRAS Vol.
попу Соттетoration Nитber, pp. 23-47. issioner.
2

Page 11
in Tamil is now felt strongly and I trus' naratna's book was followed by a shor contributed by him to the Fifteenth A Association of Ceylon, Colombo, issued
In 1969 R. H. de Silvab traced Ceylon and the development of archael of safeguarding the cultural heritage British colonial Government in the consisted of a long chapter in Volume of the Ministry of Education and Cult tion in Ceylon.
In this chapter de Silva begins w. M. H. Fagan in 1818° of the ruins of Po rama Bahu the Great (1153-1186) and eleventh century the provincial capit This city was entombed for as long as and Dutch were never aware of its imp
C. E. Godakumburaa chose the F subject of his Presidential Address to Society, which he delivered on 29 N contributions of a like nature were p of the Ceylon Government Informat journal for October 1965 Godakumbu until then on the pre-history of Ceylon.
In 1967 Ceylon. Today carried a se on the Archaeology of Ceylon's North begun in Jaffna on 24 April 1966, the a an organised archaeological excavatio: of Ceylon'. In 1968 in the November/ kumbura wrote on the history of Ep studies on the history of archaeology ir written by anonymous authors, "A Sl appeared in the Times of Ceylon on 2 one on the Archaeological Survey of C. Paranavitana on Paranavitana's retire Commissioner.
The Administration Reports of the at length and in detail on the work do to time and these have been relied u
4b. Archaeological Commissioner. 5. See Supplement to the Ceylon Governn Vol. 2 pp. 84 ff. Fagan discovered these in October 1817 another Officer trave to have encountered some of these ruin 5a. Former Archaeological Commissioner; The reference (fn. p. 13) in that articl to A. Lawton, an Englishman and not at Kandy during this period. The error 6. pp. I9 to 25.
January I967 pp. 3 to Io; September Iç pp. I 2 to 1,8; Here Godakumbura dw of Paranavitana describing them as "a logical and historical interest'. See fn.
3.

: one would be forthcoming soon. Karut article on the same subject that was nniversary Souvenir of the Engineering in 1957.
"the history of antiquarian studies in ological work ever since the importance of this Island was appreciated by the nineteenth century”. His contribution
3 of the three-volume centenary work ural Affairs issued that year on Educa
ith a description of a discovery by Lt. lonnaruva, the famous capital of Parakwhich also was for some years in the al in Sri Lanka of the Chola Empire. half a millenium, and the Portuguese brtance.
listory of Archaeology in Ceylon as the the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic November 1968. Godakumbura's other ublished in Ceylon. Today, the journal ion Department. In the issue of that ra gave a summary of the work dome 6
ries of three articles by Godakumbura ern Peninsula. Referring to the work uthor wrote that it was 'the first time n was being carried out in the North December issue of Ceylon. Today Godagraphical Studies in Ceylon. To these Sri Lanka we have to add two articles )ecial Correspondent' and "E.R.' that 5 and 27 September 1956 respectively, eylon and the other a Profile on Dr. S. ment from the office of Archaeological
Archaeological Commissionershad dwelt ne and the discoveries made from time pon by the authors mentioned above.
ent Gazette, I August 1820; The Orientalist ruins on 27 June 1820. On an earlier occasion illing from Bintenna to Minery is reported s. The year 1818 may not be quite correct.
See JCBRAS Vol. XIII NS I 969 pp. I-38; e to the photographer of the 187os should be to S. K. Lawton a Ceylonese photographer. was due to me and is much regretted.
167 pp. Io to I 5; November I 967 pp. 1. I to I6. lt entirely with the interlinear inscriptions
new field of discovery' of "immense philo27 infra.

Page 12
One further item needs inclusion her history of the archaeology of the N Iever's Manual of the North Central P.
This catalogue of publications on is, I venture to say, fairly complete. ) remarks arising from a study of the pi cal work in Sri Lanka.
First and foremost it must be un logy to embrace a considerable numb aids. Amongst these Epigraphy is fi Architecture, Chemistry, Geology, Pa Ethnography, Sociology, Photogram) and Carbon Radio-activity. In its res only exploration, excavation-in shor
It is impossible in this inter-rel water-tight compartments. This is esp explains why today in the Governm Lanka, we have a team of compete have specialist qualifications in chem languages and excavation.
Archaeology, as we know it now, i times those in charge of this work were Service, then known as the Ceylon Ci all-knowing ones, the closest approach Dieu, the Omniscient One, if I mai had Civil Servants who became Gov this country. We had others of this with being Food Controllers and same tribe we had several archaeologica Charles Purvis Bell who was transfer the eminence of being District Judge Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruva and
You will note that Bell was an a cerned. But amateurs, that is those no have done well in archaeological or rel ding Sri Lanka. In this connection Dev names in this order: Ponnambalam C. Rasanayagam, Paul E. Pieris, C. H Brohier, C. W. Nicholas, A. Nell and that this list is not complete.
A. M. Hocarta who was at one specially qualified in Ethnology and h dition to the Solomon Islands. A. H. I John Marshall of Indian Archaeolog Southern Circle of the Indian Archael Ceylon. P. C. Sestieri, a famous classi to work and train students in Sri Lan
9. Colombo I899, Chapter XV, pp. 2 II to 9a. (1883 to 1939), Archaeological Commis
vol. iv p. iii.

2. It is the documented account of the orth Central Province given in R. W. rovince Ceylon.
the history of archaeology in Sri Lanka propose now to confine myself to some ogress and development of archaeologi
derstood that we use the term Archaeoer of subsidiary or related studies and premost. Then there are Numismatics, laeontology, Anthropology, Ethnology, metry, Linguistics, Dendrochronology, tricted sense Archaeology would mean t digging up the past.
ated world to confine knowledge into ecially the case with Archaeology. This 2nt Department of Archaeology in Sri nt archaeologists, who between them listry, epigraphy, architecture, oriental
is a modern science. During the colonial mostly members of the Administrative vil Service. The Civil Servants were the at the time among us mortals to Bons y say so with utmost reverence. We 'ernors and Supreme Court Judges in fraternity who contented themselves Marketing Commissioners. In this ll officials, the first of them being Harry red (no doubt to his own liking) from of Kegalle to clearing the jungles in digging into the bowels of the earth.
mateur as faras Archaeology was cont professionally or academically trained, ated work all over the world not exclu'endra has listed the following Sri Lanka Arunachalam, Ananda Coomaraswamy, [. Collins, P. E. P. Deraniyagala, R. L. D. P. E. Hettiarachchi. Devendra says
time Archaeological Commissioner was ad been a member of the Rivers Expelonghurst, a brother-in-law of the great y, was himself Superintendent of the ological Survey before he came out to cal archaeologist was sent by UNESCO ka.
242. • isioner 1921 to 193o, see Epigraphia Zeylanica
4.

Page 13
Sir William Henry Gregory, the G statue stands in front of the Colombc Paul Goldschmidto in 1875 to copy a at the age of 27 years in Galle on 7 jungles of our land. E. Müller who s published his interesting work Ancie umes in London in 1883.
A. O. Brodie, W.A. S. Boake, R. W Henry Parker, John Still and T. W. Rh Services and had shown enthusiasm in often as an avocation.
The only official of the early per unfortunately met with a tragic fate. drowned accidently in the Tissavev within a year of his appointment. He v under Flinders Petrie, and was in the decided to come to Ceylon. Had he have at least had a share of honour in of Tutankhaman by Lord Carnarvon ; We may well speculate with Devendri roahs that pursued Ayrton to this di
It is interesting to note here tha Layard who discovered Nimrud and r cuneiform tablets was a son of a Ce Layard, who was sent to Ceylon along the Dean of Bristol sometime after the ces of Sri Lanka.o The Layard famil trative and judicial services of this co the family when we come across La Layard's Folly, the last sobriquet rese tion of the Wellawatte Canal.
When we examine closely the w in Sri Lanka, we would find two outstal the period from 1890 to 1956 with as and a few years thereafter. They are and Senarat Paranavitana (1896-1972 great work had suffered only by compa vitana, but who nevertheless stand field of Epigraphy, is Don Martino of the first two volumes of the Epigra
Obituary notices of Bell and Pa were not professionally or academica
Io. See K. Indrapala, “Paul Goldschmic sioner' Purvakala, Jafna 1973, pp. 13 ments, Colombo I9 I 3 pp. I 97, I98. Ioa. J. P. Lewis, op. cit. p. 25. II. See Epigraphia Zeylanica, Vol. IV p. of Epigraphical Research'', Ceylon Ob,

vernor of Ceylon in the 1870s, whose Museum, was responsible for engaging ld decipher our inscriptions. He died Iay 1877 of malaria contracted in the cceeded him was an epigraphist. He it Inscriptions in Ceylon in two Vol
Ievers, S.M. Burrows, Joseph Pearson, ys Davids came from the Ceylon Public their work which they performed more
iod who was a qualified Archaeologist He was Edward R. Ayrton who was in Tissamaharama on 18 May 1914 ras a young Egyptologist who worked Valley of the Kings at Thebes when he ontinued to work in Egypt he would the glorious discovery of the treasures und Howard Carter in November 1922. , whether it was the curse of the Phastant land and finally overtook him.
it the world famous Sir Austen Henry ecovered at Nineveh a great library of ylon Civil Servant, Henry Peter John with his brother Charles by their father British took over the Maritime Proviny was well represented in the adminisuntry. Even today we are reminded of yard's Broadway, Layard's Road and rved by critics to ridicule the construc
hole range of the story of Archaeology lding figures who between them spanned hort break during the First World War Harry Charles Purvis Bell (1851-1937) ). Another contemporary figure whose rison with the works of Bell and Parana
pre-eminent in his own self-chosen le Zilwa Wickremasinghe,1o the Editor bhia Zeylanica.
ranavitana who (like Wickremasinghe) ly qualified for their tasks before they
:, Sri Lanka's First Archaeological Commisto 15; also J. P. Lewis Tombstones and Monu
iii; also W. Mendis Gunasekera, "A Pioneer rver цб January І975 р. 2.
5

Page 14
entered into their vocations, have app Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, failed to foster and support Archaeolo in 1846. Paranavitana who succeeded V graphia Zeylanica had a paragraph eac Preface to Vol. IV of that journal. A list Fonseka appeared in Ceylon. Today. writings up to the year 1963 was publi Paramavitana Felicitation. Voluøne issued by Goonetileke appeared in a Special published in 1974.
Both Bell and Paranavitana were Bell maintained until his death and in fication of the Abhayagili and Jetavana fication which was challenged on the eal. and later by H. Parker. Even Emerson in his book on Ceylon in impressive a believing it to be the Jetavana. But we Jetavana is truly Abhayagiri and that h
In the same way Paranavitana held Some of these have been openly contrac Lohuizen de Leeuw,17 R. H. de Silva, 18A P. C. Sestieri and R. A. L. H. Gunawar
The most important of Paranavita severest and most convincing critics "if they are accepted, involve the re-w ancient and mediaeval history of Ceylc the "indo-centrism' of our historical wr navitana appears to have gone to anoth to Gunawardene 'for a relationship bet
I2. See D. T. Devendra, "Harry Charles P. I962, pp. I63 to I65; Godakumbura '' I972 pp. 33 to 37. 3. Vol. I Nos. 2 and 3. I3a. Librarian, University of Sri Lanka, Per: of Ceylon 2 Volumes I97o, an indispensab I 4. See Kamalasundari de Silva, “The Abhay Identity', Ceylon Daily News 23 Octobe d. in France Io April I897, Editor Tapi I888, also Oriental Studies 1882, Ceylon C Register Vol. 2, No. 37, 1888. p. 294; a Ceylon, Vol. I, Colombo I924, pp. I c. to I I5. See H. Parker Ancient Ceylon London 19 I6. See James Emerson Tennent Ceylon, secc 7. See "The Rock-cut Sculptures at Isuruml International Conference Seminar on A also “The Kustarajagala Image” Pa
I965, pp. 253-26 I. 8. "The Dakkina Thupa' Ceylon Observer 2 rg. 'Roruka' Studies in Indo-Asian Art and
89. 20. "The Statue at Potgul Vehara' Ceylon Vol. I No. 2, Ig58 pp. 18o to 19I. 2. "On the Statue at Potgul Vehara.' East 22: R. A. L. H. Gunawardene, 'Ceylon an April-October I967 Vol. XXV Nos. I and
6

ared in the journals of the Ceylon learned institution which has never y from the time of its establishment lickremasinghe as Editor of the Epi
on Bell and Wickremasinghe in his of Bell's writings compiled by Lyn de An impressive list of Paranavitana's hed by H. A. I. Goonetilekeoa in the in 1965, and a further list up to 1972 ssue of the Sinhala journal Sanskruti
:enacious upholders of their theories. he face of all criticism the old identidagobas in Anuradhapura, an identiiest occasion in 1888 by Hugh Nevill Tennent had described the Abhayagiri nd glowing language, the whole while know it for certain now that Tennent's S Abhayagiri is truly Jetavana.
lfast to his theories and conjectures. licted by scholars such as J. E. Van D. T. E. Perera, 19 Siri Gunasingheo dene.22
na's theories, according to one of his , R. A. L. H. Gunawardene, would riting of a substantial portion of the on'. In an effort possibly to counter iting both ancient and modern, Paraer extreme and has argued according ween Ceylon and Malaysia extending
urvis Bell'', JCBRAS Vol. VIII NS pt. I, Senarat Paranavitana” op. cit. Vol. XVI,
deniya Campus, author of A Bibliography le guide to scholars. agiri and Jetavanarama: A Case of Mistaken ir I 965, p. 9: Hugh Nevill b. I 9 June I 848, 'obanian, 3 Volumes from October 1885 to vil Service I869 to I 886; cf. Ceylon Literary lso Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of where Hocart writes from Ayrton's notes. P9, pp. 298 to 3 II. nd edition, London I 859, Vol. I p. 346. ni' a paper read at Colombo at the Second sian Archaeology, 22 to , 26 August I969; anavitana Felicitation Volume Colombo
. March Ig57. Culture New Delhi Ig73, Vol. III, pp. 83 to
Journal of Historical and Social Studies
nd West Vol. 9 No. 3, 1958 pp. 233 to 237.
i Malaysia.' University of Ceylon Review 2 pp. I to 64.

Page 15
beyond the economic and cultural sphe lated', so much so that he had suggest of Parakrama Bahu I and the access. Period of Ceylon History'. The subjec dene in his article on "Ceylon and Ma University of Ceylon Review. Gunaw, read some of the alleged interlinear ir "unreliable'. He further proceeded to on these inscriptions against other kn them unacceptable and had considere dubious credibility for purposes of h had advanced his contention for the f in 1958. Notwithstanding Gunawar Paranavitana continued to uphold his
Paranavitana had engaged himsel Nilakanta Sastri, 24 the noted historian his views into several publications whi Paranavitana had even taken upon hij porate his novel theories, with scant text-book written jointly by himself a of Ceylon, published by the University
The basis of Paranavitana's argu writing which he claimed to have fo scattered all over the Island and at ) of these interlinear readings could gi claimed to have read copious extrac Sanskrit prose) named Parampara-Pu. in the reign of Vikramabahu (1111-1 was the pupil of the Sthavira (Hea Vijaya) and had received his educatio dhapura.' He also claimed to have unknown and certainly non-extant rajavritanta, Suvarninapuravamsa and
In the light of Gunawardene's c. conclusion that Paranavitana's work i an extraordinary genius with a vivid of the minutest details of the current could have been able to produce. Know his integrity. We can only say with had been permitted to run riot and t had feared, 'the victim of some sort o
23. See Dambadeni Sahitya Sammela’naya, Affairs, Colombo I959, pp. 23 to 27, 33 24. See S. Paranavitana "Ceylon and M JCBRAS Vol. VIII NS pt. 2 I 963 pp. : NS pt. I, I962 pp. I 25 to I4o. 25. For a severe criticism of this work S
in Ceylon Colombo I969 pp. 28, 29. 26. S. Paranavitama, 'Ceylon and Sri Vi
Luce, Vol. I, p. 2o7, I966. 26a. See Paranavitana. The Greeks and Ma

res that the earlier writings had postudi calling the period between the demise on of Parakrama Bahu II the “Malay has been dealt with fully by Gunawaraysia' in the last and final issue of the rdene had made a serious attempt to scriptions himself but had found them test Paranavitana's arguments based own historical evidence and had found d Paranavitana's sources as being 'of storical reconstruction”. Paranavitana rst time at a seminar at Dambadeniya lene's effective disposal of this thesis osition until his dying day.
f in a vigorous controversy with K. A. of South India, and had also introduced :h have all been listed by Gunawardene. mself the grave responsibility to incorrespect for his critics, into a college ind C. W. Nicholas, the Concise History of Ceylon in 19615.
ments was his detection of interlinear und in about twenty-five inscriptions Ramesvaram in South India. The bulk o to form several volumes. Indeed he its from a mysterious book (written in staka (the Book of Lineages), 'written 132), by a monk named Bhadra who ld of the Sangha) of Svarnapura (Sri in at the Abhayagiri Vihara of Anuraread extracts from four other hitherto works named Sundari vrttanta, MaghaRajavamsa.
iticism we are obliged to come to the s a marvellous piece of fiction that only imagination and an amazing knowledge S and cross-currents of historical events ing the man as we do, we cannot impugn he utmost respect that his imagination hat he had become really as he himself f hallucination'.
Sammelana Satahan, Department of Cultural and 34.
alaysia” A Rejoinder to Nilakanta Sastri, 3o to 377; for Sastri's views see op. cit Vol. VIII
ee S. P. F. Senaratna Prehistoric Archaeology
aya” Artibus Asiae, Essays Offered to G. H.
uryas, Colombo I97I p. 5.
7

Page 16
Godakumbura in his article contı Studies in Ceylon where he refers a does not say that he had read th testimony whatsoever that anyone el inscriptions.
There is one paragraph in God which is deserving of record. He w Malaysia was reviewed in the journal the review was unfair. Certainly there to some literary texts and place I editor did not publish the rejoinder. the journal any more'.
The University don referred to w pala. He was the first and only mar a 'critical review'.2 of Paranavitan: a furious lambasting by Paranavitana Journal of the Royal Asiatic Societ understand why A. Liyanagamage views (which went against Paranavitan expressed in a draft paper intended to degree) finally in either his thesis or h; the Rise of Dambadeniya.30a
I had myself been obliged to col writing on the statue near Potgul Viha rely on the interlinear inscriptions to was that of Vijayabahu II* I was comp in the paper which I read before the IA I shall content myself here with quotin connection:
27. October-December 1968, pp. I2 to 18; all Paranavitana's interlinear readings, nando Ancient Ceylon No. I, January I successful attempt to read these inscri dhamangala Karunaratina Epigraphia "Interlinear Inscriptions' pp. 98 to I free from any trace of imagination'. 27a. Godakumbura's Obituary Notice on P supra), it is strangely silent on Parar 28. Lecturer in History, University of Sri of History and Archaeology and Dean of Sri Lanka, Jaffna Campus. 29. See JCBRAS Vol. XI NS 1967, pp. 1 Inscriptions in Sri Lanka', South Asi Io6; cf. S. Kiribamune 'Some Reflectio) to History', Ceylon Journal of Humar 3o. In his inimitable style Paranavitana ha more pungent than his rejoinders to N. pt. 2 pp. 33o to 377) and D. J. Wijeyr No. 4 pp. 35 to 65) and more contem (JCBRAS Vol. I NS I 95o pp. I 74 an 3oa. See Gunawardene op. Cit pp. 5 and I3, 31. See S. Paranavitana, Art of the Ancien See also pp. I34-I35 (plate 63) where o criptions the Sasseruva Buddha Image of Mahasena; also Sasamabrawrrti, Wo Kantarodai stupas built, according to t Sri Vijaya, early in the ninth Geutury. 32. James T. Rutnam "Polonnaruva Colo: ference Seminar of Tamil Studies, Jaffr the International Association of Tani
ombo and Jaffna.
8

outed to Ceylon. Today on Epigraphical length to these interlinear inscriptions n. As a matter of fact we have no 2 besides Paranavitana had read these
kumbura’s article on Paranavitama?7* te "Paranavitana's book, Ceylon and y a University don. The author thought were errors in the reviewer's reference ames. Paranavitana replied, and the Paranavitana ceased to contribute to
as none other than Karthigesu Indrabefore Gunawardene to dare to make 's stand. For this Indrapala received which no wonder the Editor of the y refused to publish. One can now ad not included his own considered a on this subject and which he had first form a part of his thesis for the Ph.D. s book The Decline of Polonnaruwa and
nment on Paranavitana's views when ra, where Paranavitana had sought to establish conclusively that the statue elled to animadvert on his methodology TR Conference in Jaffna last January. g some excerpts from my paper in this
Godakumbura had accepted without reserve See also Roland Silva, and A. Denis N. Fer7 I, pp. I 4 I to I44 for an account of an unptions by the use of photogrammetry; SadZeylanica Vol. VI, I973 No. 23, Note 4
I, which ends thus: "Perception should be
uranavitana published in I 972 (see ín. I 2 avitana's interlinear readings.
Lanka, Peradeniya Campus; Now Professor of the Faculty of Humanities, University
I to Io6; also W. H. McLeod 'Interlinear (Australia) No. 3, August I973, pp. Io5, s on Professor Paranavitana’s Contributions ities, Vol. I Nc. I for January 197o, pp. 7 off. lashed out in rage. It was almost libellous, akanta Sastri (see JCBRAS Vol. VIII NS tne (see Epigraphia Zeylanica Vol. V pt. I tuous than his retort to D.E., Hettiarachchi
I75). 1. п7 and 38. Sinhalese Colombo Ig7 I p. 138 (plate 88); the basis of his readings of interlinear inssidentified by him as a "portrait statue' 2, Vesak Issue, May 1973 pp. 7 ff. re 2 interlinear inscriptions, by a minister from
as', paper read at IV International Con, Sri Lanka, 5 January 1974, organised by Research (IATR), Sri Lanka Branch, Col

Page 17

w pysyy, wą war,T-osiosos, yn wrywins (JT

Page 18
LVrir Barrial
(Photograph collertesy Goze,
lfr. Rieľ a F72 ľookirg a ľ a fresc:
 
 

! Porri pa riff r7 F12 e F1 ! Hrehēzeologic II Fo Debr.)
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"The line of argument chosen by in the present case is typical of a ne impressive superstructure of eruditi flimsy foundation. In such cases one show of clever, copious, vigorous, f of some tifling (and often irreleval is led to applaud with enthusiasm th little realising that the main argum its weak foundation.
'Since the time of H. C. P. Bell no or position in the field of Ceylon Archa to the top had been long and ardu summit he dwarfed his contempor. et sans reproche.
His word was accepted without ques ledge of oriental literature and was a to make the best of English writer concluded every argument, and for
awe, and even with fear and trepidati
"All are agreed that Paranavitana integrity has never been questioned. the correct one) he would explore th to substantiate that particular positi to ignore or dismiss indifferently a ingenious propagandist of his own everyone to look at the prospect with could not last for long'.
To conclude, as we have observed that Archaeological work was begun ir was the first time an organised arc carried out in the north of Ceylon. Let The Jaffna Archaeological Society which 1971 by K. Indrapala, W. Sivasamy and work with the help of the Archaeolog friendly relations, at Kantarodai, Vallip sites in the Vavuniya and Trincomalie publications, especially relating to a which were discovered during their sur
The old chronicles of Sri Lanka whi the activities of the Hinayana Buddhist Wilhelm Geiger the great Mahavamsa sch ly compiler of the Mahavamsa has a bia often omitted or suppressed facts which reader. B. C. Law had written 'the chro of Indo-Aryan rule did not foresee the historians”.38 We now have to fill these mutilations and remove any interpolatio)
The story of the Tamils in Sri Lank presence of the Sinhalese in some distric vinces and in the Vanni at some period
33. Bimala Churn Law. The Chronicles of Ceylc
9

Paranavitana to serve his purpose w methodology. It seeks to build an on and Scholarship over a weak and : is intellectually intimidated by the luent and incontrovertible advocacy t) circumstance, and such a person e point gained in the minor skirmish, ent must one day totter because of
he had reached the same commanding eology as Paranavitana. His journey ous. And finally having reached the ries. He was the master sans peur
tion. He had an encyclopaedic knowfacile writer of English prose, enough s envious. It was his ipse dixit that a time everyone bowed to him with O.
was a giant in his generation. His If he takes a view (not necessarily Le entire gamut of human knowledge on. In the process he has been known nything to the contrary. He was an preconceived hunches. He expected almost identical eyes. This of course
earlier, Godakumbura had stated Jaffna on 24 April 1966, and that haeological excavation was being us hope that this will be continued. was founded in a modest way in May A. Kandiah has already done some ical Department, with which it has uram, Mutharaiyan Kattu and other Districts and has since issued some arge number of Tamil inscriptions veys. h were intended primarily to record Sangha have left many things unsaid. plar had once observed that the priesttowards ecclesiastical things and has are of greater interest to the modern niclers who were mad with the idea iifficulties to be met by the modern gaps, correct the slant, restore any is in the chronicles.
a has not been fully told. While the ts in the Northern and Eastern Pros in the history of Sri Lanka is not
п, Calcutta 1947 р. 47.

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disputed, it is equally true that the 1 in the Southern part of Sri Lanka. H. can be little doubt that the Jaffna Kir Low-country of Ceylon,* and that Ta the Kings of Kotte'.*
This may explain why the trilin, written only in Chinese, Tamil and Per konar was known and spoken of as A will be noted from the phonetic trans records. In this connection it is interest Admiral had a base at Beruwela wher fifteenth century, and on one occasion ships and a contingent of 30,000 gov speak of the King of the land as a So. Tamil from South India.
We are all heirs to the national le monuments in Jaffna; we also find Hin Island. Some of the greatest Buddhis described in his article on Buddhism in history up to the fourteenth century considerable place in South India and literatures of the land'87 Jaffna is on continent. We have necessarily to draw lengeable fact.
The great commentator of the Bu a South Indian.98 So were Buddhadat Dharma, Ilam Bodiyar and Seethalai S Manimekalai was written in Tamil by Even Kaccayana, the author of the f India, which for over a millennium cont “Sinhalese Buddhism”, Sir Charles Elli came to Ceylon under the auspices of As with Southern India than the legends Buddhist centre which kept up interco
34. H. W. Codrington A Short History of Ce 35. H. W. Codrington JCB RAS Vol. 31. No A Short History of Hiuduism, pp. 191. 36. See Ma Huan Уing-yai Shen-lan transla Society, Ig7o p. II. This refers to Chen ; Ceylon was captured. and taken to Ch with Beruwela as the Chinese base in Sri 37. K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, Buddhism in S
to 6, I942 pp. I57, I58. 38. See Wilhelm Geiger Culture of Ceylon in datta. Thero Corrections to Geiger's Ma, and Times of Ceylon 3o March I969. 39. T. N. Ramachandran "The History c Jayanthi Special May I956, Vol. XXVI Bhikkhu of the Cola country who lived went to Ceylon.... and renewed and e1 datta. Thera (Fifth Century A.D.) a Ta sively of Buddhist monasteries at Maha 4o. Hin luism and Buddhism, I92I Reprinte

amils have also held sway at intervals W. Codrington has stated that 'there gdom was for a time paramount in the mil 'had been the Court Language of
'ual inscriptiona found in Galle was sian and not in Sinhalese. Even Alagalagakonar and not as Alagakonara as iteration of this word in the Chinese ng to note that Cheng-Ho, the Chinese 2 he landed several times in the early it is observed with a fleet of some 48 rnment troops. The Chinese records i meaning undoubtedly that he was a
gacy of Sri Lanka. We find Buddhist ilu shrines and temples throughout the ts were Tamils. Nilakanta Sastri has South India that "from the dawn of A.D. or even later Buddhism held a left its marks in the monuments and ly about twenty miles from the subthe right conclusions from this unchal
ddhist Scriptures, Buddha-ghosa, was ta, Dhammapala, Sangamitra, Bodhi attanar39. The greatest Buddhist epic a Tamil in the second century A.D. trSt Pali grammar, came from South inued to be a centre of Pali Buddhism. ot wrote, while acknowledging that it oka, "had probably a closer connection suggest and Conjevaram was long a urse with both Ceylon and Burma'.
vlom Colombo I 939, p. 84.
8, 1928 p. 202; see also C. S. Navaratnam. 2. ted and edited by J. G. V. Mills, Hakluyt g-Ho's Third Expedition when the King of na. Mills confidently identifies Pieh-lo-li Lanka in early fifteenth century. uth India, The Mahabodhi, Vol. 5o Nos. 4
Mediaeval Times p. 69; also A. P. Buddhaavansa etc. Ambalangoda. I957 p. 142 ff.
: South Indian Buddhism” The Buddhis No. I pp. 51 to 53; 'Sanghamitra, a Tamil in the early half of the fourth century A.D. larged the Abhayagiri Vihara”. “Buddhahil of the Cola country, held charge succes"ihara in Anuradhapura....” ! I 954, Vol. I p. XXv.
O

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It is, therefore, not surprising Jaffna so close to the South-east co, Pomparippu'a and other places sugge Lanka, but there is no archaeological { colonisation.40b II do not want to be c is evident in the history of Research. seek only a victory forTruth, and Truth for ever so long.
As a message to my fellow memb I would like to end this discourse with of Dr. Paul E. Pieris.
“Long before the arrival of Vija Isvarams of Siva which claimed and r øyere Thiruketeesvaram mear Mahatitt) and the Pearl Fishery, Tandesvaram site the great Bay of Koddiyar and
"Everyone must concede that the on the Sinhalese Court throughout its hi India. I am of opinion that long befo been fully occupied by Dravidian Race
"I hope the Tamil people will real sands the story of much more fascin, dreanned'.8
4oa. See Report of the Archaeological Surve
and pl. 5 and 6. 4ob. S. P. F. Senaratna op. cit. p. 3o. 'Ir traced to either the west or the east c 4 I. Paul E. Pieris JCBRAS vol. xxvi N 42. Paul E. Pieris Ceylon Daily News, 2. 43. ibid.

hat we have Buddhist monuments in st of India. The megalithic burials in st a South Indian culture in Ancient Sri vidence at all to suggest a North-Indian tegorical. We all make mistakes. That No side ever wins in this dialogue. We is so elusive that the search will continue
2rs in the Jaffna Archaeological Society the following extracts from the works
ya there was in Lanka five recognised zceived the adoration of all India. These a, Munnissaram dominating Salawatta near Mantota, Thirukonesvaram oppoNakulesvaram mear Kankesanthurai”.*1
chief influence which has been exercised story was the Dravidian interests of South re the arrival of Vijaya the country had s'.42
ise that in truth there is buried in their ating development than they had hitherto
y of Ceylon for 1956, Colombo July 1957 p. G8
particular, there are no finds which could be
North India'. . 7o, 1917 pp. I7 and I 8.
February 1919.
11

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