The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c8.251

c8.251

[A.D. 843. Probable date of accession of Sēna II, king of Ceylon. The *Mahāwamśa* narrates that, in revenge for the wanton attack of the Pāṇḍya king on Ceylon (above *s.v.* A.D. 814-15), Sēna II sent an army to the mainland with the object of dethroning the Pāṇḍya king, and substituting for him a Pāṇḍya prince who had rebelled against his lord and begged aid from the Singhalese. Madura was besieged² and the king was dethroned. The prince being placed on the throne of Madura, the Singhalese retired. The *Mahāwamśa’s* story goes that when the Singhalese arrived in India, the Pāṇḍya king was absent on one of his campaigns. This points to the king having been Varaguṇa II who waged war in the north, for Śrīmara’s wars were in the south; and if so this destruction of Madura must have taken place after Varaguṇa’s accession, i.e., after A.D. 862.