CEYLON is called by the Hindus, Lanka. Sin hala-diva, its local name, was corrupted into Seren diva or Serendip by the Arabian mariners; and it is still known amongst Indian Mahomedans by the last name. The Arabs, however, in addition to Screndip, call it also Sinkhul. To the ancients it was known as Tam-ba-parri, from which came the name Taprobane used by Milton when he wrote of Tho Asia kings and Parthian among these: From India and the golden Chersonese, And utmost Indian isle Taprobane, Dusk faces with white silken turbans wreathed.' The chronicles of the island extend in an un broken series to 543 B.C. From the Honourable George Tumour's epitome of the sovereigns of Ceylon, it is observed that authentic history com menced with Vijaya, B.C. 543; and the last king of Kandy was Sri Vikrama Raja Singha, who was, in 1798, deposed by the British, and died in captivity at Vellore on the 30th January 1832. Mr. Tumour gives the following fixed points in the chronological history of Ceylon events: B.C. 543. The landing of Vijaya, in the year of Buddha's death.
307. The mission from Dharm Asoka to establish Buddhism in Ceylon.
104.. Conquest of Ceylon by the Malabars.
90. Founding of Abhayamri by Wale Gaurbahu.
200. Date of tho Vaituliya heresy, In Vaivaltara's reign.
252. Revival of ditto in the reign of Coln Abbas..
301. Death of Malta Sen.
545. Another revival of the Valtuliya heresy, in Ambakira's reign.
838. Origin of the Vijra 1Vaadiya heresy, in Mit wells Scn's reign.
1153. Accession of Prakrama Rahn.
1200. Accession of Sahasa Mallawa.
1260. Accession of Pandita Prakrama, Balm tu.
1347. Accession of Bhuwanika, Bahu iv.
The first authentic account of Ceylon or Tapro bane is given by Onesiculus, the Macedonian admiral, who lived D.C. 329 or 330. Diodorus Siculus, B.C. 44, gives an account of it ; Strabo also mentions it ; and Dionysius, who flourished A.D. 36, confirms former accounts, and alludes to its elephants. Sinbad also speaks of it in a volume, perhaps a compilation and in part a romance, as does Abdoor Razak ; and still more recently Ribeiro also gives a notice of it.
In the reign of Claudius Caesar, a Roman publican, who farmed the custom duties of the Red Sea, was driven from Arabia by storms on to Ceylon, where he found a flourishing kingdom and an enlightened sovereign, whom he persuaded to send an einbasy of four envoys to Rome, by way of the Red Sea, for the purpose of negotiating a commercial treaty. Ceylon is famed in the litera ture of India as the scene of Rama's exploits, and as a place to which Asoka sent a mission. In A.D. 1153, a Singhalese monarch fitted out a fleet of five hundred ships to resent an insult offered to his ambassador. Ceylon seems to have been sub jected to frequent inroads from Southern India, immediately before and after Christ. Ceylon was occupied by the Portuguese in 1596, was taken possession of by the Dutch in 1658. In 1782 the British took possession of Trincomalee, but Admiral Suffrein recaptured it. In August 1795 the British again took Trincomalee, and in February 1796 they took Colombo, but in 1803 and 1804 they met with reverses. In 1814-15 General Brownrigg invaded. Kandy, and on the 2d March 1815 the British assumed the sovereignty of the lowlands. But a serious outbreak occurred in 1817, which occupied the troops for a year, and in 1818 the king of Kandy was taken prisoner to Vellore, where he died in 1832.
The island lies between lat. 55' and 9° 51' N., and long. 79° 41' 40* and 81° 54' 50" E. Its extreme length from north to south, from Point Palmyra to Dondera Head, is 271i miles ; its greatest width 157i miles, from Colombo on the west coast to Sangcman Kande on the east ; and its area, including its dependent islands, 25,742 square miles, or about 1-6th smaller than Ireland. Its circumference is about 900 miles, giving a superficial area of nearly 24,000 square miles.
The mountain system in the south has an area of 4212 miles, and the following aro the most remarkable heights : Pidu ratans galls, (8305), Adam's Peak (7120), 7420 ft.