The Prince Vijaya Pala of Ceylon 1634-1654

This book The Prince Vijaya Pala of Ceylon traces the progress of the Portuguese in the Island of Ceylon. Written by P.E. Pieris this book is a reprint of the 1927 edition. It deals exclusively with Prince Vijaya Pala who often quarrelled with his brother king Raja Sinha of Kandy went over to the Portuguese and ended his days in exile. It consists of 24 documents that were exchanged between Prince Vijaya Pala (the brother of Raja Sinha King of Ceylon) and the Portuguese viceroy Don Philipe Mascarenhas and the King of Portugal Dom Joao IV. These documents were written between 1634-1654. Of interest is the fact in Document 10 that Vijaya Pala wrote to his brother in Tamil. Tamil had been the court language of the kings of Kotte. And again the appearance of the word ‘Vedauntra’ in Document 12 which means ‘His Highness’ or ‘His Majesty.’