
Velakkara revolt was a
mutiny by the
Velakkara Velakkaras are royal guards mentioned in various historical accounts of Sri Lanka. The general prevailing notion is that they were Tamil mercenaries employed by the Sinhala and Tamil kings. They were considered to be loyal to the king, but occasion ...
division of the territorial army of the Sinhalese monarch
Vijayabahu I of Polonnaruwa
Vijayabahu I (born ''Prince Keerthi'') (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu the Great, was a medieval king of Sri Lanka. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola occupation. He assumed rulership of the Ruhuna principalit ...
in the year 1084 CE.
The Revolt
Around 1084 CE, another quarrel with the Chola kingdom erupted when some ambassadors of Vijayabahu sent to West Chalukya were harassed by them.
Vijayabahu
Vijayabahu I (born ''Prince Keerthi'') (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu the Great, was a medieval List of rulers of Sri Lanka, king of Sri Lanka. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola conquest of Anuradhapura, Cho ...
declared another war against the
Chola Empire
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
, and the
Velakkara Velakkaras are royal guards mentioned in various historical accounts of Sri Lanka. The general prevailing notion is that they were Tamil mercenaries employed by the Sinhala and Tamil kings. They were considered to be loyal to the king, but occasion ...
s were ordered by Vijayabahu to fight against them. The Velakkaras refused to fight against their
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
kinsmen, and started a revolt against Vijayabahu.
They killed the royal guards and burnt down the palace.
Vijayabahu
Vijayabahu I (born ''Prince Keerthi'') (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu the Great, was a medieval List of rulers of Sri Lanka, king of Sri Lanka. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola conquest of Anuradhapura, Cho ...
fled to Wakirigala, but returned afterwards to recaptured back
Polonnaruwa
Poḷonnaruwa, ( si, පොළොන්නරුව, translit=Poḷonnaruva; ta, பொலன்னறுவை, translit=Polaṉṉaṟuvai) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa D ...
. The rebel leaders were captured and executed, and the Velakkaras set up a
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
inscription in which they promised to protect the
Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
The relic of the tooth of Buddha (Pali ''danta dhātuya'') is venerated in Sri Lanka as a sacred cetiya relic of Lord Buddha, who is the founder of Buddhism, the fourth largest religion worldwide.
History The relic in India
According to Sri Lank ...
.
References
*
1088 in Asia
Mutinies
Polonnaruwa period
Military history of Sri Lanka
{{SriLanka-hist-stub