Velakkara revolt was a

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...

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 A mercenary is a private individual who joins an War, armed conflict for personal profit, is ...

division of the territorial army of the Sinhalese monarch

Vijayabahu I of Polonnaruwa Vijayabahu the Great (born ''Prince Keerthi'') () (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu I, 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, ...

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 the Great (born ''Prince Keerthi'') () (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu I, was a medieval king of Sri Lanka. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola occupation. He assumed rulership of the Ruhuna principa ...

declared another war against the

Chola Empire The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

, and the

s were ordered by Vijayabahu to fight against them. The Velakkaras refused to fight against their

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

kinsmen, and started a revolt against Vijayabahu. They killed the royal guards and burnt down the palace.

fled to Wakirigala, but returned afterwards to recapture

Polonnaruwa Poḷonnaruwa, (; ) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in History of Sri Lanka, ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, ...

. The rebel leaders were captured and executed, and the Velakkaras set up a

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 the Buddha and primarily refers to the purported tooth at the Temple of the Tooth, but can also refer to the one believed to be at ...

References

* 1088 in Asia Mutinies Polonnaruwa period Military history of Sri Lanka {{SriLanka-hist-stub