y-four years and was dethroned by a descendant of Tissa, called
Dutthagamani.[35]

The exploits of this prince are recorded at such length in the
Mahavamsa (XXII.-XXXII.) as to suggest that they formed the subject of
a separate popular epic, in which he figured as the champion of
Sinhalese against the Tamils, and therefore as a devout Buddhist. On
ascending the throne he felt, like Asoka, remorse for the bloodshed
which had attended his early life and strove to atone for it by good
works, especially the construction of sacred edifices. The most
important of these were the Lohapasada or Copper Palace and the
Mahathupa or Ruwanweli Dagoba. The former[36] was a monastery roofed
or covered with copper plates. Its numerous rooms were richly
decorated and it consisted of nine storeys, of which the four
uppermost were set apart for Arhats, and the lower assigned to the
inferior grades of monks. Perhaps the nine storeys are an
exaggeration: at any rate the building suffered from fire and
underwent numerous reconstructions and modifications. King Mahasena
(301 A.D.) destroyed it and then repenting of his errors rebuilt it,
but the ruins now representing it at Anuradhapura, which consist of
stone pillars only, date from the reign of Parakrama Bahu I (about
A.D. 1150). The immense pile known as the Ruwanweli Dagoba, though
often injured by invaders in search of treasure, still exists. The
somewhat dilapidated exterior is merely an outer shell, enclosing a
smaller dagoba.[37] This is possibly the structure erected by
Dutthagamani, though tradition says that there is a still
smaller edifice inside. The foundation and building of the original
structure are related at great length.[38] Crowds of distinguished
monks came to see the first stone laid, even from Kashmir and
Alasanda. Some have identified the latter name with Alexandria in
Egypt, but it probably denotes a Greek city on the Indus.[39] But in
any case tradition represents Buddhists from all parts of India as
taking part in the ceremony and thus recognizing the unity of Indian
and Sinhalese Buddhism.

Of great importance for the history of the Sinhalese Church is the reign
of Vattagamani Abhaya who after being dethroned by Tamils recovered his
kingdom and reigned for twelve years.[40] He built a new monastery and
dagoba known as Abhayagiri,[41] which soon became the enemy of the
Mahavihara and heterodox, if the latter is to be considered orthodox. The
account of the schism