Page 334 - Proceedings book
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The analysis is conducted through focusing one of the marginalized historical female
icons in Sri Lankan history, ‘Ehelepola Kumārihāmi’ specifically considering the two
dimensions as followed.
• The tragic massacre of Ehelepola Kumārihāmi
• The sections of popular historical romance novelist’s historical imagination
3. Results and Discussion
3.1 The tragic massacre of Ehelepola Kumārihāmi
As per limitation of the present study, the life of Ehelepola Kumārihāmi has not been
portrayed in none of the historical records. The present researcher was only able to
refer the historical facts that which are only accessed through reading life story of
Ehelepola Adikar and the tragic massacre of the Ehelepola Kumārihāmi.
3.1.1 Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe’s vendetta with the family of Ehelepola.
As Kehelpannala (1896) mentioned that the king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe had a
prolonged vendetta with Ehelepola Adikar. The reason was that the king believed that
Ehelepola Adikar aspired the throne. The king hated the name of Ehelepola and even
asked to cut the Esela tree which were at his palace. (P.54) Ehelepola Adikar
understood the fact that his life was not safe there in Kandy and he requested help
from the British government. The king had destroyed Ehelepola Adikar through
killing his family. Peiris (2002) referred one of the letters which have been written by
Ehelepola Adikar as follows, “In consequence of my becoming a friend to the English
Government, the lives of my wife, my children and relations were destroyed and all
my property taken by the King.” (p.175) The punishment that which was given by the
king sounded more a personal rather than professional. As Peiris (2002) mentioned
that the commonly accepted belief that by King’s orders only the heads of Ehelepola’s
children were put into the mortar and the mother was compelled to pound them with a
pestle. Specifically, he mentioned that no such similar incidents have been recorded in
the long history of Sinhalese kings and that punishment of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe
was not recognised by any of the Sinhalese laws. (p.177) Manathunga (2005)
explained that when Ehelepola Kumārihāmi requested the reason of executing herself
and her children unfairly, the response that which was given by king was the best
example to showcase his personal grudge with Ehelepola Adikar. The king’s response
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