Puviraja Pandaram

Pararacacekaran VII
King of Jaffna
Second from the left is Puviraja Pandaram
Reign	1561–1565 1582–1591
Predecessor	Cankili I (Cekaracacekaran VII) Periyapillai (Cekaracacekaran VIII)
Successor	Periyapillai (Cekaracacekaran VIII) Ethirimana Cinkam (Pararacacekaran VIII)
Died	1591 (1592)
Issue	Ethirimana Cinkam (Pararacacekaran VIII)
Names Puviraja Pandaram
Tamil	புவிராஜ பண்டாரம்
House	Aryacakravarti dynasty
Father	Cankili I (Cekaracacekaran VII)

Puviraja Pandaram (Tamil: புவிராஜ பண்டாரம்) (died 1591) ruled the Jaffna kingdom during a period of chaos during and after the death of his father Cankili I in 1565. He became king in 1561 following a local uprising against Cankili I. Although he was the nominal king, Cankili I wielded real power behind the throne until his death in 1565. After Cankili's death, Puviraja Pandaram lost power to one Kasi Nainar and Periyapillai. After the death or abdication of Periyapillai in 1582, Puviraja Pandarm was nominated as the king for the second time.^[1][2]

During his second tenure he attempted to wrest the control of the pearl-rich Mannar Island from the Portuguese by attacking the fort by sea and land. He was defeated in both attempts.^[2]

After the occupation of Kandy by Rajasinha I of Sitawaka, Puviraja Pandaram gave refuge and protection to the sole surviving member of the Kandyan Royal family, the infant, Princess Kusumasana, who was baptized, as Dona Catherina (The daughter of Karaliedde Bandara).^[3]

Eventually Puviraja Pandaram was captured and beheaded by Portuguese^[4] in a battle during the second Portuguese expedition against Jaffna Kingdom led by André Furtado de Mendonça in 1591. He was succeeded by his son Ethirimana Cinkam.^[2]

Notes

1. Kunarasa, K The Jaffna Dynasty, p.84
2. Nadarajan, V History of Ceylon Tamils, p.90
3. She later traveled with the Portuguese General Conquistador Pedro Lopez De Souza from Mannar to Kandy where she was placed on the throne. The Emperor Vimaladharmasuriya I defeated the Portuguese who had occupied Kandy and seized and married 12-year-old Dona Catherina who was his cousin. Later two of Dona Catherina's sons, Vijayapala and Kumarasimha, traveled to South India and married two princesses from Jaffna (nieces of Cankili II), who were living there, after fleeing Portuguese aggression in Jaffna
4. Abeyasinghe, T Jaffna under the Portuguese, p.3

References

• Nadarajan, Vasantha (1999). History of Ceylon Tamils. Toronto: Vasantham. p. 146.
• Kunarasa, K (2003). The Jaffna Dynasty. Johor Bahru: Dynasty of Jaffna King’s Historical Society. p. 122. ISBN 955-8455-00-8.
• Abeysinghe, Tikiri (2005). Jaffna under the Portuguese. Colombo: Stamford Lake. p. 66. ISBN 955-1131-70-1.

Preceded by Cankili I	Jaffna kingdom 1561–1565	Succeeded by Ethirimana Cinkam
Preceded by Periyapillai	Jaffna kingdom 1582–1591