Puviraja Pandaram

Pararacacekaran VII
King of Jaffna
Second from the left is Puviraja Pandaram
Reign	1561–1565 1582–1591
Full name	Puviraja Pandaram
Tamil	புவிராஜ பண்டாரம்
Died	1591 (1592)
Predecessor	Cankili I (Cekaracacekaran VII) Periyapillai (Cekaracacekaran VIII)
Successor	Periyapillai (Cekaracacekaran VIII) Ethirimanna Cinkam (Pararacacekaran VIII)
Offspring	Ethirimanna Cinkam (Pararacacekaran VIII)
Royal 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 the King in 1561 when due to a local uprising against Cankili 1. 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 Rajasimha I of Sitavaka, 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 killed^[4] in a battle during the second Portuguese expedition against Jaffna Kingdom led by Andre Furtado de Mendonca in 1591. He was succeeded by his son Ethirimanna Cinkam.^[2]

Notes

^ Kunarasa, K The Jaffna Dynasty, p.84
^ ^a ^b ^c Nadarajan, V History of Ceylon Tamils, p.90
^ 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
^ Abeyasinghe, T Jaffna under the Portuguese, p.3

References

Nadarajan, Vasantha (1999). History of Ceylon Tamils. Toronto: Vasantham. pp. 146.
Kunarasa, K (2003). The Jaffna Dynasty. Johor Bahru: Dynasty of Jaffna King’s Historical Society. pp. 122. ISBN 9-55-8455-00-8.
Abeysinghe, Tikiri (2005). Jaffna under the Portuguese. Colombo: Stamford Lake. pp. 66. ISBN 9-55-1131-70-1.

Preceded by Cankili I	Jaffna Kingdom 1561–1565	Succeeded by Ethirimanna Cinkam
Preceded by Periyapillai	Jaffna Kingdom 1582–1591	Succeeded by Ethirimanna Cinkam

Persondata
Name	Pandaram, Puviraja
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	1591
Place of death