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Rāmañña

The Pāḷi name for Burma, referring particularly to the maritime provinces.

After the conversion of Rāmañña to Buddhism, there was a constant intercourse between that country and Sri Lanka (So says also Cv.lxxvi.10 f). Vijayabāhu I sent an embassy to Anuruddha, king of Rāmañña, and obtained from him learned and pious monks to re establish the Saṅgha in Sri Lanka (Cv.lxviii.8; lx.5 ff; but see Cv. Trs.i.n.4).

The kings of Rāmañña seem to have been in the habit of giving a special maintenance to Singhalese envoys sent to their country. The chief trade between the two countries was in elephants; the king of Rāmañña made a gift of an elephant to every vessel bringing gifts from foreign lands. In the time of Parakkamabāhu I, relations were strained between the two countries as a result of insults paid by the king of Rāmañña, and Parakkamabāhu sent a punitive expedition under the Damiḷādhikārin, Ādicca. This expedition started from Pallavaṅka, and some of the forces landed at Kusumī in Rāmañña and the others at Papphālama. It is said that in a battle fought at Ukkama, the Singhalese forces killed the Rāmañña king. Thereafter, through the intervention of the monks, peace was restored between the two countries, and the Ramanas, as the people of Rāmañña were called, sent a yearly tribute to the king of Sri Lanka. For details of this expedition see Cv.lxxvi.10 ff; also Cv. Trs.ii.69, n.3.