The declining Sinhalese kingdom faces threats of…

The declining Sinhalese kingdom faces threats of invasion from India and the expanding Tamil kingdom of northern Sri Lanka throughout the thirteenth century.

Taking advantage of Sinhalese weakness, the Tamils secure control of the valuable pearl fisheries around Jaffna Peninsula.

During this time, the vast stretches of jungle that cover north-central Sri Lanka separate the Tamils and the Sinhalese.

This geographical separation has important psychological and cultural implications.

The Tamils in the north develop a more distinct and confident culture, backed by a resurgent Hinduism that looks to the traditions of southern India for its inspiration.

Conversely, the Sinhalese are increasingly restricted to the southern and central area of the island and are fearful of the more numerous Tamils on the Indian mainland.

The fact that the Hindu kingdom at Jaffna is expending most of its military resources resisting the advances of the expansionist Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1565) in India enhances the Sinhalese ability to resist further Tamil encroachments.

Some historians maintain that it was the arrival of the Portuguese in the sixteenth century that prevented the island from being overrun by South Indians.