The mercenary soldiers employed in Sri Lanka. Their chief was a general called Thakuraka. When the general (senapāti) Mitta obtained possession of the throne, he sought to win the favour of these soldiers by giving them money. This they refused to accept and Thakuraka, going up to Mitta as he sat on the throne, cut off his head. On being questioned, he said that he had done the deed at the command of the lawful king, Bhuvanekabāhu I, who had become a refugee. The Ariya soldiers then joined forces with the Sīhala army and restored Bhuvanekabāhu to the throne (Cv.xc.16-30).

Geiger (Cv.Tra.ii.202, n.3) thinks that these mercenaries must have come from South India. The name of their general, Thakuraka, however, seems to indicate that they were Rajputs.