The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa | Sri Lanka

The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa | The Second Kingdom of Sri Lanka | King I Vijayabahu

The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa

The decline of Anuradhapura began after the invasion from South India known as the ‘Soli’ defeated the final King in Anuradhapura, King V Mihindu (1001 - 1017).   

All of the monarchs listed below were active during the reign of Polonnaruwa which lasted from 1055 to 1255 following the collapse of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura. The rulers listed below were associated with important characteristics of the country, nation, religion and people. Polonnaruwa was controlled by 19 different rulers till the reign of Dambadeniya will began.      

 

Who were the Rulers ruled in Polonnaruwa?

1.       King I Vijayabahu (1055 - 1110)

2.       King I Jayabahu (1110 - 1111)

3.       King I Vikramabahu (1111 - 1132)

4.       King II Gajaba (1132 - 1153)

5.       King I Parakramabahu (1153 - 1186)

6.       King II Vijayabahu (1186 - 1187)

7.       King VI Mihindu (1187)

8.       King Keerthi Sri Nishshankamalla (1187 - 1196)

9.       King Weerabahu (1196)

10.   King II Vikramabahu (1196)

11.   King Chodaganga (1196 - 1197)

12.   Queen Leelawathi (1197 – 1200)

13.   King Sahassamalla (1200 - 1202)

14.   Queen Kalyanawathi (1202 - 1208)

15.   Princess Dharmashoka (1208 - 1209)

16.   King Anikanga (1209)

17.   Queen Leelawathi / 2^nd Time (1209 – 1210)

18.   King Lokeshwara (1210 - 1211)

19.   Queen Leelawathi / 3^rd Time (1211 – 1212)

20.   King Parakrama Pandya (1212 - 1215)

      21.   King Kalinga Magha (1215 - 1255)

 

King I Vijayabahu (1055-1110)

Invasions from South India were common at the end of Anuradhapura’s region. The division of people called Soli were the most harmful invasions to Sri Lanka. As a result, the Anuradhapura period began to deteriorate, and the Polonnaruwa era gradually emerged. In the beginning, the Polonnaruwa kingdom was also ruled by the Soli and also they renamed the kingdom as Jananatha Puram. After that, Soli were defeated by King 1^st Vijayabahu and anointed as the first King in Polonnaruwa kingdom. The Kingdom’s name was then changed to Polonnaruwa by the King. 

The King grew up in the Ruhuna area with his family. The King was known as “Keerthi” on his small stage. The individual who guarded the Royal family in Ruhuna was known as Sithnaaru Bima Budal Na. He worked as a security guard. The King wrote an inscription named Panakaduwa Inscription including all the details of his small stage and also the details of the person called “Sithnaaru Bima Budal Na”. 

Considering one of the most important things, the King chose Polonnaruwa as the Kingdom because the harbour in Gokannathiththa also known as Trincomalee harbour is much closer to Polonnaruwa than Anuradhapura. The King could command it from Polonnaruwa.

 

King I Parakramabahu (1153-1186)

He was anointed as King in 1153. King ‘1^st Parakramabahu’ is credited with creating one of Sri Lanka’s largest lakes, ‘Parakrama Samudraya’. Not only for the irrigation industry but also agriculture and he dedicated his life to Buddhism for all eternity.

He got Sri Lanka’s economy back on track by exporting grains to other countries around the world.

With the aid of the incumbent of the ‘Dimbulagala’ temple, he reconciled Sinhalese and Hindu people as well as achieving peace for monks around Sri Lanka. The King began to build the largest Stupa in Polonnaruwa named ‘Demala Maha Stupa’.

Sri Lanka was at its most self-sufficient during the period of King I Parakramabahu.

King II Vijayabahu (1186 - 1187)

King II Vijayabahu ascended to the throne following the death of King I Parakramabahu (1153-1186). He was a poet who knew everything there was to know about the subject. The King despatched a poem to the king of Burma now known as Myanmar on a mission to rebuild the relations between the two kingdoms which were destroyed during the reign of King I Parakramabahu.

King Mihindu defeated King II Vijayabahu and took control of the Polonnaruwa kingdom.

King Keerthi Sri Nishshankamalla (1187 - 1196)

One of the most powerful rulers during the Polonnaruwa Reign. He was the prince of King II Vijayabahu. After the Mihindu, the King who defeated King II Vijayabahu, was beaten by King Keerthi Sri Nishshankamalla, after 5 days of Mihindu’s Kingship.

He was born in 1157. He established the “Galpotha” inscription in Polonnaruwa and filled it with all the details about his youth.

He was also benefiting Buddhism and the irrigation industry. He constructed the tooth relic temple in Polonnaruwa. He restored the temple of Dambulla (Dambulu Viharaya) and renamed it as ‘Rangiri Dambulla’. He created the lakes of Ranthisa, MiniHora, Ganhala and Padi.

Galpotha Inscription

King Keerthi Sri Nishshankamalla established the largest inscription in Sri Lanka. This is located in Polonnaruwa in-front of the Sathmahal Prasaadaya. The King’s person brought the plane stone from Mihinthalaya Mountain, which measures 26 feet in length, 4 feet in width and 3 feet in height. It featured information about the industrial projects done by the King.

The King was victorious in his wars against the people of South India in South India. It describes in the inscriptions in Dambulu Viharaya.

Furthermore, the King constructed the ‘Nishshankeshwaram’ temple in Pandya in South India. The King was doing a lot for Buddhism and the people in his region as well. It describes in the inscription which was established near Ruwanweliseya in Anuradhapura.

 

King Kalinga Magha (Kalinga Vijayabahu) (1215 - 1255)

The degradation of the reign of Polonnaruwa occurred during this time. Kalinga was a person who arrived from another country to Polonnaruwa with thousands of people and defeated the King Parakrama Pandya to take the kingdom (1212 - 1215).

The Kalinga army known as ‘Bhilla’ overpowered the people in the reign and whatever they owned.

They demolished temples, hundreds of stupas and other religious structures as well as burning religious literature and recordings from the past. The citizens and the monks from the kingdom of Polonnaruwa travelled to the reign of Ruhuna with all of their associated possessions, particularly the tooth relic of Buddha.

While the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa began to deteriorate, the Kingdom of Dambadeniya formed gradually. Kalinga was defeated by King II Parakramabahu, the second King of Dambadeniya Reign.

Who Ruled Anuradhapura ? Sri Lankan History

The Kingdom of Anuradhapura and the Rulers 

The first king of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura is King Pandukabhaya aka the son of Unmada Chithra

King Pandukabhaya (437 – 367 BC)

Mother of prince Pandukabhaya, also known as Unmada Chithra was the only sister in the family of 10 brothers. During that time, the Kingdom beyond Anuradhapura was controlled by the brothers of Unmada Chithra. If Unmada Chithra had children, the kingship would eventually be transferred to that prince or princess someday.

As a result, her brothers imprisoned Unmada Chithra. However, a prince named Deega Ghamini was able to escape her from prison, and the two became engaged. After that, Unmada Chithra gave birth to a prince. After hearing that their sister had given birth to a child, the brothers of Unmada Chithra plotted to assassinate the prince. They attempted three times to kill the Prince. However, they were all in vain.

The Prince’s childhood was spent in a village called Doramadalawa far away from the kingdom, without the involvement of his parents. At that time, a couple from Doramadalawa served as trustees for the Prince. The Prince was instructed by a scholar known as Pandula. When the prince was young, he married a princess Swarnapali the daughter of one of the ten brothers of Unmada Chithra’s. 

The conflict with the Kings (brothers of Unmada Chithra) who ruled beyond Anuradhapura ended with the Prince defeating them all. Then the Prince got the kingship and was sworn as King ‘Pandukabhaya’. The King relocated his realm to a city called ‘Anuradha Grama’. Then he built the city with all of the essential supplies and named it Anuradhapuraya which was the first kingdom in Sri Lanka for all of the Kings. The ruins of the former Kingdom can still be seen.

As the first King of Anuradhapura, he established the boundaries for all of the cities in Sri Lanka in order to appropriately oversee all of the areas of the country. The king improved agricultural and irrigation fields in Sri Lanka. Respected for all kinds of religious activities. He systematically ruled the country until his last moment.

King Dewanampiyathissa (307-267 BC)

For Buddhism in Sri Lanka, King Dewanampiyathissa’s reign was crucial. The King arranged the third Dharma Sangayana by inviting King Dharmashoka’s Arahant called Moggali Puththa Thissa thero, from India. In Dewanampiyathissa kingship era, Arahant Hans Mihindu, the son of King Dharmashoka, came to Sri Lanka with the aim of spreading Buddhism. 

During the reign of King Dewanampiyathissa, trade ties between India and Sri Lanka were at an all-time high. As a result, Sri Maha Bodhi was founded in Anuradhapura with the help of Sanghamiththa bhikkhuni, the sister of Arahant hans Mihindu.

Following the expansion of Buddhism as a religion in Sri Lanka, the King constructed Maha Vihara, Segiriya, Thupaaramaya ,Sri Maha bodhi and Wessagiri Temple respectively.

King Dutugemunu (161-137 BC)

One of the greatest kings in Sri Lanka. The parents of King Dutugemunu were King Kawanthissa and Viharamahadeviya. King Dutugemunu had a brother named Saddhathissa. He also became a king in Anuradhapura kingdom after the death of King ‘Dutugemunu’. The king had a major purpose to unite the nation. Nandi mithra, Suranimala, Mahasona, Ghotaimbara, Therapuththabhaya, Bharana, Velusumana and Labhiya Wasabha were the strangers of King Dutugemunu.

King Dutugemunu spent some years of his childhood in Kothmale area until his father died. After the death of his father, he came back to Ruhunu Rata where the region his father ruled. After years, King Dutugemunu went to wage war against Elara, the person who ruled Anuradhapura, with his army from Ruhunu Rata.  

According to the legend stories; During the journey to Anuradhapura, the king met the God of Kataragama and the king promised to build a temple for the God if he blessed to win the war.   

After winning the war he pretended to do religious affairs to the nation.

Now, the place where we worship the God of Kataragama in Kataragama was built by King Dutugemunu as he promised.    

King Wasabha (66-110)

The King made numerous improvements to agricultural and irrigation industries in Sri Lanka. He specifically built 11 lakes and 12 canals among them. Some of these include the lakes Mahawilachchiya, Manaketiya, Nochchipothana and Hiriwadunna.

In addition, he constructed an underground tunnel system to supply water to the then capital of the island, Anuradhapura. The religious affairs of Buddhism from the King were excellent. He repaired all the dilapidated temples around the island.

He built thousands of Stupas around the temple known as ‘Sithulpawwa’ in the Southern region of the country. According to the historical evidence, he was the first king of the genealogy named ‘Lambakarna’. Furthermore, the King was from the Northern region in Sri Lanka.  

 

King Mahasen (276-302)

When King assumed the throne, his close friend and thero ‘Sangamithra’arrived on the island instantly. Then he commanded King to destroy Mahawiharaya and the Monks who lived there. Mahawiharaya was the most important temple for Buddhists on the island. As a result of the harassment, the monks of the Mahawiharaya left. The citizens were dissatisfied with the King’s actions.

After a few years, one of the King’s closest companions, known as Meghawannabhaya declared war against the King. The King then requested Meghawannabhaya about the reason for the war. He explained everything, including the Mahawiharaya issue. When the King discovered what happened, he ordered the assassination of ‘Sangamithra’, the man who had advised him to destroy the ‘Mahawiharaya’ temple. The King restored ‘Mahawiharaya’ temple with the help of ‘Meghawannabhaya’, and asked all the monks who had gone away.

The King performed several religious, agricultural and irrigation improvements in order to get appreciation from the island’s residents. The construction of Sri Lanka’s largest Stupa known as ‘Jethawanaraamaya’ was one of the religious undertakings of the King. The king was the pioneer in irrigation technology in Sri Lanka. He constructed 16 lakes including Minneriya Lake.

People referred to the King as ‘the God of Minneriya’ because of his contributions to the agricultural and irrigation sectors in the island.

 

King Dhathusena (461-479)

During his childhood, he was a monk in Diksanda Pirivena which belonged to Mahawiharaya in Anuradhapura. He was able to gain the throne after leaving Pirivena by defeating ‘Thirithara’, ‘Thatiya’ and ‘Pitiya’ who ruled Anuradhapura. The King Dhathusena rebuilt all of the dilapidated religious places in the island. Further, he placed lightning conductors to the main three Stupas in Anuradhapura. He constructed 18 number of Lakes in total.

The lake known as ‘Kalaa Wewa’ is the greatest of them all. He established hospitals around the country. During the period of the King, Mahavamsa was written. The world famous statue known as ‘Aukana Buddha Statue’ was also constructed during the period of King Dhathusena.

There were two sons and two daughters to the King. King Kashyapa who ruled Sigiriya and King Mugalan were the sons of King Dhathusena.

Kandy Nayaks | The Kingdom of Kandy Sri Lanka

 The Kingdom of Kandy (1469-1815)

Kingdom of Kandy

This was the last Kingdom of Sri Lanka. The reign was ruled by 12 Kings. The Kingdom lasted from 1469 to 1815. Several noteworthy events occurred during the reign. Especially, the escape of the Portuguese and the arrival of the Dutch and the British as well.

1.       King Senasammatha Wickramabahu (1469-1511)

2.       King Jayaweera Wickramabahu (1511-1552)

3.       King Karalliyadde Bandara (1552-1582)

4.       King I Vimaladharmasooriya (1591-1604)

5.       King Senarath (1604-1635)

6.       King II Rajasinghe (1635-1687)

7.       King II Vimaladharmasooriya (1687-1707)

8.       King Sri Weera Parakrama Narendrasinghe (1707-1739)

9.       King Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe (1739-1747)

10.   King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1782)

11.   King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinghe (1782-1798)

12.   King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1798-1815)

  

King Senasammatha Wickramabahu (1469-1511)

The kingdom of Kotte was in disorder during the end of the reign. As a result, the officials of Kandy resolved to establish a new monarchy with a new King. They appointed Prince Senasammatha Wickramabahu as King of Kandy also known as Senkadagala in 1469. In comparison to Kotte, Kandy had a longer reign. It passed through Trincomalee and Panama areas in the east.

The King made great efforts to improve Buddhism. On the other hand, he was an author who published books and tapes. He visited Mahiyanganaya and Sri Pada as a pilgrim and he built staircases for the convenience of the pilgrims in Sri Pada.

King Jayaweera Wickramabahu (1511-1552)

During the early stages of King Mayadunne’s reign, he received assistance from King Jayaweera. After that, King Mayadunne attempted to attack Kandy. Then, the King became enraged with Mayadunne and asked help from the Portuguese. As a result of that, Portuguese built connections with Kandy for the first time in 1539. 

King Karalliyadde Bandara (1552-1582)

After the reign of King Jayaweera Wickramabahu, his son Karalliyadde Bandara got the throne in 1552. In 1582, King Seethawaka Rajasinghe overthrew the King and took control of the throne. After that, the King fled the throne and joined Portuguese with his Daughter and son-in-law, princess Kusumasana and Yamasinghe Bandara. Then they were baptized as Don Katharina and Don Philip.

Beyond that, there are no historical documents regarding the King.

King I Vimaladharmasooriya (1591-1604)

When the King I Rajasinghe was attacked in Kandy in 1582, he received additional assistance from a person named Veera Surendra. But the King assassinated that individual following a dispute after several years. Then Konappu Bandara, the son of Veera Surendra got involved with Portuguese. Then he changed his identity to Don John and began studying the Portuguese language.

The Portuguese wanted to unite Kandy and give the throne to Don Katharina (princess Kusumasana) or Don Philip (Yamasinghe Bandara). Then they dispatched Konappu Bandara and his team to Kandy to wage war on the rulers. At that time the reign was ruled by King I Rajasinghe (Seethawaka Rajasinghe) from Seethawaka reign. Seethawaka Rajasinghe was defeated by Konappu Bandara and Don Philip got the throne in the reign.      

After that Don Philip was killed by Konappu Bandara and crowned as I Vimaladharmasooriya in 1591. The Portuguese were then disappointed with Konappu Bandara. Following the incident, the Portuguese declared war on the King. Don Katharina was supposed to be given the throne. In 1594, they dispatched a battle to defeat the King, but the King defeated them all. Danture war is the name given to this conflict. After that the King obtained legal kingship as a result of his engagement with Don Katharina.

The tooth relic was hidden in the shrine of Delgamuwa when the King brought it to Kandy.

The arrival of the Dutch in 1602 was another significant moment during this era. The Portuguese believed that the King would make a deal with the Dutch which would cause them problems. They conducted another war against the King in 1603 in order to keep them apart. The King won the war which became known as the Balana war because it took place in the Balana reign.

After that the King handed-over the throne to his brother, Prince Senarath because his son was at a younger age. The King died in 1604, 13 years as ruler.    

King Senarath (1604-1635)

This was the brother of King I Vimaladharmasooriya. During the reign, the commanding officer of the Portuguese, Don Geronimo de Asawedu launched an attack on Kandy but it was in vain. The only problem for the King was Portuguese attacks on the villages. As a result, people flocked to Kandy and stayed.

After several years, the King divided the reign into three parts and ensured them to the King’s sons, prince Vijayapala, Kumarasinghe and Rajasinghe. Again In 1630, the Portuguese waged war against the King and were all beaten by the King’s battalion, led by Prince Rajasinghe in the area known as Randeniwala. The King died in 1635 after 31 years of kingship.

King II Rajasinghe (1635-1687)

King II Rajasinghe was the son of King Senarath. He ruled Kandy. The biggest issue he had was the control of the beach areas in the country by the Portuguese. During that time, the Portuguese harassed the villagers who were near the border of the kingdom. The main goal of the King was to force the Portuguese from the island.

In 1637, the King and the Dutch reached an agreement to drive the Portuguese out of Sri Lanka. Following this occurrence, the Portuguese declared war on the King in 1638 commanded by Diego de Merlo. All of them were defeated by the King. The conflict is known as the Gannoruwa war. The Portuguese then fled to Colombo Fort after closing their forts in the Manikkadawara and Malwana regions.

The Dutch stormed the Portuguese fort in Batticaloa after hearing that the King had attacked them. In 1638, the King agreed to a second deal with the Dutch. The King was dissatisfied with the Dutch because he learned the statements in the agreement were not adequately clarified. Later, the Dutch and the Portuguese signed a peace treaty from 1642 to 1650. During this time, there were no attacks.

However the Dutch were attacked and took control of Anguruwathota fort in Kalutara in 1652, Colombo fort in 1656, Jaffna and Mannar forts in 1658. As a result, the Dutch gained control of the marine areas of Sri Lanka.

The warrior King died in 1687.   

King II Vimaladharmasooriya (1687-1707)

This was the son of King II Rajasinghe. He was able to maintain the connections with Dutch without being harassed and also he was not an experienced King. As a result the aristocratic rule was established in Kandy.

Culavamsa or Chulavamsa said that the King conducted a lot of things to improve Buddhism in the country. Chulavamsa is a record that contains important historical information. He built a house in Kandy to hold the tooth relic.

The King died in 1707 after 20 years’ rule.

King Sri Weera Parakrama Narendrasinghe (1707-1739)

King Sri Weera Parakrama Narendrasinghe was the son of King II Vimaladharmasooriya.

He was the last of the Sinhala dynasty’s rulers. The King had no desire to rule over the country as well as the educational and agricultural industries. The Kings in the latter years of Kandy’s monarchy including this King, were married princesses from South India. As a result, several South Indians were in charge of the King’s governance. Because of that, the aristocracy of Kandy tried to kill the King but failed.

The King has made significant contributions to Buddhism. The King rebuilt the relic temple that his father had established. As the last King of the Sinhala dynasty, he died in 1739.

King Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe (1739-1747)

This was the brother of King Weera Parakrams’s princess.

King Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe was the first King of Nayakkar clan. During the rule of Nayakkar, the Kandy nobility known as Radala wielded more influence than the Kings. The top seats of governance were given to the people who came with the princess from South India because the King was married to a south Indian princess as previous rulers.

The most important thing was that the King and his entourage were all Buddhists including South Indians and that all of the princesses attended Buddhist festivals. They also composed Buddhist works. The King visited the sacred city of Anuradhapura, as well as the Mahiyanganaya Stupa and Sri Pada. There were also some festivals that he organized there. 

The King rebuilt many Buddhist temples throughout the island including the Aluvihare temple in Matale. The Dutch were dissatisfied with the Nayakkar Kings since they made the most profit out of the sales. The Nayakkars were well-versed in all aspects of the Sri Lankan – South Indian commercial relationships. As a result, the connection between the Dutch and the King was severed in 1739.

King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1782)

King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe was the brother of King Vijaya Rajasinghe’s princess (1739-1747). He was a member of the Nayakkar clan and also a Buddhist. He was able to accomplish a lot for Buddhism. The King decided to create the Siam Nikaya (Siamese sect) within the country in 1753 with the assistance of Upali thero from Siam AKA Myanmar. The Shyamopali Nikaya was thereafter created. The King appointed Welivita Sri Saranankara thero as the chief priest of Sri Lanka.

During this era, the Chief Temple of Malwathu and the Sangharaja Pirivena were built as well as he developed Buddhist education and other Buddhist related projects. The King constructed a new relic temple in Kandy and rebuilt temples around Sri Lanka, including the temple of Dambulla, Aluwiharaya in Matale, Wakirigala temple and the Ridee Viharaya in Kurunegala as well as others.

During this season, people in the southern division of the country, battled against the Dutch due to their harassment. After that, the King attacked the Dutch and took control of the forts of Hanwella and Matara. Then the Dutch attacked again in 1765 to the Kandy and it ended in failure. In 1766, the chief person of the Dutch sent an agreement to the King which included sentences beneficial to the Dutch. But the King dismissed it.

 

King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinghe (1782-1798)

He was the brother of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe and he continued all the Buddhist related things done by his brother.

The King was a well-educated person in Pali, Sanskrit and Sinhala languages. He built a Stupa and offered a steel Buddha statue as a sacrifice in Gangarama temple.

During this time, the British were asked King to help them to drive away Dutch from the country. But the King dismissed the request. In 1795, Dutch were attacked by the British in Trincomalee harbour and they took refuge there. After that, they continuously attacked Jaffna, Kalpitiya and finally to the Colombo Fort in 1796. They didn’t try to invade Kandy since they lacked the necessary power.

King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1798-1815)

The throne was traditionally assigned to the prince Muththusami who was the brother of King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinghe’s princess. However, a man named Pilimathalauwe Adikaram handed the throne over to Prince Kannasami who was the son of King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinghe’s brother. Pilimathalauwe Adikaram was a government official. Then the Prince Kannasami became the King and crowned as King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798.

Then prince Muththusami managed to flee Kandy and joined the British forces.

The British force then attacked Kandy, but the Sinhalese destroyed the majority of them. The others were confined to Kandy because of the spillage of the Mahaweli River. They were also unable to communicate with headquarters in Colombo. Following that, the rest of the survivors died from fevers and a lack of food.

Pilimathalauwe Adikaram attempted to keep the King under his control in order to meet his demands. A guy who was known as Leuke Disawe, a major army member of the King, was killed by the King at this time owing to a personal affair. This incident enraged Pilimathalauwe Adikaram. Then he attempted to assassinate the King. Pilimathalauwe Adikaram had been assassinated by the King before that. Then the position was thereafter given to Ehelepola Adikaram.

Molligoda was dissatisfied with this and attempted to split the King and Ehelepola Adikaram by sending false information to the King. Unfortunately, the King slaughtered the family members of Ehelepola Adikaram, wife and three children, including Madduma Bandara, the legend, after hearing such things.

Then Ehelepola Adikaram managed to flee Kandy and join the British forces.

People in the reign were also unhappy with the King because of his harassment. The British troops, led by Ehelepola Adikaram arrived in Kandy in 1815 and seized the authority. Then the King escaped from the reign. Later, the King was apprehended by the British army and sent to India as a prisoner of war.

The Paththirippuwa, which was in the tooth relic temple as well as the lake adjoining the temple, was built by the King.

The last monarch of Sri Lanka passed-away in 1832.

The Kingdom of Kotte | Vijayaba Kollaya

The Kingdom of Kotte - Vijayaba Kollaya, Kavya Shekaraya, Selalihini Sandeshaya, Paravi Sandeshaya, Loweda Sangarawa, Budugunaalankaraya and Guththila Kavya 

The kingdom was controlled by nine different rulers. The arrival of the Portuguese and the Vijayaba Kollaya were the two most significant events that happened during the reign. The Kings and their activities during the reign of Kotte are described in the following explanations. 

 

The Rulers in Kotte Reign

1.       King VI Sri Parakramabahu (1410-1467)

2.       King Jayaweera Parakramabahu (1467-1469)

3.       King VI Buwanekabahu (1469-1477)

4.       King VII Panditha Parakramabahu (1477-1484)

5.       King VIII Weera Parakramabahu (1484-1509)

6.       King IX Dharma Parakramabahu (1509-1518)

7.       King VI Vijayabahu (1518-1521)

8.       King VII Buwanekaba (1521-1551)

9.       Prince Don Juwan Dharmapala (1551-1597) 

King VI Sri Parakramabahu (1410-1467)

In 1410, 6^th Sri Parakramabahu became the King of the island. There were no rulers in the country from 1408 to 1410. Parakrama Epa, the son of King 6^th Vijayabahu, arrived in Sri Lanka In 1414 and controlled the Dedigama area. Then he waged war against King 6^th Sri Parakramabahu and King 6^th Sri Parakramabahu defeated Parakrama Epa.

Sri Lanka was divided into sub divisions after the reign of King II Parakramabahu (1236-1270). All of the divisions were united as one country under the King 6^th Parakramabahu. The King did an excellent job for the land, nation and the people as well.

Sunethra Devi Pirivena, his mother’s name was the name he gave to the Pirivena he built in Pepiliyana. He also restored Sumana Saman temple in Ratnapura and the Stupa of Mahiyanganaya. The tooth relic was housed by the King at a relic temple in Kotte. The King was a well-educated man. He has made a significant contribution to Sinhala Literature. The King wrote two books: ‘Ruwan Mala’ and ‘Piyum Mala’.

Kavya Shekaraya, Selalihini Sandeshaya, Paravi Sandeshaya, Loweda Sangarawa, Budugunaalankaraya, Guththila Kavya are some of the poets written during the reign. Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula thero, Weththewe thero, Devinuwara Irugal Kulathilaka thero and Veedagama maithree thero were among the scholars in the season.          

 

King Jayaweera Parakramabahu (1467-1469)

This was the grand-son of King VI Parakramabahu. No written history available for the King.

King VI Buwanekabahu (1469-1477)

In 1469, Prince Sapumal became the King as VI Buwanekabahu. During his reign, Arya Chakrawarthi invaded Jaffna once more, but the King overcame them. In 1469, a Prince named Senasammatha Wickramabahu ascended to the throne of Kandy with the support of the entire Kandy population.

The Prince then attempted to destabilize the Kotte reign by engaging in immoral behaviour. He was the major enemy for the King. After the King dispatched a battalion to Kandy, the Prince was forced to surrender.   

King VII Panditha Parakramabahu (1477-1484)

He was the son of King VI Buwanekabahu. The King was defeated by Prince Ambulugala also known as 8^th Weera Parakramabahu in 1484. There was no written history other than that.

 

King VIII Weera Parakramabahu (1484-1509)

In 1477, Prince Ambulugala took over as King VIII Weera Parakramabahu after King VII Panditha Parakramabahu died. During the reign of the King, Portuguese were landed in the country in 1505. After that there was an agreement between the Portuguese and the King including the governance of the beach areas of Sri Lanka.

The Portuguese agreed to secure the beach side of the island in exchange for 80 tons of Cinnamon from the King. He divided the kingdom into four sections and assigned Dharma Parakramabahu, Vijayabahu, Rajasinghe and Raigam Bandara to each.     

 
King IX Dharma Parakramabahu (1509-1518)

He was the eldest son of King VIII Weera Parakramabahu. After he got the kingship, Prince Vijayabahu waged war against him. Then, the King got help from the Portuguese for the first time in history. In 1518, the King was defeated by King VI Vijayabahu.

 
King VI Vijayabahu (1518-1521)

Prince Ambulugala, also known as 8^th Weera Parakramabahu had a son named King 6^th Vijayabahu (1484 - 1509). He was the second son. King 9^th Dharma Parakramabahu became the ruler of Kotte after the reign of King 8^th Weera Parakramabahu (1509-1518). He was the eldest son of King 8^th Weera Parakramabahu.

In 1518, 9^th Dharma Parakramabahu was defeated by King 6^th Vijayabahu and he became the ruler in Kotte reign. Buwanekabahu, Raigam Bandara and Mayadunne were the three sons of the King while Dewaraja was his step son.

King had a major necessity to crown the throne to his step son, Dewaraja. After hearing of it, three sons were against the incident and fled the Palace.

Vijayaba Kollaya

The incident that is going to get the throne in Kotte reign from King 6^th Vijayabahu is known as Vijayaba Kollaya. During the reign of King Jayaweera in Kandy, the three princes had used soldiers to surround the Palace. Then the King decided to reach an agreement with the princes. However, the King used a person to assassinate them. The princes were aware of this and used a foreign individual to assassinate the King. Then they took over the Kingdom. The incident took place in 1521. That was ‘Vijayaba Kollaya’.

After that, Kotte was divided into three parts. Kotte, Seethawaka and Raigama.

·         Kotte – Prince Buwanekaba

·         Seethawaka – Prince Mayadunne

·         Raigama – Raigam Bandara

 
King VII Buwanekaba (1521-1551)

Prince Buwanekaba ascended to the throne in Kotte following the Vijayaba Kollaya. But on the other hand, Prince Mayadunne waged war against him in order to claim the throne of Kotte. In 1505, the Portuguese landed in Sri Lanka. The King then sought assistance from the Portuguese.

A daughter named Samudra was the King’s one and only child. He made the decision to entrust his daughter to Veediye Bandara, a major commander in the King’s army. Because of this royal heritage, Prince Mayadunne became enraged with the King.

The King then decided to hand-over the throne to prince Dharmapala. Prince Dharmapala was the son of the King’s daughter. The Portuguese aided the King in this situation and they presented a crown to the prince Dharmapala.   

In 1551, King Buwanekaba’s reign came to an end when a Portuguese soldier shot him in the palace in Kelaniya. Prince Dharmapala was crowned as Don Juwan Dharmapala in 1551.

Prince Don Juwan Dharmapala (1551-1597)

After the death of King VII Buwanekaba, the throne was given to Prince Dharmapala. But he was still younger and unable to manage the country at the time. As a result, his father, Veediye Bandara ruled over the kingdom.

The Portuguese harassed Buddhists and the people of the reign on several occasions. Then Veediye Bandara fought against them but lacked the power to conduct war.

In 1557, Prince Dharmapala surrendered to the Portuguese after the death of Veediye Bandara. Then the Portuguese took control of Kotte. The people were unhappy with the prince, thus the tooth relic was given to the Prince Mayadunne in Seethawaka.

Seethawaka grew in strength as a result of these factors. Portuguese power was eliminated as a result of the two conflicts between Portuguese and Sinhalese in Mulleriyawa and Kotte in 1562 and 1564. Prince Dharmapala died in 1597. 

 

The Kingdom of Dambadeniya | (1232 - 1293) | Sri Lanka

The Kingdom of Dambadeniya (1232-1293)

The reign of Dambadeniya was erected in 1232, while the reign of Polonnaruwa was ruled by Kalinga Magha. King II Panditha Parakramabahu from Dambadeniya reign, was the King who defeated Kalinga Magha. Especially in that case, King III Vijayabahu also played a significant part in-order to gain the victory. 

 

Who were the Rulers ruled in Dambadeniya?

1.       King III Vijayabahu (1232 - 1236) 

2.       King II Panditha Parakramabahu (1236 - 1270)

3.       King IV Vijayabahu (1270 - 1272)

4.       King I Buwanekabahu (1272 - 1284)

5.       King III Parakramabahu (1287 - 1293)    

King III Vijayabahu (1232 - 1236)

The people immigrated from Polonnaruwa to the Ruhuna reign due to the invasions by Kalinga Magha.

During King Kalinga Magha’s reign in Polonnaruwa, Sinhala princes were able to build citadels in a number of locations throughout the Kingdom. These were the locations of Yapahuwa, Ruhuna, Minipe and Dambadeniya. Prince Vijayabahu established citadels around Dambadeniya. He became the King of Vanni and Maya reigns by defeating the people of Kalinga Magha. Vanni and Maya were the regionals of Sri Lanka.

The tooth relic and the other treasures were brought from Polonnaruwa due to the invasions of Kalinga Magha and kept in the Kothmale area. After gaining the throne, the King built a temple on Beligala Mountain near Kegalle and housed the artifacts within.

He repaired all the devastated Buddhist temples, including Kelaniya and commissioned Sinhala writers to re-write the writings and documents that Kalinga Magha had destroyed.

 
King II Panditha Parakramabahu (1236 - 1270)

King II Panditha Parakramabahu was the son of King III Vijayabahu. He was known as ‘Kalikala Sahithya Sarwathra Panditha’ because of his extensive literary expertise. The King built a temple in Dambadeniya and treasured the tooth relic that his father had placed in a temple on Beligala Mountain in Kegalle.

The King pledged to protect the island from Kalinga Magha at the ceremonial festival. Kalinga Magha was aware that King II Panditha Parakramabahu will attack Polonnaruwa at some time in the future. As a result, he recruited men from South India to fight for him.

During the reign, the King was attacked by Chandrabhanu from Thamralinga in India. Then the King gave the command to assault Chandrabhanu to Prince Weerabahu. After that, Prince Weerabahu, a close relative of the King was victorious in the conflict.

In 1255, King II Panditha Parakramabahu launched an attack and defeated Kalinga Magha in Polonnaruwa, the worst king of the time. In the conflict, the King received assistance from King Pandya. Chandrabhanu attacked the island again in 1261, but the King defeated him with the assistance of King Pandya.

King II Panditha Parakramabahu served the nation and Buddhism in a great way. He rebuilt all of the wrecked temples and religious sites and returned all of the properties to its legitimate owners.

He built temples not only at Dambadeniya, but also in Kurunegala, Yapahuwa, Kelaniya, Aththanagalla, Bentota and Dondra on the island. He made the pathways to the Sri Pada more convenient for the comfort of the pilgrims.

The King penned one of the greatest works of poetry known as ‘Kausilumina’. He rendered invaluable service to Sinhala Literature as a well-known academic. The major literature novels Aththanagalu wanshaya and Thupavanshaya were also written during the reign.

When the King got old, he assumed that the throne would be passed down to a son. The King’s five sons were Vijayabahu, Buwanekabahu, Thilokamalla, Parakramabahu and Jayabahu, while his son-in-law was Weerabahu.

The throne will be held by Prince Vijayabahu among these six princes, according to the King and other government officials. Following that, Prince Vijayabahu governed the country as IV Vijayabahu. He was the eldest son of the King.

King IV Vijayabahu (1270 - 1272)

King IV Vijayabahu was a legendary King in history. Unfortunately he died after only two years as King.

He placed his younger brothers throughout the country. Prince Parakramabahu and Prince Vijayabahu were assigned to the Dambadeniya kingdom to assist King II Panditha Parakramabahu, father of the King who was nearing the end of his reign. The King accompanied Prince Weerabahu on a tour of the Kingdom to meet the needs of the people. The invader known as Chandrabhanu came up against conflict once more. The King won the battle with the support of Prince Weerabahu after waging it. He rebuilt various cities throughout the country, including the sacred city of Anuradhapura and Gampola and as well as a temple in Kurunegala.

He handed up the throne of Dambadeniya to his younger brother Buwanekabahu and the King left Dambadeniya and proceeded to Polonnaruwa. The King rebuilt the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa and returned the tooth relic to Polonnaruwa with the guidance of his father.

The two years after the coronation, the soldier known as Miththa defeated this greatest King in his Palace. After receiving the news, Prince Buwanekabahu the younger brother of the King was fled to the Yapahuwa area. Then Miththa entered Dambadeniya and attempted to claim the crown. While he addressing the royal council in the Palace, the brave commander named Takuraka was defeated Miththa by his sword.

Takuraka was sent by prince Buwanekabahu from Yapahuwa. The throne was thereafter given to Prince Buwanekabahu, who was sworn in as King I Buwanekabahu in Dambadeniya.

King I Buwanekabahu (1272 - 1284)

After a brief reign in Dambadeniya, King I Buwanekabahu built his kingdom in Yapahuwa. The ‘Pali’ version of the ‘Thripitaka’ was written in this reign. He presented it to all of the major temples within the country. All Buddhist records are written in a language called ‘Pali’.

He built a relic temple in Yapahuwa and transported the tooth relic from Polonnaruwa to it. During the reign, the tooth relic was stolen by a person known as ‘Aarya Chakrawarthi’ who is from Pandya and hand-over it to the King Kulasekara in Pandya.

The King died in 1284. From 1284 to 1287, there were no ruler for the country.

 
King III Parakramabahu (1287 - 1293)

King III Parakramabahu was the son of King IV Vijayabahu (1270 - 1272). He ruled Polonnaruwa during his reign and there were significant relationships between Pandya and Sri Lanka.

At that time, King Kulasekara was the ruler of Pandya. King III Parakramabahu travelled to Pandya and returned with the tooth relic that had escaped from Sri Lanka during the reign of King I Buwanekabahu.

He was the last King of Polonnaruwa and Dambadeniya kingdoms.

 

The Kingdom of Kurunegala | Kingdom of Gampola | Kingdom of Seethawaka | Sri Lanka (1293 - 1408)

The Kingdom of Kurunegala | Kingdom of Gampola | Kingdom of Seethawaka

In 1293, King II Buwanekabahu established the Kurunegala monarchy. King V Vijayabahu, who ruled in 1341, was the last king of the reign. The reign was ruled by four kings. Prior to the service to the country, people, and nation, two of them are listed below.

King II Buwanekabahu (1293 - 1302)

He was the son of King I Buwanekabahu who ruled the reign of Dambadeniya. He chose Kurunegala as his capital and governed for nine years. He did a lot for the monks and Buddhism. He held the Poson festival in June every year.

King IV Panditha Parakramabahu (1302 - 1326)

King IV Panditha Parakramabahu was the son of King II Buwanekabahu. The position lasted for 24 years. The King was a well-educated person. As a result the people of the country refer to him as ‘Panditha Parakramabahu’. The King’s contribution to the country and the nation was extraordinary. He constructed a temple in Kurunegala and housed a tooth relic there.

The Asgiriya temple in Kandy was established in 1312. People began to pronounce Kandy as Senkadagala throughout the King’s reign. The King took a number of steps to improve the Sinhala language and Literature.

During that time, the Sinhala Bodhi Wanshaya, Ummagga Jathakaya and Sandakinduru Daa Kawa were composed. Wilgammula Sangaraja thero was one of the most eminent scholars of his time. The King established temples in Dondra and Weligama areas in the Southern division of the country.

King III Buwanekabahu

There was no written history of the King.

King V Vijayabahu (1341)

The King had no documented history. Thus records, he was the King in Kurunagela.

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Kingdom of Gampola

 

The Kingdom of Gampola was controlled by six different monarchs. The reign began in 1344 and lasted for 64 years. King IV Buwanekabahu was the first ruler. The last King was Parakrama Epa, the son of King VI Vijayabahu.

The Kings who ruled the Kingdom of Gampola.

1.       King IV Buwanekabahu (1344 - 1351)

2.       King V Parakramabahu (1344-1359)

3.       King III Vikramabahu (1358-1374)

4.       King V Buwanekabahu (1374-1408)

5.       King II Weerabahu (1391-1396)

6.       King VI Vijayabahu (1396-1408)

 

King IV Buwanekabahu (1344 - 1351)

The first King of the kingdom, King IV Buwanekabahu, erected his reign from Gampola. He constructed the temples of Gadaladeniya and Lankathilaka, two of the most attractive houses of worship in the country. The King’s representative, Senadhilankara, was in-charge of all of these operations.

 

King V Parakramabahu (1344 - 1359)

During the reign of King IV Buwanekabahu in Gampola, King V Parakramabahu governed the Kegalle division. King V Parakramabahu was the brother of King IV Buwanekabahu. Instead, there is no recorded history of the King available.

King III Vikramabahu (1358 - 1374)

King III Vikramabahu was able to gain the throne with the help of a person named Alagakkonara. Alagakkonara was in charge of all governance relations. Aryachakrawarthi, the Tamil King reigned in Jaffna while they were governing in Gampola.

Aryachakrawarthi was attempting to collect taxes from those who lived in divisions other than Jaffna. The King and Alagakkonara were then able to put an end to it by evicting the Tamil leaders from the affected areas. The King’s reign lasted 15 years. 

 

King V Buwanekabahu (1374 - 1408)

King V Buwanekabahu took the throne following King III Vikramabahu. The King was the son-in-law of Senadhilankara. Senadhilankara was the commander of King IV Buwanekabahu who was the first King of Gampola reign.

The King was involved in a number of important Buddhist initiatives. During this reign, ‘Mayura Sandeshaya’, one of the greatest pieces of Sinhala poetry was written. The King moved his reign to the Kotte after several years and simultaneously both reigns were ruled by the King. King’s career spanned 34 years.

 

King II Weerabahu (1391 - 1396)

King II Weerabahu took the throne in the Gampola reign after King V Buwanekabahu moved to the Kotte reign. King II Weerabahu was the son of Senadhilankara.

During this reign, the Buddhist document ‘Nikaya Sangrahaya’ was written. King II Weerabahu fought and defeated Weera Alakeshwara in the Raigama area and, Weera Alakeshwara then moved to India for safety. Weera Alakeshwara was the second son of Senadhilankara.

 

King VI Vijayabahu (1396 - 1408)

Weera Alakeshwara returned to Sri Lanka after the death of King Weerabahu and was crowned as King VI Vijayabahu. There was a backstory to the King.

A Chinese commander named Chinho visited Sri Lanka on a pilgrimage. When they arrived, King VI Vijayabahu attempted to imprison them. Then Chinho and the rest of the crew escaped from the prison, returned to their ship and left the country.

After a few years, Chinho returned to Sri Lanka with a battalion in order to apprehend the King. They took the King and the people to China. China’s monarch at the time was Iyunglo. The Chinese government chose to hand over the kingdom to Parakrama Epa, who was the son of King VI Vijayabahu.

The throne was handed over by the ruler of China in 1411 in China. Unfortunately, when they returned to Sri Lanka in 1412, the Kingdom of Gampola was overthrown and the kingdom of Kotte has been established. King VI Sri Parakramabahu created the monarchy of Kotte in 1410 when King Parakrama Epa was in China.

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The Kingdom of Seethawaka

The Kingdom of Seethawaka was formed in 1521. There were four rulers in charge of the territory. It was the 7^th kingdom of Sri Lanka.

King Mayadunne (1521 - 1581)

King Mayadunne was the son of King VI Vijayabahu (1518-1521). King Mayadunne’s brothers were King VII Buwanekabahu (1521-1551) in Kotte and Prince Raigama Bandara (1521-1538). Seethawaka was the reign of King Mayadunne.

Because the Muslims were dismissed by the King in Kotte, King Mayadunne waged war against his brother, King Buwanekabahu, in Kotte, in 1524. The first conflict between the two parties took place in 1537. In that situation, King Buwanekabahu got support from the Portuguese while King Mayadunne received assistance from a South Indian King known as Semorian who was also anti-Portuguese. Unfortunately King Mayadunne was defeated by VII Buwanekabahu. In 1538, Prince Raigam Bandara passed away. Then King Mayadunne seized the reign owned by Raigam Bandara. The King also wanted to take control of Kotte reign.

After the baptism of Prince Dharmapala in 1557, people fled the Kotte kingdom to the Kandy and Seethawaka reigns. King Mayadunne was also presented with the tooth relic.

In 1562, Prince Tikiri Bandara, the son of King Mayadunne, waged war in Kotte against Prince Dharmapala while Dharmapala receiving Portuguese assistance. Prince Dharmapala was beaten by Prince Tikiri Bandara in Mulleriyawa area where the battle began. This was the largest Portuguese recession in Asia.

Then Prince Tikiri Bandara rose to power in Kotte, while Prince Dharmapala took refuge in the Portuguese fort in Colombo. In 1564, Prince Tikiri Bandara launched another attack on Colombo fort in an attempt to expel the Portuguese, but it proved futile.

 

King I Rajasinghe (1581-1593)

In 1581, Prince Tikiri Bandara was crowned as King I Rajasinghe in Seethawaka. He assaulted Kandy and defeated the then King Karalliyadde Bandara in 1582.

The King’s major objective was to expel the Portuguese from Sri Lanka. He has been attacking the Colombo Fort since 1587. The battalion of King I Rajasinghe consisted 50000 troops, 2200 elephants and 4000 cannons.

In 1587, the King and his soldiers arrived in Colombo and built bastions in the Maligawatta and Maligakanda areas. The King retreated after 22 months because the Portuguese received assistance from Goa in India. The King felt humiliated as a result of the war’s failure, and he caused unrest among the people later his reign.

Yamasinghe Bandara (Don Philip) waged war against the King in order to take over the throne. Yamasinghe Bandara received help from Konappu Bandara (Don Juwan). Konappu Bandara was the son of Weera Surendra, who assisted I Rajasinghe in capturing Kandy in 1582.

Unfortunately, Weera Surendra was assassinated by the King as a result of rumours. As a result, his son became enraged with King. The King was defeated at the end of the conflict.

Yamasinghe Bandara was thereafter crowned King of Kandy. However, Konappu Bandara ascended the throne after defeating Yamasinghe Bandara in several days. Then King I Rajasinghe waged another war against Konappu Bandara, but this time King I Rajasinghe lost.

A thorn pierced the King’s leg while he was returning to the Seethawaka following his failure, and the King became critically ill as a result. The greatest King who bravely attacked aliens died in 1593.

 

King Rajasooriya (1593)

King Rajasooriya was the grand-son of King I Rajasinghe. Arittaki Vendu served as the advisor of King Rajasooriya. He was King I Rajasinghe’s prime minister. The King was assassinated by Arittaki, after only 04 months of his kingship.

 

King Nikapitiye Bandara (1593)

Seethawaka was ruled by King Nikapitiye Bandara for only 05 months. During this time, Arittaki allied with the Portuguese. Then Arittaki arrived in Seethawaka with the help of the Portuguese and the King was forced to retreat.