King Gothabhaya I ascended the throne in 253 CE after forcing King Siri Sangabodhi I into exile from the capital city of Anuradhapura. He was one of the three close companions of King Siri Naga II (244–246 CE), originally hailing from the Mahiyangana region. Gothabhaya ruled for 13 years and passed away of natural causes in 266 CE.

King Siri Sangha Bodhi I, widely known as “Sirisangabo,” holds a prominent place in Sri Lankan history. However unlike many other rulers celebrated for their military achievements, Sirisangabo is renowned for his adherence to justice and his unwavering commitment to the five Buddhist precepts.

King Sanghatissa I ascended to the throne after assassinating King Vijaya Kumaraka. Sanghatissa, hailing from the Lambakanna Clan in the Mahiyangana region, was one of the three close allies of King Vijaya Kumaraka who were invited to serve in the royal court.

After the passing of King Siri Naga II, his son, Vijaya-Kumaraka, ascended to the throne in Anuradhapura. Shortly after his coronation, he invited three of his kinsmen from the Lambakanna clan—Sanghatissa, Sanghabodhi, and Gothakabhaya—who were residing in Mahiyanganaya, to join him at the royal court.

After the death of King Abhaya Naga, Prince Siri Naga II claimed the throne in Anuradhapura. He was the son of King Voharika Tissa, elder brother of Abhaya Naga. When Abhaya Naga attacked, Voharika Tissa fled to Anuradhapura taking his queen and the young son Siri Naga to the hills (Malaya Rata).

King Abhaya Naga succeeded his elder brother, King Voharika Tissa, as the ruler of Sri Lanka after he slayed him in 236 CE. Following this fratricidal act, he married his brother’s widow, elevating her to the position of Queen Consort.

King Voharika Tissa succeeded his father, King Siri Naga I (195-214 CE), as the ruler of Anuradhapura. His title, “Voharika Tissa,” derives from the Pali term Voharika, meaning “a royal officer skilled in the law” or “a magistrate.” He earned this distinction by being the first Sri Lankan king to legislate against bodily injury such as mutilation, abolishing their use as a form of punishment for criminal offenses.

Siri Naga I ascended to the throne of Anuradhapura after leading a rebellion that forced King Kuncha Naga to flee the capital. He was formerly Kuncha Naga’s army commander and also his brother-in-law (brother of his queen). His reign, which lasted 22 years, is noted for its stability and relative peace.

King Kuncha Naga came to power by slaying his elder brother King Khujja Naga. However, he was not able to hold on to the throne for more than one year when his queen’s brother Sri Naga, Commander of the Army overthrew him and ascended to the throne.

King Kanitta Tissa had two sons, Khujja Naga and Kuncha Naga. After the death of King Kanitta Tissa, his eldest son Khujja Naga came to the throne. On the second year of his reign, he was slain by his younger brother Kuncha Naga and ascended to the throne.

The nearly 50-year period encompassing the reigns of King Mahallaka Naga and his two sons, Bhathika Tissa and Kanittha Tissa, is characterized by stability and development. The primary recorded achievements from this era are the construction of religious edifices and irrigation reservoirs. There are no accounts of internal conflicts or foreign invasions disrupting the nation’s tranquillity.

King Bhathika Tissa, the elder son of King Mahallaka Naga, ruled Sri Lanka for 24 years following the death of his father. Despite the considerable length of his reign, historical records detailing his achievements and contributions remain sparse. The main attributions found in chronicles and historical texts mention the construction of only two viharas and the creation of two irrigation reservoirs.

When King Gajabahu I passed away, his brother-in-law Naga, who was already advanced in age, ascended to the throne. Due to his age, he was given the epithet “Mahallaka,” meaning “elderly,” and thus would have become known as Mahallaka Naga who ruled from the Anuradhapura Kingdom peacefully.

Gajabahu I, the son of King Vankanasika Tissa is historically notable for being the first Sri Lankan king to launch a military expedition to a foreign land. This campaign aimed to retrieve 12,000 prisoners taken as laborers to the Chola kingdom during his father’s reign. He also brought back the sacred relic bowl of Buddha and the anklets of the goddess Pattini,

King Vankanasika Tissa, also known as Tissa, was a ruler of the Anuradhapura Kingdom in Sri Lanka and the son of King Vasabha, founder of the Lambakanna dynasty. Vankanasika Tissa, whose epithet means “Hook-Nosed Tissa,” succeeded his father and continued his lineage’s rule over Anuradhapura.

The consecration of King Vasabha marked the beginning of the Lambakanna Dynasty, which succeeded the long-established Vijaya Dynasty. The Vijaya Dynasty had ruled Sri Lanka from 543 BCE, starting with King Vijaya, and ending in 59 CE with the reign of King Yasalalaka Tissa.

Suba, the former doorkeeper of the throne room, ascended to power after the fatal prank by King Yasalalaka Tissa led to the king’s execution. With no legitimate claim to the throne, Suba depended heavily on the support of the military to maintain his authority. Simultaneously, he sought to gain the favor of the religious community by making contributions to the monks and sponsoring the construction of monasteries.

Yasalalaka Tissa, only 17 years old when he assassinated his brother and seized the throne, was regarded as immature both in thought and actions. His reign lasted for 7 years and 8 months before it ended, largely due to the same impulsive and youthful behaviour that marked his rise to power.

The Lambakanna clan is thought to descend from the princes who accompanied Theri Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka, bringing with them the sacred sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi in 306 BCE. The Mahavamsa first references this powerful clan during King Ilanga’s era. By then, the Lambakannas had likely developed into a formidable political and administrative entity, significantly influencing the governance of the kingdom.

Chandamukha Siva, the son of King Ilanga and Queen Sivali, was fated as an infant to be trampled by the royal elephant. However, fortune intervened; the elephant not only spared the child but also saved him and his father from the Lambakannas. Three years later, the king would return to triumph over his enemies and the Prince Chandamukha Siva would claim the throne after his father.