King Buwanekabahu I [1272-1284 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Vijayabahu IV [1270-1272 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Buwanekabahu I [1272-1284 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Parakramabahu III [1287-1293 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Buvanekabāhu I (r. 1272-1284 CE) was a monarch of the Dambadeniya dynasty who ruled ancient Sri Lanka during a period of intense fragmentation and foreign pressure. As the second son of the scholar-king Parākramabāhu II and Queen Sunetradevi, he ascended the throne following a series of violent internal betrayals that nearly extinguished his lineage.

Royal Lineage and Early Life

Buvanekabāhu was born into the prestigious Solar and Moon dynasties, a lineage that traced its origins to the legendary King Mahā Sammata and the Sirisanghabodhi line. He was the younger brother of Vijayabāhu IV, often referred to as “Bosat” Vijayabāhu, and was raised in the royal courts of Dambadeniya. Under the tutelage of his father, Parākramabāhu II, Buvanekabāhu was schooled in the Tripitaka and the traditional arts and sciences of kingship.

During the latter part of his father’s reign, Buvanekabāhu was elevated to the rank of Yuvaraja (Heir Apparent) or Māpā. He was initially stationed in the northern province at Sundarapabbata (Yapahuwa) to guard the kingdom against potential invasions from the Jāvaka or Tamil forces from South India. While holding this post, he actively participated in the defence of the realm, most notably during the second invasion of the Malay leader Candrabhānu, where he fought alongside his brother and cousin to secure the Tooth Relic and the Bowl Relic.

Rise to Power: The Treason of Mitta

Buvanekabāhu’s rise to the throne was marked by a narrow escape from a deadly conspiracy. Following the death of Parākramabāhu II in 1270 CE, his brother Vijayabāhu IV was formally consecrated, but in 1272 CE, Vijayabāhu was assassinated by his own general, Mitta, a “faithless friend” who sought to seize the throne. Mitta bribed a palace slave to carry out the murder in the dark of night, throwing the Dambadeniya court into chaos.

Hearing of the murder, Buvanekabāhu fled Dambadeniya for the safety of Yapahuwa. He was pursued by nine brutal brothers of the Monasīha clan, who were partisans of Mitta and attempted to kill him by piercing his covered litter with spears. Buvanekabāhu managed to leap from the litter and escape through a river to a nearby elephant stall, eventually reaching the fortress of Yapahuwa on the back of a state elephant.

Mitta briefly occupied the lion throne at Dambadeniya, but his rule was rejected by the Rajput (Ariya) mercenaries. Led by a warrior named Thakuraka, the Rajputs feigned a desire to speak with Mitta and subsequently assassinated him in the throne room. The military then marched to Yapahuwa to bring Buvanekabāhu back to Dambadeniya, where he was formally consecrated as the sole monarch of Lanka.

The Reign at Yapahuwa

Although initially crowned at Dambadeniya, Buvanekabāhu I soon found it strategically necessary to shift the seat of government to the rock fortress of Yapahuwa (Subhācala). The political landscape was precarious; he faced a “double army” of Sinhalese and foreign mercenaries, as well as recurring incursions from South Indian commanders such as Kalingarāyara and Coḷagangadeva. By fortifying Yapahuwa, he created an almost impregnable defensive position that warded off both internal rebels and the rising power of the sub-kingdom of Jaffna.

Contributions to the State and Trade

Buvanekabāhu I was a forward-thinking administrator who recognized the importance of foreign trade for national survival. In April 1283 CE, he dispatched an embassy to the Sultan of Egypt at Cairo. The royal letter, written on palm leaves (ola) and enclosed in a golden case, offered an alliance and proposed direct trade in pearls, precious stones, and cinnamon. This embassy, likely facilitated by Arab traders in the island, demonstrated the king’s desire to secure naval support against the Arya Cakravarti and South Indian fleets.

Services to Buddhism

King Buvanekabāhu I was a devout patron of the Buddhist Order and a protector of the sacred Tooth and Bowl Relics. He personally celebrated a daily sacrificial ritual for the relics and provided the Sangha with the four articles of equipment.

To ensure the long-term survival of the faith, he commissioned the copying of the entire Tipitaka. He paid learned scribes to produce these manuscripts, which were then distributed to various viharas throughout the island. He also frequently sponsored Upasampadā (Higher Ordination) ceremonies to replenish the ranks of the priesthood, ensuring that the Buddhist tradition remained vibrant despite the constant threat of war.

The Fall: Invasion and the Stolen Relic

The final years of Buvanekabāhu’s reign were clouded by a devastating famine and increasing pressure from the Pandyan Empire. After governing for approximately eleven years, the king passed away in 1284 CE. His death triggered an immediate succession crisis and a period of interregnum.

Seizing upon the internal discord, the Pandyan king Kulaśekhara dispatched an army led by the general Arya Cakravarti. The invaders landed and laid waste to the country on all sides before successfully storming and capturing the fortress of Yapahuwa. In a catastrophic blow to the Sinhalese state, the Pandyans seized the Tooth Relic and the “solid wealth” of the kingdom, carrying them back to the Pandu country. The loss of the sacred relic, which was the palladium of the Sinhalese kings, signified the effective collapse of the Yapahuwa kingdom as a centralized power.

Ancient Manuscripts Detailing the Sovereigns of Sri Lanka

Sovereigns of Sri Lanka are chronicled in several ancient manuscripts. These texts not only record the lineages of kings but also the significant events and developments of their reigns. Some of the most significant ancient sources are:

Dipavamsa: compiled between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, and the earliest known historical chronicle
Mahavamsa: Initially compiled by Mahanama Thero in the 5th or 6th century CE, this chronicle was later expanded upon by other authors who added additional chapters. Covers events up until the reign of King Mahasena of Anuradhapura
Culavamsa: Starts where the Mahavamsa stops and records the history of Sri Lankan rulers from the 4th century to 1815. Mahavamsa and Culavamsa are often seen as one extended chronicle, commonly referred to simply as the Mahavamsa.
Pujavaliya: Written by a monk in or around 1266 during the reign of King Panditha Parakrama Bahu of Dambadeniya Kingdom
Rajavaliya: A 17th-century historical chronicle of Sri Lanka, covering the history of the island from its beginnings up to the accession of King Vimaladharmasurya II in 1687.

References

Codrington, H. W. (1960). The decline of the medieval Sinhalese kingdom. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch), 7(1), 93-103.
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part II–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Gunasekara, B. (1895). A Contribution to the History of Ceylon: Translated from Pujavaliya. H.C. Cottle.
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya, a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
Mendis, O. (1998). The story of the Sri Lankans: A Small People with a Great History of Over 2500 Years from the Tiny Island in the Indian Ocean. A Sridevi Publication.
Nicholas, C. W., & Paranavitana, S. (1961). A Concise History of Ceylon: From the Earliest Times to the Arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. University of Ceylon.
Obeyesekere, D. (1911). History of Ceylon : Outlines of Ceylon History. The Times of Ceylon Colombo.

Predecessor		Successor
Vijayabahu IV [1270-1272 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Buwanekabahu I [1272-1284 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Parakramabahu III [1287-1293 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA