King Dharmashoka [1208-1209 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Queen Kalyanavathi [1202-1208 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Dharmashoka [1208-1209] -House of Kalinga-	Anikanga Mahadipada [1209] -House of Kalinga-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

The late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries in ancient Sri Lanka were marked by a rapid and violent breakdown of centralized authority. After the death of King Niśśaṅka Malla in 1196 CE, the Polonnaruwa Kingdom entered a phase of irreversible instability.

This period was dominated by powerful military kingmakers who manipulated the throne at will, installing and removing rulers to serve their own political interests. It was in this climate of turmoil that King Dharmashoka (also known in Pāḷi as Dhammāsoka) was elevated to the throne in 1208 CE, when he was only three months old.

Royal Lineage and Early Childhood

King Dharmashoka belonged to the Kāliṅga dynasty, a royal house that claimed legitimate sovereignty through descent from Vijaya, the legendary founder of the Sinhalese people. According to the Sinhalese literary chronicle Pūjāvaliya, Dharmashoka was the son of Anīkaṅga (also known as Äniyanga), a prince who bore the title of Mahadīpāda, meaning Heir Apparent.

Rise to Power: The Coup of General Āyasmanta

Dharmashoka’s accession was the direct result of a military coup led by the formidable General Āyasmanta, who appears in different sources under several names, including Elalu Ābō Senevi, Āti, and Düttati Ābo-nā. Āyasmanta was a leading figure of the Lolupälä clan and had already established himself as a dominant kingmaker by bringing King Sāhasamalla from the mainland and placing him on the throne in 1200 CE.

By 1202 CE, Āyasmanta had grown dissatisfied with Sāhasamalla and removed him, installing Queen Kalyāṇavatī, the chief queen of Niśśaṅka Malla, in his place. However, the political situation remained deeply unstable. In 1208 CE, Āyasmanta took the extreme step of deposing Kalyāṇavatī as well. Seeking a ruler who would offer no resistance to his authority, he placed the infant Dharmashoka on the throne. By elevating a three-month-old child, Āyasmanta effectively retained the real substance of power for himself, ruling as a de facto dictator while maintaining the king as a symbolic figurehead.

Reign and Administrative Work: The Regency

Since Dharmashoka was only an infant, all affairs of state were conducted under the regency of General Āyasmanta. Despite the inherent fragility of a puppet monarchy, both historical and epigraphical sources indicate that Āyasmanta attempted to preserve a minimal level of administrative and legal order within the kingdom, even as the political structure continued to deteriorate.

The Invasion and Death of the King

The reign of Dharmashoka ended as violently as it had begun. After only one year on the throne, the kingdom was invaded by his own father, Anīkaṅga, who arrived in Lanka at the head of a large force of Tamiḷ (Coḷa) troops from the Indian mainland.

The sources provide a grim but consistent account of the final events. Anīkaṅga attacked Polonnaruwa in an attempt to reclaim what he believed to be his rightful throne. In the conflict that followed in 1209 CE, Anīkaṅga’s forces emerged victorious. In order to eliminate all potential rivals and secure his position, Anīkaṅga killed the infant King Dharmashoka together with his military guardian, General Āyasmanta.

The Cūlavaṁsa and Pūjāvaliya further record that Anīkaṅga’s triumph was short-lived. He ruled for only seventeen days before being assassinated by his own general, Vikkantacamūnakka, who subsequently restored Queen Līlāvatī to the throne for her second reign.

Royal Dynasty in Plonnaruwa after Parakaramabahu the Great

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.
Fernando, P. E. E. (1978). Allai Copper Plate Charter of King Nissankamalla. The Sri Lanka Journal of the Humanities, IV(1 & 2), 73–91.
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. 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). Outlines of Ceylon history. Times of Ceylon.
Perera, J. (1957). An Examination of the Political Troubles That Followed the Death of King Parakramabāhu I. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series Volume V (Special Number), 173–182.

Predecessor		Successor
Queen Kalyanavathi [1202-1208 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Dharmashoka [1208-1209] -House of Kalinga-	Anikanga Mahadipada [1209] -House of Kalinga-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA