King Jettatissa III [632 CE] | AmazingLanka.com

Predecessor		Successor
King Aggabodhi III [632 CE] [632-643 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Jettatissa III [632 CE]	King Aggabodhi III [632 CE] [632-643 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Jettatissa III, also known as Katusara in the Pujavaliya and Katusara Detis in the Rajavaliya, ascended the throne in 632 CE following the defeat and flight of King Aggabodhi III to India. However, his reign was short-lived; Aggabodhi returned within the same year and overthrew Jettatissa, who ruled for only five months.

Life of Prince Jettatissa in Exile

Jettatissa was a son of King Sanghatissa II. When Sanghatissa was killed by Moggallana III, both of Jettatissa’s brothers also perished. Jettatissa managed to escape the purge and fled to Malayarata, where he lived in exile.

During his time in hiding, he allied with Silameghavanna—another royal claimant who had taken refuge in Rohana. Together, they launched a campaign against King Moggallana III, capturing the Janapada district and establishing a stronghold at Dohalapabbata.

At that time, Moggallana’s army was severely weakened by disease. Seizing the opportunity, Silameghavanna launched a decisive attack, defeated Moggallana’s forces, and killed the king at Sigiriya. Following this victory, Silameghavanna invited Jettatissa to assume the throne, but secretly planned to eliminate him. Realizing the deception, Jettatissa fled back to Malayarata. Silameghavanna then entered Anuradhapura and claimed the throne for himself in 623 CE.

During Silameghavanna’s reign, Jettatissa made another attempt at the throne through his maternal uncle, Sirinaga, who sailed to India and returned with a Tamil mercenary army. This force landed in Uttaradesa, but Silameghavanna decisively crushed the invasion.

The Third Attempt and Rise to Power

Jettatissa’s next opportunity came after the death of Silameghavanna, when his son, Aggabodhi III, succeeded him in 632 CE. Jettatissa immediately launched an attack by deploying his army at Aritta Mountain (modern-day Ritigala) and sent his minister, Dathasiva, to lead a secondary offensive from the west.

In response, Aggabodhi III dispatched his brother, Yuvaraja Mana, to confront Dathasiva, who was eventually captured near Miyetti after fleeing. Aggabodhi then attempted to stop Jettatissa’s main force but was soundly defeated and forced to flee to India.

Jettatissa marched into Anuradhapura and claimed the throne—14 years after he had first gone into exile. Immediately, he turned to religious patronage, making generous grants to both major and minor viharas and initiating extensive renovations of monastic complexes.

Return of Aggabodhi III and the Death of Jettatissa III

Not long after his escape, Aggabodhi III returned to the island with the support of a Tamil mercenary army. Meanwhile, Jettatissa faced resistance from Aggabodhi’s relatives in the Kalawewa region and dispatched forces to subdue them.

Aggabodhi’s returning army joined the conflict, and in the ensuing battle, the tide turned decisively against Jettatissa. Rather than face the humiliation of capture, he took his own life on the battlefield, ending his brief five-month reign. His loyal minister Dathasiva fled to India.

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

Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society.
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
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.
Paranavitana, S. (1959). History of Ceylon (University of Ceylon): Vol. 1 (part 1)–3. Ceylon University Press.

Predecessor		Successor
King Aggabodhi III [632 CE] [632-643 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Jettatissa III [632 CE]	King Aggabodhi III [632 CE] [632-643 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA