King Kashyapa I [477-495 CE] | AmazingLanka.com

Predecessor		Successor
King Dhatusena [459-477 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Kashyapa I [477-495 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Moggallana I [495-512 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Kashyapa I (also known as Kassapa I) seized the throne after murdering his father. Following the escape of his brother Moggallana (Mugalan), the legitimate heir, to India, Kashyapa constructed an extraordinary palace atop Sigiriya Rock, driven by fear of a future attack by Moggallana.

Rise to Power

Kashyapa was the son of King Dhatusena (459–477 CE), born to a consort of lower status. His sister was married to Migara, the commander-in-chief of Dhatusena’s army. In a moment of rage, Migara assaulted his wife, Dhatusena’s daughter. Outraged by the sight of her blood-stained clothes, Dhatusena took revenge by cruelly punishing his sister—Migara’s mother—by burning her alive naked. Enraged by this act, Migara conspired with Kashyapa, the king’s son of lower birth, to overthrow Dhatusena.

Kashyapa, aware that his brother was next in line for the throne, allied with Migara to seize power. Together, they overthrew the reigning king and imprisoned him.

Migara, seeking revenge on the imprisoned King Dhatusena, falsely claimed that Dhatusena had hidden a treasure meant for Moggallana, his brother. Kashyapa, encouraged by Migara, coerced Dhatusena into revealing the location. After repeated demands, Dhatusena finally led them to Kala Wewa, the grand reservoir he had built, declaring it as his true wealth.

Enraged, Kashyapa ordered his father’s execution. Migara took the opportunity to exact his revenge by stripping Dhatusena, binding him in chains, and sealing him alive in a wall cavity, resulting in a slow and painful death.

Building of Sigiriya

Kassapa chose the Sigiriya rock as the site for his fortress. Atop the rock, he constructed a grand palace reminiscent of Kuvera’s Alakamanda Palace. He relocated his treasures to this stronghold and surrounded it with robust fortifications.

He designed a staircase shaped like a lion and adorned the city gates with gardens while planting mango groves across the island, extending a yojana in distance.

According to the Rajaratnacara, unlike the kings before him, Kassapa had little tolerance for the sight of beggars, pilgrims, children, the sick, or women.

Redemption

Now the cruel act of killing his father weighed heavily on King Kashyapa, tormenting his conscience. In an attempt to cleanse himself of the guilt, he engaged in numerous malicious deeds, hoping to redeem himself of the burden of his sin.

He renovated the Issurumuniya Viharaya (today known as Vessagiriya Monastey) and constructed two viharayas, naming them after his daughters, Bodhi and Uppalavanna. Initially, Theravada bhikkhus refused these offerings, fearing the public’s disapproval of accepting gifts from a man guilty of patricide. However, when Kashyapa dedicated the viharayas to the Buddha, the bhikkhus ultimately accepted them.

In addition, Kashyapa built a viharaya in the Niyyanti Garden, which he offered to the Dhammarucian sect. He engaged in meditation, established image houses and charitable food halls (dansalas), gave alms generously, and observed poya days with devotion, hoping these acts would help cleanse his soul of the burden of his sins.

Fall of King Kashyapa I

In the 18th year of King Kashyapa’s reign, his brother Moggallana (also known as Mugalan) returned to the island with a formidable army from India, intent on reclaiming the throne. Moggallana’s forces advanced toward Sigiriya, Kashyapa’s new capital. The decisive battle took place at Ambakatthakola, located approximately midway in Kurunegala.

During the confrontation, Kashyapa’s army was defeated. Facing inevitable capture, Kashyapa chose to end his own life, bringing his reign to a tragic conclusion.

Works of King Kashyapa I

Renovation of Isurumuniya Viharaya (today known as Vessagiriya Monastery)
Bodhi Viharaya – by the name of his daughter
Uppalavanna Viharaya – by the name of his other daughter
A viharaya in the Niyyanti Garden

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

Blaze, L. E. (2004). History of Ceylon. Asian Educational Services. (Original work published 1933)
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society.
Gnanawimala Thero, K. (1960). මයුරපාද පරිවේණාධිපති බුද්ධ පුත්‍රයන් විසින් රචිත පූජාවලිය.
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.
Suraweera, A. V. (2014). රාජාවලිය. Education Publication Department of Sri Lanka. (Original book published in 1976 from the original documents from the 17th century)

Predecessor		Successor
King Dhatusena [459-477 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Kashyapa I [477-495 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Moggallana I [495-512 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA