Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Khallata Naga [109-104 BCE]

56 years ago2 months ago03 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Predecessor		Successor
King Lanjatissa [119-109 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Khallata Naga [109-104 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Vattagamini Abhaya (Walagamba) [104 BCE] [89-77 BCE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Khallata Naga, also known as Kalunna, was a younger brother of King Lanjatissa and a son of King Saddhatissa. He became the ruler of Anuradhapura following the death of his brother.

King Khallata Naga’s half-sister, Sumana Devi, had three sons—Tissa, Abhaya, and Uttara—who conspired to assassinate the king in a bid to seize power. The plan was ultimately exposed before it could be carried out. To escape the consequences, the princes sought refuge within the sanctuary of a Jain ascetic named Giri at the site that would later become the Abhayagiri Monastery. Faced with the failure of their plot, they took their own lives by leaping into the flames of a funeral pyre (Paranavitana, 1959).

A stupa known as Aggipavisaka (meaning “Entering the Fire”) was later constructed at this site to commemorate their end. Their actions and association with Giri suggest they may have been inclined toward the Jain faith, raising the possibility that Jain followers influenced the plot (Paranavitana, 1959).

The conflicts within King Khallata Naga’s family significantly weakened his authority. Exploiting this vulnerability, his commander-in-chief, Kammaharattaka (referred to as Maharattaka in the Deepavamsa), assassinated the king. However, Maharattaka’s rule was short-lived, lasting just a single day, as he was subsequently killed by Prince Vattagamini, the youngest brother of King Khallata Naga. This swift retaliation by Vattagamini restored control to the royal family and prevented a prolonged disruption in the Anuradhapura dynasty’s rule.

Works of King Khallata Naga

Building 32 prasadas: around Lovamahaprasada
Added sand and built a wall around Ruwanweliseya Maha Stupa
Building of Kurundavasoka Viharaya: The ongoing excavations and restorations of Kurundavasoka Viharaya have stirred political tension, especially with opposition from Tamil political groups. This ancient Buddhist monastery, dating to pre-Christian times, has seen significant recent interest, who emphasize its historical Buddhist heritage. However, some Tamil parties argue that these excavations and the government’s emphasis on the Buddhist connection diminish Tamil cultural and historical ties to the area, viewing it as an encroachment on what they consider a “traditional Tamil homeland”

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

Mahanama, Geiger, W., & Bode, M. H. (1912). The Mahavamsa or the Great Chronicle of Ceylon. Translated into English by Wilhelm Geiger. For the Pali Text Society by Henry Frowde.
Paranavitana, S. (1959). History of Ceylon (University of Ceylon): Vol. 1 (part 1)–3. Ceylon University Press.

Predecessor		Successor
King Lanjatissa [119-109 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Khallata Naga [109-104 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Vattagamini Abhaya (Walagamba) [104 BCE] [89-77 BCE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Mandur Archaeological Site in Kiran (මණ්ඩූර් පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period Mandur Archaeological Site in Kiran sits within marshy terrain near a tributary of Maduru Oya. It features two ruined building complexes with scattered stone pillars up to 5 meters long, heavily damaged by human activity yet preserving distinct ancient tool marks. […]
Kallichchai Buddhist Monastic Ruins (කල්ලිච්චෛ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Kallichchai Monastic Ruins in Kiran feature a forest stupa breached by treasure hunters, exposing its inner chamber. Nearby artifacts include scattered stone pillars, a fragmented octagonal Yūpa Stambhaya (central pillar), and a circular Chatra Gala (umbrella stone). […]
Harakagala Buddhist Monastic Ruins (හරකාගල බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Harakagala Monastic Ruins in Kiran date to the Early Anurādhapura period. Situated on a rocky outcrop near a reservoir, the complex features a brick stupa foundation, a cave with a Brāhmī inscription, a massive multi-story pillared building, and a stone chatragala (umbrella). […]
Vadamunai Dastota Wewa Reservoir (වඩමුනෛ වැව)
The Vadamunai Dastota Wewa Reservoir in Kiran is a large 650-acre irrigation system with a 920-meter embankment dating to the 2nd century CE. Identified as Vadamanaka in a Nelugala rock inscription, it sustained a prosperous Anurādhapura-period agricultural economy and a dense network of surrounding Buddhist monastic communities. […]
Karakpattiyadi Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (කරක්පට්ටියඩි කැලයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Karakpaṭṭiyadi monastic ruins in Vakarai feature a heavily pillaged stupa with a 3-meter-deep pit and a 4-meter stone pillar. The jungle site includes a northern brick structure, a circular southern foundation, a Siri Pathula stone, and subterranean walls. […]
Omadiyamadu Archaeological Site (ඕමඩියාමඩු පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period Ōmaḍiyāmadu Archaeological Site in Vakarai sits on a rocky terrace. Heavily destroyed during local village resettlement activities, its original structures are unidentifiable, leaving only scattered stone pillars, brick fragments, and rubble collapsed down the rock slope. […]
Palm Leaf Fan Carved Rock in Vakare (වාකරේ වටාපත් කැටයම් සහිත පර්වතය)
Located in Vakarai, this late Anurādhapura-period site features a unique carving of a traditional palm leaf fan (Vāṭapatha) on a rocky outcrop's northeast side. No other clear structures exist, though various loose stones lie at the rock's base. […]
Drip Ledged Cave near Omadiyamadu Reservoir (ඕමඩියාමඩු වැව අසළ කටාරම් සහිත ලෙන)
The Rock Cave near the Ōmaḍiyāmadu Reservoir is an Early Anurādhapura-period monastic site. Facing north on a rocky outcrop, the cave features a continuously carved drip-ledge around its entrance designed to deflect rainwater from the interior living space. […]
Sitamalai Rock Buddhist Monastic Ruins (සීතාමලායි පර්වත බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Sītāmalai Monastic Ruins in Vakarai are centered on a 90×90-meter rocky outcrop. The site features a damaged brick-and-rubble stupa visible up to its first basal ring, a brick foundation eastward, and two building sites at its southern foot. […]
Omadiyamadu Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (ඕමඩියාමඩු වනයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period stupa ruins in the Ōmeḍiyāmadu Forest, Vakarai, sit atop a rock formation. Treasure hunters have damaged the small, dilapidated stupa by digging a 2.5-meter-deep pit into its dome. Excavated bricks and stone debris lie scattered nearby. […]
Padigala (Padiettanamalei) Buddhist Monastic Ruins (පඩිගල පඩිඑත්තනමලෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Paḍigala Monastic Ruins in Vakarai feature a ruined brick stupa atop a rock plateau, reached by an ornamental 69-step stone staircase. The complex includes large building foundations, primitive moonstones, and pottery, though treasure hunter activity has severely damaged the site. […]
Archaeological Site near Kayankerni School (කායංකේණි පාසල අසල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period archaeological site near Kayaṅkerni School in Vakarai features five short stone pillars from a three-row structure. Characterized by distinct chisel marks, the palm-covered site also contains scattered broken pillars, ancient roof tiles, and stone slabs. […]
Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle (පුල්ලාවි වනයේ වණ්ණාතිමඩු පැරණි පොකුණ)
The Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond (Vannathimadu Kulam) in Vakarai is a 2.42-hectare, oval-shaped reservoir dating to the Early Anurādhapura period. Enclosed by an earthen embankment, it still holds water and served as the primary water source for three nearby forest monasteries. […]
Pullavi Jungle Buddhist Monastic Ruins (3) in Kayankerni (කායංකේණි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 3)
The Pullavi Jungle Ruins (3) in Kayankerni are an early Anuradhapura-period Buddhist monastery complex. Despite treasure-hunting damage, the forested site preserves carved foundation stones, stone pillars, a mortised doorway slab, and balustrade fragments. It represents one of three interconnected yet distinct monastic centers in the area. […]
Ambewela New Zealand Farm (අඹේවෙල නවසීලන්ත සත්ව ගොවිපල)
Ambewela is a small town in Nuwara Eliya district popularly known for its 2 dairy farms called “Ambewela Farm” and “New Zealand Farm”. The wide grasslands Ambewela lies 6,064 ft (1,848 m) above sea level. The maximum temperature of this area is about 23° C and the lowest goes down to about 9° C. […]
Mahaweli Flood Plains National Park (මහවැලි ජලගැලුම් නිම්න ජාතික වනෝද්‍යානය)
Established in 1984 under the Mahaweli Project, Flood Plains National Park in Polonnaruwa features vital villu wetlands. It serves as a crucial elephant migration corridor between Wasgamuwa and Somāwathiya parks while hosting an ancient cave monastery dating back to the 2nd century BCE. […]
Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Burial Site in Maduru Oya Valley
In this Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Cemetery, scattered across the landscape, lie between 15 to 20 graves. Unfortunately, the peaceful serenity of these resting places has been disrupted by thorn bushes, which have taken root amidst many of the tombs. Adding to the desecration, some graves have fallen victim to the destructive hands of treasure hunters, who have ransacked them in search of valuables. […]

Works of King Khallata Naga

Ancient Manuscripts Detailing the Sovereigns of Sri Lanka

References

Share this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply