King Devanampiya Tissa [307-267 BCE]

A painting of Sinhalese Royal Family of King Devanampiya Tissa and Prince Uththiya drawn by D.M.A.Wijewardana — A painting of the Sinhalese Royal Family of King Devanampiya Tissa and Prince Uththiya drawn by D.M.A.Wijewardana

Predecessor		Successor
King Mutasiva [367-307 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Devanampiya Tissa [307-267 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Uttiya [267–257 BCE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Devanampiya Tissa (also written as Davanapatissa) was the second son of King Mutasiva, who ascended to the throne in 307 BCE. King Mutasiva had twelve children, of whom ten were sons. The names of the sons were Abhaya, Tissa, Naga, Utti, Mattabhaya, Mitta, Siva, Asela, Tissa, and Kira. The daughters were Anul and Sivala².

According to the Mahavamsa, on the day of King Devanampiya Tissa’s coronation, several miraculous treasures appeared, regarded as auspicious signs affirming his sovereignty. The king resolved to send these treasures to Emperor Ashoka (Dharmasoka) of India, with whom he had longstanding ties. This exchange foreshadowed the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, brought by his son, Mahinda Maha Thero.

Arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka

The first meeting between Mahinda Thero and King Devanampiya Tissa of Ceylon took place at Mihintale on the full moon day of the month of Jettha (May–June, known in Sinhalese as Poson), during the eighteenth year of Emperor Asoka’s reign, 236 years after the Buddha’s parinirvana. The day coincided with a national festival marked by water sports, likely conducted as an expression of gratitude to Parjanya for the southwest monsoon rains.

While the populace was engaged in these festivities, King Devanampiya Tissa, accompanied by a large retinue, went hunting in Mihintale. There, he encountered Mahinda Thero and his companions standing upon a rock, having been led to the spot by a deer he had been pursuing. Tradition holds that the deer was in fact a Deva, assuming that form in order to guide the king to the bhikkhus.

Initially startled by the sight of the saffron-robed monks, the king was reassured by the words of Mahinda Thero: “Samanas are we, O great king, disciples of the King of Truth. From compassion toward thee, we have come here from Jambudipa.” These words recalled to the king the message previously conveyed by Emperor Asoka. A dialogue followed, during which Mahinda Thero tested the king’s discernment through a series of questions. The king answered satisfactorily, after which Mahinda Thero delivered the discourse known as the Chula Hatthi Padopama Sutra to the king and his retinue.

Subsequently, Mahinda Thero and his companions conducted the first sanghakamma (Act of the Order) at Mihintale, ordaining a lay disciple named Bhanduka, who had accompanied them.

Establishment of Maha Vihara Monastery in Anuradhapura

The following day, Mahinda Thero arrived in the city of Anuradhapura. After delivering a sermon to a large gathering at Nandana Uyana, he prepared to return to Mihintale. King Devanampiya Tissa, however, offered the royal Mahamegha Garden as a residence for the Sangha.

The next morning, the king formally donated the Mahamegha Garden to the Sangha. The remainder of the day was spent surveying the grounds and their surroundings, identifying sites where important shrines would later be established. On the fourth day of Mahinda Thero’s stay in Anuradhapura, King Devanampiya Tissa demarcated the boundaries of the consecrated precinct. In the days that followed, construction commenced on various structures within the Mahamegha Garden to accommodate the Sangha.

This event marked the foundation of the renowned Maha Vihara Monastery, which would subsequently develop into one of the foremost centres of Buddhist learning in the world.

King Devanampiya Tissa also established the island’s second monastery at Mihintale, providing the bhikkhus with a residence in which to observe their first Vassana season.

Building of the First Stupa on the Island

At the conclusion of the first Vassana season, Mahinda Thera expressed his desire to construct a stupa to enshrine sacred relics. The king readily consented, on the condition that a suitable relic could be obtained. In response, Mahinda Thera dispatched Sumana, a novice who had accompanied him, to Emperor Ashoka to request the Buddha’s right collarbone relic.

When the collarbone and other relics arrived in Sri Lanka, King Devanampiya Tissa and the people received them with great joy and elaborate ceremonies. The collarbone was enshrined in the Thuparama Dagaba, constructed just outside the city walls of Anuradhapura. This event marked the establishment of the first Buddhist place of worship on the island, where both bhikkhus and lay devotees could pay homage.

Arrival of Theri Sanghamitta and the Sri Maha Bodhi

During the early days of Mahinda Thero in Anuradhapura, Princess Anula expressed her wish to enter the priesthood. However, Mahinda Thero explained that he was not permitted to ordain women into the Order and that this could only be undertaken if his sister, Theri Sanghamitta, were invited to Ceylon. At Mahinda’s suggestion, the king sent a message to Emperor Ashoka, requesting the presence of Sanghamitta and a branch of the sacred Bodhi Tree for planting in Anuradhapura.

A year later, Theri Sanghamitta arrived in Sri Lanka, bringing with her a sapling from the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree in India. She was ceremonially received at Jambukola, now known as Dambakola Patuna. The Bodhi branch was placed in a pavilion by the seashore, where it was venerated for three days, with the king himself serving as doorkeeper.

From the pavilion, the sacred branch was placed upon a grand chariot and conveyed to the site where the Pacinarama (Eastern Monastery) in Nagadipa was later established. After a four-day journey, during which homage was paid at several stopping points—including the Brahmana village of Tavakka—the Bodhi branch reached Anuradhapura. Entering the city through the northern gate, it was borne out through the southern gate to the site chosen for its planting. The sacred tree, established with solemn ceremony, continues to flourish in Anuradhapura to this day.

Sanghamitta resided in a nunnery known as the Upasika Viharaya within the city and founded the Order of Nuns by ordaining Anula and her attendants. The mast, rudder, and helm of the ship that transported the Bodhi branch were preserved in separate buildings of Sanghamitta’s nunnery. Subsequently, a second nunnery named Hatthalhaka Viharaya (the Convent of the Elephant Post) was established as her residence.

Establishment of the Magama Kingdom by Prince Mahanaga

Prince Mahanaga, the younger brother of King Devanampiyatissa, was the designated heir to the Anuradhapura Kingdom. While supervising the construction of the Taraccha reservoir, he received a bowl of mangoes sent by the queen, who desired that her own son should inherit the throne. In order to remove Mahanaga as a rival, she placed a poisoned mango at the top of the bowl.

Tragically, the young prince—Devanampiyatissa’s own son—consumed the poisoned fruit and died. Fearing the repercussions of this event, Mahanaga fled with his family and followers to the southern region of Rohana, where he established the Kingdom of Magama, thereby founding a new line of rulers.

Works of King Devanampiya Tissa

Establishment of Buddhism in Sri Lanka: The arrival of Thera Mahinda and his group established Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Establishment of Bhikkuni Sasana in Sri Lanka: The order of the Buddhist nuns was established by Theri Sangamitta and her group.
Planting the Sacred Maha Bodhi: The tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. A sapling from the original tree in Bodh Gaya brought by Theri Sangamitta was planted in the grounds of the Mahavihara.
Establishment of Mahavihara monastery: The king offered the Mahamegavana built by his father, King Mutasiva, to the Buddhist monks where the Maha Vihara monastery was built, which became the centre of Theravada Buddhism.
Thuparama Dagoba: The first stupa in Sri Lanka, built to enshrine the Buddha’s right collar bone.
Establishment of Chethiya Pabbatha (Mihintale) Monastery: The king built sixty eight rock caves where the Kantaka Chethiya stood afterwards.
Vessagiri Viharaya: where Mahinda converted five hundred men of the Vess caste². Now known as Isurumuniya Viharaya
Tissa Wewa of Anuradhapura
Taraccha Wewa
The Stone Pillar: Bearing an inscription at the place where the Ruwanweli Maha Seya would be built by King Dutugemunu. Still present beside Ruwanweli Maha Seya where King Dutugemunu relocated when the stupa was built.
Mahiyangana Stupa: Where the Collar Bone relic of Buddha is enshrined.
Issarasamana Viharaya: On the spot where Mahinda Thero converted five hundred devotees of Issara meaning Siva². Currently known as Vessagiriya Monastery.
Pathama Thupa: Location identified. Parker believes was outside the eastern gate of the city and shold be the ancient monastic complex now known as Kiribath Vehera.
Upasika Viharaya: A nunnery. Location is not known.
Hatthalhaka Viharaya: A nunnery. Location is not known.
Jambukola Vihiraya: At the port of Jambukola in Nagadeepa (Jaffna).
Tissa Maha Viharaya: Currently revived after the war in Jaffna
Pacina Viharaya: At Anuradhapura.
Mahapali Refectory: in Maha Vihara monastery
Kingdom of Magama: Prince Mahanaga, brother of King Devanampiyatissa, established the kingdom of Magama in southern Sri Lanka after leaving Anuradhapura. This kingdom later became a significant regional centre in the Ruhuna area, with Mahanaga as its first ruler.

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

Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
Law, B. C. (1947). On the Chronicles of Ceylon (The Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal – Monograph Series Vol III). The Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Oldenberg, H. (2001). The Dipavamsa : An Ancient Buddhist Historical Record. Asian Educational Services. (Original work published 1879)
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.

Predecessor		Successor
King Mutasiva [367-307 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Devanampiya Tissa [307-267 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Uttiya [267–257 BCE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA