Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Lanjatissa [119-109 BCE]

King Lanjatissa, also called Leminitissa, the eldest son of King Saddhatissa, became ruler of Anuradhapura after killing his younger brother King Thulatthana, just one month and ten days after his ascension.

King Thulatthana’s rise to power was supported by royal advisors and Buddhist monks from Anuradhapura, who convened to endorse his rule. His older brother, Prince Lanjatissa, who governed the Deeghavapi region, quickly responded upon hearing of Thulatthana’s coronation. Lanjatissa gathered his forces, marched to Anuradhapura, seized control of the capital, and deposed Thulatthana, taking the throne for himself.

During the initial years of his reign, King Lanjatissa held a grudge against the Buddhist monks for not upholding the traditional custom of selecting the eldest son as king, which led to their support of his younger brother, Thulatthana, for the throne. As a result, Lanjatissa distanced himself from the Buddhist clergy and disregarded their needs.

However, after three years, he reconciled with the monks and began actively supporting the Buddhist monastic community. His efforts included various acts of generosity and support for Buddhist institutions, marking his reign with contributions to the Buddhist order and strengthening the kingdom’s spiritual foundations.

Works of King Lanjatissa

1. Building of Girikumbila Viharaya: This viharaya was built before the ascension to the throne. Prince Lanjatissa ruled over Deegavapi area when his father, King Saddhatissa was ruling from Anuradhapura. At the time, Deegavapi area was the primary rice producer in the Ruhuna area. Could be possibly the ruins of the Girikumbila Viharaya ruins near Rajagala in Ampara.
2. Building of three stone terraces for offering flowers at Ruwanweli Maha Seya.
3. Building of a path between Ruwanweli Seya and Thuparamaya:
4. Building of a stone Dagoba: A small stupa east of Thuparamaya.
5. Building of a stone mantel for the Stupa in Thuparamaya
6. Building of a stone mantel for the Khandhaka Thupa: The location is not known.
7. Building of Lanjakasana Hall: for the use of Bikkhus. The location is not known.
8. Donation of Hundred Thousand (pieces of money) to Chethiya Viharaya: Chethiya Viharaya is the Chethiya Pabbatha or Mihintale as it is known now.
9. Building of Aritta Viharaya: now known as Ritigala
10. Building of Kunjarahinaka Viharaya: The location is not known.
11. Dimbulagala Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya : As per the rock inscription at the site.

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:

1. Dipavamsa: compiled between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, and the earliest known historical chronicle
2. 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
3. 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.
4. Pujavaliya: Written by a monk in or around 1266 during the reign of King Panditha Parakrama Bahu of Dambadeniya Kingdom
5. 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

1. 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.
2. Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.

0-09 m (89) 10-19 m (77) 20-29 m (47) 30-39 m (50) 40-49 m (25) 50-99 m (50) Ambalama (176) Ancient Anicuts (35) Articles (0) Asanaghara (8) Ashtapala Bodhi (5) Attraction Articles (3) Attractions (266) Beaches (10) Biosphere Reserves (3) Botanical Gardens (5) Bridges (35) Cave Art (12) Caving (7) Churches (30) Cities (9) Destinations (18) Dethis Pala Bodhi (27) Devalaya (51) Events (3) Flora and Fauna (82) Forts (52) Heritage (1914) Heritage Articles (27) Historic Events (7) History (7) Hot Springs (9) Hydro Heritage (104) Irrigation Articles (4) Islands (15) Kings of Sri Lanka (188) Kovils (29) Kuludage (11) Lighthouses (29) Memorials (57) Mile Posts (6) Misc (1) Mosques (4) Museums (15) National Parks (24) over 100 m (20) Pabbatha Vihara (13) Padhanagara (27) Personalities (211) Pillar/Slab Inscriptions (48) Popular Tourist Attractions (231) Pre Historic Burial Sites (22) Prehistory (42) Prehistory Articles (2) RAMSAR sites (6) Ravana (16) Reservoirs (72) Rock Inscriptions (36) Ruins in Wilpattu (11) Ruins in Yala (25) Santuaries (7) Sluice Gates (17) Stone Bridges (18) Strict Nature Reserves (3) Sumaithangi (3) Survey Towers (18) Tampita Vihara (242) Travel (5) View Points (24) Walawwa (13) War Memorials (26) Waterfalls (380) Wildlife Articles (28) Yathuru Pokuna (4)

Abhayagiri Monastery (20) Ampara District (196) Anuradhapura District (240) Badulla District (123) Batticaloa District (82) Colombo District (123) Galle District (76) Gampaha District (63) Hambantota District (124) Jaffna District (77) Kalutara District (53) Kandy District (217) Kegalle District (165) Kilinochchi District (13) Kingdom of Anuradhapura (88) Kingdom of Kandy (19) Kingdom of Kotte (9) Kingdom of Polonnaruwa (58) Kurunegala District (183) Maha Vihara (18) Mannar District (47) Mannar Island (10) Matale District (94) Matara District (53) Mihintale (22) Monaragala District (113) Mullaitivu District (39) Negombo (5) Nuwara Eliya District (126) Polonnaruwa District (138) Puttalam District (43) Ratnapura District (177) Trincomalee District (80) Vavuniya District (34) waterfalls in Sinharaja (3) z Delft 1 (5) z Jaffna 1 (20) z Jaffna 2 (26) z Jaffna 3 (14)