Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Suba [59-65 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
King Yasalalaka Tissa [52-59 CE] -House of Vijaya-	King Suba [59-65 CE]	King Vasabha [65-109 CE] -Lambbakanna Dynasty-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

About King Suba (Subha)

Suba (Subha), the former doorkeeper of the throne room, ascended to power after the fatal prank by King Yasalalaka Tissa led to the king’s execution. With no legitimate claim to the throne, Suba depended heavily on the support of the military to maintain his authority. Simultaneously, he sought to gain the favor of the religious community by making contributions to the monks and sponsoring the construction of monasteries.

Near Uruvela, Suba constructed the Valli Viharaya. In the eastern region of the country, he established the Ekadvara Viharaya, and at the mouth of the Mahaweli Ganga, he built the Nandigamaka Viharaya. Additionally, he commissioned a series of beautiful cells named Subharaja, which were constructed at both the Abhayagiri and Maha Vihara monasteries.

According to the Mahavamsa, King Suba never felt secure in his position as king. When he learned of a widespread prophecy that “a person named Vasabha would be the king,” he became increasingly paranoid. In an attempt to thwart this prediction, he commanded that all individuals named Vasabha throughout the country be executed.

According to the Culavamsa, the lesser chronicle, Subha ordered the execution of all individuals with royal blood to eliminate any potential claimants to the throne. As a result, the royal families dispersed across the island to escape Subha’s purge.

During this time, one family from the Morya clan fled to the Rohana Kingdom in the south. This family later gained prominence in the 5th century when King Dhatusena (459–477 CE) emerged from their lineage. Dhatusena successfully liberated Anuradhapura from the Chola invaders, ending their 27-year domination of the region.

King Subha was succeeded by King Vasabha of the Lambakarna Clan as predicted by the prophecy.

Works of King Suba (Subha)

Valli Viharaya near Uruwela.
Ekadvara Viharaya in the eastern region of the country.
Nandigamaka Viharaya at the mouth of Mahaweli Ganga River
Subharaja Cells: a series of beautiful cells called Subaraja were constructed at both the Abhayagiri and Maha Vihara monasteries.

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.
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.
Oldenberg, H. (2001). The Dipavamsa : An Ancient Buddhist Historical Record. Asian Educational Services. (Original work published 1879)
Paranavitana, S. (1959). History of Ceylon (University of Ceylon): Vol. 1 (part 1)–3. Ceylon University Press.
Senaveratne, J. M. (1930). The Story of the Sinhalese : From the Most Ancient Times Up to the End of “The Mahavansa” or Great Dynasty. W. M. A. Wahid & Brothers.

Also See

Full list of Sovereigns of Sri Lanka

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