Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Thulatthana [119 BCE]

Predecessor		Successor
King Saddhatissa [137-119 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Thulatthana [119 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Lanjatissa [119-109 BCE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Thulatthana, a younger son of King Saddhatissa, became ruler of Anuradhapura for a brief period following his father’s death. His ascension was the result of the decision made by royal advisors and Buddhist monks who gathered at Thuparama Viharaya and endorsed him as the successor.

However, his reign was abruptly ended by his elder brother, Prince Lanjatissa. Upon learning of Thulatthana’s crowning, Lanjatissa, who was governing the Deeghavapi region, quickly marched to Anuradhapura, seized control, and dethroned Thulatthana. Consequently, Thulatthana’s rule lasted only one month and ten days, making his reign one of the shortest in the kingdom’s history. According to the Rajavaliya, King Thulatthana was killed while he was engaged in building a Viharaya in Anuradhapura.

Works of King Thulatthana

Kandara Viharaya: This viharaya was built before the ascension to the throne. Not identified.

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.
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
Somadeva, R. (2006). Urban Origins in Southern Sri Lanka (Doctoral thesis in archaeology at Uppsala University). Studies in Global Archaeology, Uppsala.

Predecessor		Successor
King Saddhatissa [137-119 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Thulatthana [119 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Lanjatissa [119-109 BCE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

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Miniminiththaweli Archaeological Site 2 in Kiran (මිනිමිණිත්තවේලි පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය 2)
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Works of King Thulatthana

Ancient Manuscripts Detailing the Sovereigns of Sri Lanka

References

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