Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Kumara Dhatusena [512-520 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
King Moggallana I [495-512 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Kumara Dhatusena [512-520 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Kittisena [520-521 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Kumara Dhatusena succeeded his father, King Moggallana I, in 512 CE. Known for his fairness and his talent as a poet, little else is recorded about his reign. Tragically, his life came to an end after nine years on the throne when, stricken with grief, he leapt into the funeral pyre of his close friend and fellow poet, Kalidasa.

King Kumara Dhatusena, deeply devoted to literature, convened an assembly of learned Buddhist monks in the kingdom to undertake a significant scholarly endeavor. Under his guidance, the sacred Buddhist texts were meticulously reviewed, and any alterations or additions were carefully removed to preserve their original purity.

One night, inspired by the sight of a bee trapped within the petals of a closing water lily, the king inscribed the following poetic lines on the wall of a courtesan’s house:

සියතඹරා සියතඹරා සියසෙවනි 
සියසපුරා නිදිනොලබා උන්සෙවෙනි

The verse left by King Kumara Dhatusena came with an intriguing proposition: anyone who could complete it while solving its embedded riddle would be granted any request of their choosing. Kalidasa, a renowned poet and a close confidant of the king, upon encountering the verse at the courtesan’s house, composed the following lines beneath it, providing his response to the riddle:

වනබඹරා මල නොතලා රොණටවනි
මලදෙදරා පනගනවා ගියසෙවනි

When the courtesan discovered the completed verse beneath the king’s lines, she devised a sinister plan. She murdered Kalidasa, buried his body beneath her house, and falsely claimed the reward for completing the verse. However, King Kumara Dhatusena, suspecting that she could not have composed the verses herself, ordered an investigation. The king’s men uncovered Kalidasa’s body, exposing the courtesan’s crime. She was sentenced to death for her treachery.

Kalidasa’s body was exhumed, and a grand funeral pyre was prepared at a location known as Hath-bodiwatte in Anuradhapura (though some accounts suggest it was in Rohana). As the flames consumed the pyre, the grief-stricken king, overwhelmed by the loss of his dear friend and confidant, leapt into the fire and perished. In a display of profound loyalty and sorrow, his five queens also immolated themselves on the same occasion. This tragic event marked the end of King Kumara Dhatusena’s 9 year reign and life.

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

Blaze, L. E. (2004). History of Ceylon. Asian Educational Services. (Original work published 1933)
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society.
Gnanawimala Thero, K. (1960). මයුරපාද පරිවේණාධිපති බුද්ධ පුත්‍රයන් විසින් රචිත පූජාවලිය.
Nicholas, C. W., & Paranavitana, S. (1961). A Concise History of Ceylon : From the Earliest Times to the Arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. University of Ceylon.
Obeyesekere, D. (1911). Outlines of Ceylon History. The Times of Ceylon Colombo.
Paranavitana, S. (1959). History of Ceylon (University of Ceylon): Vol. 1 (part 1)–3. Ceylon University Press.
Suraweera, A. V. (2014). රාජාවලිය. Education Publication Department of Sri Lanka. (Original book published in 1976 from the original documents from the 17th century)

Predecessor		Successor
King Moggallana I [495-512 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Kumara Dhatusena [512-520 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Kittisena [520-521 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

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Ancient Manuscripts Detailing the Sovereigns of Sri Lanka

References

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