Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Kutakanna Tissa [42- 20 BCE]

Predecessor		Successor
Queen Anula [43 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Kutakanna Tissa [42- 20 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Bhatika Abhaya [20 BCE-9 CE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

Prince Kutakanna Tissa is the son of King Mahaculi Mahathissa, who had fled the Anuradhapura kingdom for fear of Queen Anula during the period of terror running the palace by poisoning six (or seven, according to Pujavaliya) men, each placed on the throne for a short period of time. After she poisoned the sixth (or seventh) ruler, she took control of the kingdom ruled by Queen Anula.

Prince Kutakanna Tissa, a rightful heir of the Anuradhapura lineage, lived in exile during Queen Anula’s turbulent rule. Determined to reclaim the throne, he organized an army and launched an invasion of the royal palace, ultimately slaying Queen Anula just four months into her reign.

King Kutakanna had the personal name of Abhaya as well as Tissa, and the epithet prefixed to his name is also given as ‘Putakana‘ or ‘Pudakana‘ in the inscriptions (Paranavitana, 1959).

After successfully ascending to the throne, he burnt down the queen’s place and built a new palace for himself. King Kutakanna Tissa ruled Anuradhapura for 22 years. His reign, compared to his predecessor’s, was marked by relative stability. Upon his death, his son, Bhatika Abhaya, succeeded him.

Works of King Kutakanna Tissa

Upostha Building at Chethiya-mountain: An upostagara in Minintale
A stone Stupa east of the new upostagara in Mihintale
Planting of a Bodhi near the stone stupa in Mihintale
Pelagama Viharaya
Vannaka Canal near Pelagama Viharaya
Ambadugga Reservoir
Bhayoluppala Reservoir
Fortifying Anuradhapura: He built a seven-cubit-high wall around the city with a trench
Padumassara Park in Anuradhapura city itesef.
Dantageha Nunnery for his mother, who became a Buddhist bhikkuni.

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

Gnanawimala Thero, K. (1960). මයුරපාද පරිවේණාධිපති බුද්ධ පුත්‍රයන් විසින් රචිත පූජාවලිය.
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.

Predecessor		Successor
Queen Anula [43 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Kutakanna Tissa [42- 20 BCE] -House of Vijaya-	King Bhatika Abhaya [20 BCE-9 CE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

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Works of King Kutakanna Tissa

Ancient Manuscripts Detailing the Sovereigns of Sri Lanka

References

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