Queen Leelavathi [1197-1212 CE]

Queen Leelavathi [1197-1200, 1209-1210, 1211-1212 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Choda Ganga [1196-1197 CE] Anikanga Mahadipada [1209 CE] Lokeshwara [1210-1211 CE]	Queen Leelavathi [1197-1200, 1209-1210, 1211-1212 CE] -House of Vijayabahu-	Sahasa Malla [1200-1202 CE] Lokeshwara [1210-1211 CE] Parakramabahu Pandu [1210-1211 CE]
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

Queen Leelavathi (also known as Lílávatí) remains one of the most compelling figures in Sri Lankan history, having ascended the throne of Polonnaruwa on three separate occasions during the turbulent final decades of that kingdom. Her reigns, which took place between 1197 and 1200 CE, 1209 and 1210 CE, and 1211 and 1211–1212 CE, unfolded amid prolonged political instability marked by an intense struggle for supremacy between the Kāliṅga and Pāṇḍya factions.

Royal Lineage and Early Life

Leelavathi was the daughter of Prince Sirivallabha and the renowned Queen Sugalā (popularly known as Sugala Devi), a lineage that commanded considerable influence in the southern principality of Ruhuṇa. Her royal ancestry was further enhanced by her paternal grandmother Mittā, the sister of King Vijayabāhu I (1055-1110 CE), who had been married to a Pāṇḍya prince. This distinguished heritage placed Leelavathi at the heart of the Pāṇḍya–Sinhalese political alliance.

The First Rise to Power (1197–1200 CE)

Her formative years were spent within the royal courts of the mid-twelfth century, a period characterized by prosperity and cultural efflorescence. She married her cousin, King Parākramabāhu the Great (1153-1186 CE), and served as his first mahesī, or chief queen, throughout his illustrious thirty-three-year reign.

The death of King Niśśaṅka Malla in 1196 CE triggered a succession crisis marked by rapid changes of rule and violent coups. Following the brief reigns of Vīrabāhu I, Vikramabāhu II, and Codagaṅga, the Pāṇḍya faction seized the opportunity to reclaim power. In 1197 CE, the influential General Lak Vijaya Siṅgu Kit Senevi, commonly known as General Kitti, overthrew Codagaṅga and blinded him to prevent any future claim to the throne. Seeking a ruler who could unify the alienated Sinhalese nobility, General Kitti placed Queen Leelavathi on the throne as the rightful successor of Parākramabāhu I.

During her first three-year reign, Leelavathi and her general faced immediate military threats from the Coḷas of South India, who launched three invasions of the island. These campaigns were likely intended to undermine the Pāṇḍya-backed regime and restore Kāliṅga dominance. General Kitti successfully repelled the invaders at the ports of Mahātittha (Mantai) and Salāvat (Chilaw), demonstrating remarkable strategic skill. Despite these victories, Leelavathi was deposed in 1200 CE when the Kāliṅga faction returned to power under King Sāhasamalla, supported by a rival group of ministers.

The Second Accession (1209–1210 CE)

For nearly a decade after her first removal, Leelavathi remained politically inactive while a succession of Kāliṅga rulers, including Sāhasamalla, Queen Kalyāṇavatī, and the child-king Dhammāsoka, controlled Polonnaruwa. However, instability persisted. In 1209 CE, the Mahadīpāda Anīkaṅga invaded from the Coḷa kingdom with a large army, killing both Dhammāsoka and his minister Ayasmanta. Anīkaṅga’s reign lasted only seventeen days before he was assassinated by his own commander, General Vikkantacamūnakka, also known as Manakka Senevi.

In the ensuing power vacuum, General Manakka followed the precedent set by General Kitti and restored Leelavathi to the throne for a second time. This reign, which lasted about a year, unfolded in an increasingly desperate political environment. Polonnaruwa was described as being full of strangers, as rival factions recruited foreign mercenaries to sustain their authority. Ultimately, her second tenure ended with another invasion led by the Kāliṅga prince Lokissara (Lokeśvara), who captured the capital with a large Tamiḷ force.

The Final Reign and Important Work (1211–1212 CE)

Leelavathi was restored to the throne for a third and final time in 1211 CE through the efforts of General Parākrama of the Kālakanāgara (Kaḷunnaru) clan, who overthrew Lokissara and reinstated the aging queen.

The only notable achievement of this period was the restoration of the Potgul-vehera at Polonnaruwa. Originally constructed by her late husband, this structure functioned as a library or relic shrine and was rebuilt under her patronage. Her final reign also witnessed a notable revival of Pāḷi literary activity. At the instigation of her minister, General Parākrama, the celebrated Pāḷi poem Dāthāvaṁsa was composed by Dhammakitti-thera. This work, which narrates the history of the Tooth Relic, was strongly influenced by Sanskrit literary forms and remains one of the finest surviving examples of medieval Pāḷi poetry.

Downfall and the End of an Era

The final phase of Leelavathi’s career came to an end when she and General Parākrama were overthrown by Parākrama Pāṇḍu, a prince who invaded with a large army from the Pāṇḍu kingdom of South India. Parākrama Pāṇḍu ruled for three years, providing the last brief respite for the Rajarata civilization. In 1215 CE, the arrival of the invader Kāliṅga Māgha with an army of 24,000 men ushered in a period of unprecedented devastation. Māgha plundered the major temples, destroyed libraries, and effectively brought an end to the centralized authority of Polonnaruwa, forcing the Sinhalese population to migrate southward towards Dambadeniya.

Royal Dynasty in Plonnaruwa after Parakaramabahu the Great

References

Codrington, H. W. (1960). The decline of the medieval Sinhalese kingdom. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch), 7(1), 93-103.
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part II–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Gunasekara, B. (1895). A Contribution to the History of Ceylon: Translated from Pujavaliya. H.C. Cottle.
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya, a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
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.
Perera, J. (1957). An Examination of the Political Troubles That Followed the Death of King Parakramabāhu I. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series Volume V(Special Number), 173–182.

Predecessor		Successor
Choda Ganga [1196-1197 CE] Anikanga Mahadipada [1209 CE] Lokeshwara [1210-1211 CE]	Queen Leelavathi [1197-1200, 1209-1210, 1211-1212 CE] -House of Vijayabahu-	Sahasa Malla [1200-1202 CE] Lokeshwara [1210-1211 CE] Parakramabahu Pandu [1210-1211 CE]
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA