King Mahanaga of Anuradhapura [573-575 CE]

King Mahanaga of Anuradhapura Kingdom [573-575 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
King Kittsiri Meghavanna [555-573 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	King Mahanaga [573-575 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Aggabodhi I [575-608 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Mahanaga rose to power in 575 CE after overthrowing King Kittsiri Meghavanna. A member of the Moriya clan, Mahanaga had previously served as the Minister of War (Andhasenapathi) under King Silakala (522–535 CE) and held the position of revenue collector for the Rohana region. King Mahanaga of Anuradhapura Kingdom is not to be confused with King Mahanaga who established the Rohana kingdom and was the brother of King Devanampiya Tissa (307-267 BCE).

Young Mananaga

In his youth, Mahanaga lived as a robber in the jungle. During a famine, he encountered a man skilled in magic spells who was starving after being unable to obtain food while begging. Mahanaga, moved by the man’s plight, took his alms bowl and begged for food on his behalf. When he returned with food, he offered it to the starving man.

Grateful, the man led Mahanaga to Gokanna (modern-day Trincomalee) and conjured a Naga King. The magician urged Mahanaga to touch the Naga King, but fear initially held him back. On the third appearance, however, Mahanaga touched the Naga King with three fingers. Observing this, the magician prophesied that Mahanaga would battle three kings and slay the fourth to ascend the throne. He also foretold that Mahanaga would be advanced in age by the time he became king and would rule for only three years.

Mahanaga under King Silakala

Afterward, Mahanaga entered the service of King Silakala (522–535 CE) and was promoted to the position of revenue collector in the Ruhuna region. He excelled in his role, prompting the king to appoint him as Andhasenapati (Minister of War) and place him in charge of Ruhuna. Mahanaga moved to Ruhuna, accompanied by his maternal cousin, Aggabodhi, and his sister’s son, also named Aggabodhi. There, he incited a rebellion.

Mahanaga withheld all revenue from Ruhuna and diverted it for his own purposes. When King Silakala passed away and his son King Dhatopabhuti (535 CE) ascended the throne, Mahanaga prepared for war. However, by the time he could reach the capital with his forces, King Dhatopabhuti died in battle, and his brother, Moggallana II (535-555 CE), took the throne. Facing a formidable adversary in Moggallana II, Mahanaga withdrew to Ruhuna with his forces.

He patiently waited for an opportune moment, continuing to consolidate his power in Ruhuna. When reports of disorder and mismanagement during the reign of Kittsiri Meghavanna reached him, Mahanaga recognized the ideal chance to claim the throne and acted decisively.

King Mahanaga

In the 19th year of King Kittsiri Meghavanna, Mahanaga attacked the Anuradhapura kingdom and slew the king and gained the throne. By this time he was quite old and knew that he did not have much time. He invited his sister’s son to the throne, but unfortunately he died on the way to Anuradhapura, thus making his mother’s brother’s son, Aggabodhi, the uparaja.

Works of King Mahanaga of Anuradhapura

Sri Maha Bodhi – built an irrigation canal around the bodhi, a golden roof above its golden house, and placed statues of Buddha around it.
Decorated Ruwanweli Maha Seya, Thuparama and Abhayagiri Stupa with stuccowork and lightning protectors.
Ruwanweli Maha Seya : Repaired the Elephant Wall
Uttara Viharaya (Abhayagiri Viharaya): affiliated with the weavers’ village of Jambelambaya
Maha Viharaya : Affiliated the village of Tintinika
Jethanarama Viharaya : donated 300 fields
Thapovana Monasteries: to the ascetics, 1000 fields where the water was supplied by the Durtissa Wewa Reservoir. Geiger believes “ascetics” means the forest-dwelling monks of the Thapovana Monasteries.
Mayura Pirivena: renovations
Mahadevarattakurava Viharaya of Kasikhanda: restoration work

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.
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 Kittsiri Meghavanna [555-573 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	King Mahanaga [573-575 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Aggabodhi I [575-608 CE] -House of Moriya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA