King Mahinda V [982-1029 CE] | AmazingLanka.com

Predecessor		Successor
Sena V [972-982 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Mahinda V [982-1029 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Chola Invaders [1017-1070 CE] – Rajarata Vikkamabahu / Kassapa VI [1029-1040 CE]- Rohana -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Mahinda V (982–1029 AD) was a monarch of the Second Lambakaņņa Dynasty and was the last king to rule from the ancient capital of Anurādhapura. His reign was defined by administrative collapse, military mutiny, and the fall of the Anuradhapura Kingdom with the ultimate conquest of the island by the Chola Empire.

Royal Heritage

Mahinda V was the son of King Mahinda IV and his queen, identified in inscriptions as Sanga-rajna. He was the younger brother of his predecessor, King Sena V. Unlike the strong leadership shown by his father, Mahinda V is described by the sources as a ruler of “very weak character” who wandered from the established paths of statecraft.

Consecration and Early Rule

Mahinda V ascended the throne in 982 CE and returned to the old capital, Anuradhapura, for his formal consecration. However, the political environment he inherited was incredibly unstable. The city was already “full of strangers,” and foreign mercenaries were brought in during the previous reign by the senapati Sena. His lack of administrative control led to a total breakdown in tax collection; the peasants, sensing the government’s weakness, refused to deliver the king’s share of the produce

The Great Mutiny and Political Environment

By the tenth year of his reign (c. 992 CE), Mahinda V had exhausted his personal fortune and the royal treasury. He was unable to pay his troops, particularly the Kerala mercenaries. In a dramatic show of force, the unpaid soldiers surrounded the royal palace, barring any food from reaching the King and declaring, “So long as there is no pay, he shall not eat.”

Facing starvation, Mahinda V escaped the palace through an underground tunnel and fled to the southern province of Ruhuna. He established himself first at Sidupabbatagāma and later at Kappagallakagama. Meanwhile, the northern province of Rajaratta fell into complete chaos, governed lawlessly by Keralas, Sinhalese, and Kanarese soldiers who plundered the land at will.

The Chola Invasion

The defining event of Mahinda V’s reign—and the one that permanently altered the course of Sri Lankan history—was the Chola Invasion. Hearing of the island’s internal anarchy, the Chola monarch Rajaraja I launched a powerful military expedition in approximately 993 CE The Cholas looted all they could steal and sacked and burned down Anuradhapura, moving the seat of their government to Polonnaruva.

The final blow came in 1017 CE (the 36th year of Mahinda’s nominal reign). The Chola King Rajendra I sent a fresh force that penetrated Ruhuna. Through the pretense of a peace treaty, the Cholas captured Mahinda V alive. They seized his queen, his inherited jewels, and the royal regalia, including the diamond bracelet and the sacred strip of cloth.

End of the Great Anuradhapura Kingdom

Mahinda V was taken as a prisoner to the Chola country, where he died in captivity in 1029 CE. His death marked the end of the nearly 1,500-year-old Anuradhapura Kingdom.

Royal Dynasty from Kassapa V to King Dappula III to Vickramabahu I

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

Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society.
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.
Paranavitana, S. (1959). History of Ceylon (University of Ceylon): Vol. 1 (part 1)–3. Ceylon University Press.

Predecessor		Successor
Sena V [972-982 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Mahinda V [982-1029 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Chola Invaders [1017-1070 CE] – Rajarata Vikkamabahu / Kassapa VI [1029-1040 CE]- Rohana -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA