King Parakramabahu II [1236-1270 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Vijayabahu III [1232-1236 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Parakramabahu II [1236-1270 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Vijayabahu IV [1270-1272 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

The reign of King Parākramabāhu II (r. 1236–1270 CE) also known by the name Panditha Parakramabahu, marks a vital phase of political recovery and cultural renewal after the devastation caused by Kalinga Māgha. He succeeded in reuniting Sri Lanka under a single ruler and restoring the Buddhist religious order. In recognition of his intellectual accomplishments, he received the distinguished title Kalikāla-sāhicca-sabbaññupandita for his mastery of the arts and sciences of the Kali Age.

Royal Lineage and Early Childhood

Parākramabāhu II was the eldest son of King Vijayabāhu III, the founder of the Dambadeniya dynasty. The sources present differing interpretations of his ancestry. Official chronicles link him to the prestigious Sirisanghabodhi lineage, while alternative traditions suggest either a Kalinga origin or descent from Somarāja of Nembara.

Parākramabāhu was born in a town called Sirivaddhana, a settlement located near Dambadeniya. Under the supervision of the high priest Saṅgharakṣita, the young prince received instruction in the sixty-four classical arts and sciences, including natural philosophy, political economy, ethics, and military training. The Cūlavaṁsa records that Vijayabāhu III examined his sons for the auspicious physical marks associated with a universal ruler and concluded that Parākramabāhu possessed the merit required to defeat foreign enemies and reunite Lanka under “one umbrella of sovereignty.”

Rise to Power

Parākramabāhu II ascended the throne in 1236 CE after the death of his father. His accession was immediately followed by efforts to extend the authority of the Dambadeniya kingdom over the three traditional divisions of the island: Patitthārattha, Māyārattha, and Rohaṇa. He appointed his younger brother Bhuvanekabāhu as Yuvarāja (Heir Apparent) and entrusted him with a portion of the realm in order to ensure political stability. The king established a strongly centralized administration and relied on powerful officials such as Devappatirāja and Senālaṅkādhikāra to manage state affairs and public works.

Battles with Kalinga Māgha and the Recovery of Rajarata

The central military objective of Parākramabāhu II was the removal of Kalinga Māgha, who had ruled Polonnaruwa since 1215 CE. Māgha and his subordinate ruler Jayabāhu controlled a network of fortified strongholds throughout the Rajarata, including key locations at Kottiyar, Kantaḷāy, and Mannar.

The campaign to reclaim the northern heartland unfolded through a prolonged sequence of battles. The Rajaratnacari records that the Sinhalese army fought twelve major engagements against the forces of the so-called “Malabar king.” The king first consolidated the economic and military resources of his own province, Dakkhiṇadesa, before launching a coordinated island-wide offensive. Around 1236 CE, Māgha’s twenty-one-year occupation of Polonnaruwa finally came to an end.

According to tradition, in their attempt to escape, the defeated forces mistook the western gate of the city for the eastern one and travelled in the wrong direction instead of heading for the eastern seaport. Wandering through the wilderness, Māgha’s troops were intercepted and destroyed by Sinhalese soldiers near Kalawewa, who recovered the accumulated treasures of the fallen ruler.

The exact circumstances of Māgha’s end remain uncertain. Some scholars argue that he was not killed near Kalawewa but withdrew to the northern regions, where he continued to rule the Jaffna area until about 1255 CE. Others maintain that the decisive battle for Polonnaruwa itself took place only in 1255.

Defeating the Javaka Invasions

Following the defeat of Māgha, the kingdom confronted a new external threat from the Javakas (Malays). In 1247 CE, the eleventh year of the king’s reign, the Javaka leader Candrabhānu landed in Lanka with a formidable army armed with poisoned arrows. Although he falsely presented himself as a Buddhist to gain popular support, he soon began to devastate the countryside.

Parākramabāhu dispatched his nephew, the Prince Vīrabāhu, to confront the invaders. In a fierce encounter, Vīrabāhu routed the Javaka forces and compelled Candrabhānu to retreat. Several years later, however, Candrabhānu returned with a stronger coalition of Pāṇḍu and Coḷa mercenaries and established a camp near the fortress of Yāpahuwa (Subhagiri). Once again, the Sinhalese army, led by Prince Vijayabāhu (the king’s son) together with Vīrabāhu, inflicted a crushing defeat.

Based on several inscriptions from South India, it appears that Prince Parākramabāhu may have sought military assistance from the Pāṇḍya kingdom. The Pāṇḍya king is said to have responded promptly, dispatching an expeditionary force to support Prince Parākramabāhu, who may have launched a rear attack while Candrabhānu was besieging the Yāpahuwa fortress.

Candrabhānu is said to have been killed in this second battle, and his royal insignia and treasure were sent to the king at Dambadeniya.

The Death and Succession

In his twenty-second regnal year, around 1258 CE, Parākramabāhu II was afflicted by an incurable illness. Aware of his declining strength, he entrusted the administration of the kingdom to his eldest son, Prince Vijayabāhu IV, assisted by the minister Devappatirāja.

In his final years, he witnessed Vijayabāhu IV restore Polonnaruwa and Anurādhapura to their former prominence. King Parākramabāhu II died in 1270 CE after a reign of thirty-five years. His death marked the end of the most successful phase of the Dambadeniya period, which was soon followed by internal treachery and the murder of his successor.

Contributions to Buddhism and National Infrastructure

The reign of Parākramabāhu II is most enduringly remembered for its religious revival and monumental public works. He was a devoted patron of the Mahāvihāra tradition and reformed the Buddhist Order by cleansing out the corrupt bikkhus from the order and inviting highly learned theros from India as well as rare sacred texts.

In 1266 CE, he convened a major religious council under the leadership of Medhaṅkara-mahāsāmi, resulting in the development and the adoption of the Dambadeṇi-katikāvata, a formal code of discipline for the Buddhist clergy.

As a scholar-king celebrated as a “doctor omniscient,” Parākramabāhu II himself composed the Kavsiḷumiṇa, one of the greatest masterpieces of classical Sinhala literature and a commentary on the Visuddhimagga. Under his patronage, major literary works such as the Pūjāvalī and the Saddharmaratnāvalī were also produced.

Other work includes

Established a grand vihāraya at his birthplace, Sirivaddhanapura, which is located approximately 4.5 miles from Dambadeniya.
Founded a pirivena (a center for Buddhist learning) and named it the Parakramabāhu Pirivena.
Directed his younger brother, Yuvarāja Buvanekabāhu, to construct the Buvanekabāhu Pirivena in Beligala and another named Mahāmahindabāhu in Kurunegala.
Oversaw the restoration of the Kelaniya Rājamahā Vihāraya.
Enhanced the Hattavanagalla Vihāraya—originally built by King Gotābhaya on the site where King Sirisangabo offered his head to a beggar—by constructing a two-story circular relic temple, an octagonal image house containing a stone Buddha statue, and a stūpa. (This site is commonly identified as the Hattikuchchi Vihāraya in Rajanganaya).
Renovated the Upulvan Devālaya in Devinuwara, which had fallen into a state of decay.
Fortified the Wijayasundārāmaya in Dambadeniya with high surrounding walls and gate towers, restored its three-story relic house, and transferred the Sacred Tooth Relic there from Beligala.
Commissioned his chief minister, Devappatirāja, to build a three-story prasāda (mansion) at Hattavanagalla Vihāraya, which was subsequently named after the king.
Entrusted Devappatirāja with the maintenance of infrastructure, including the repair of roads and the construction of bridges; this included a 137-meter (300-cubit) bridge near Kalutara and several others along the pilgrimage route to Srī Pāda.

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

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.
Paranavitana, S. (1963). Princess Ulakudaya’s Wedding. University of Ceylon Review, XXI(2), 103–138.
Ranasinghe, D. D., & Dhammaratana Thero, B. (Eds.). (1928). දඹදෙණි අස්න. J. D. Fernando.

Predecessor		Successor
Vijayabahu III [1232-1236 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Parakramabahu II [1236-1270 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Vijayabahu IV [1270-1272 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA