King Dharma Parakramabahu IX [1509–1528 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Vira Parakramabahu VIII [1484–1508 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Dharma Parakramabahu IX [1489–1513 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Vijayabahu VI [1513-1521 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

The reign of King Dharma Parākramabāhu IX (r. 1509–1528 CE), the eldest son of King Vīra Parākramabāhu VIII (also known as Ambulugala Rāja), marked a critical phase in the history of the Kotte Kingdom. He inherited the largest and most populous polity on the island, yet one poised on the threshold of a new era shaped by European colonial involvement.

According to the Rājāvalīya, the court and army initially favored Sakalakalā Vallabha of Udugampola because of his military reputation. He declined the crown, arguing that his younger brother Vijayabāhu had a stronger claim as a uterine brother of the deceased king. As a result, Vijayabāhu VI ascended the throne, bringing to an end the relatively stable but transitional reign of Dharma Parākramabāhu IX.

Royal Lineage and Early Life

Dharma Parākramabāhu IX belonged to the Savuḷu (or Savulu) dynasty, a royal house traditionally linked to Kaliṅga or Jāvaka (Malay) origins that had been assimilated into Sinhalese royalty generations earlier. He was the eldest of five sons of Vīra Parākramabāhu VIII and spent his formative years at Kotte.

He was raised within a political system of shared sovereignty. His four brothers held key territorial commands: Sakalakalā Vallabha governed from Udugampola; Taniya Vallabha (also called Taniyan Vallaba) ruled Mādampē; while Śrī Rājasinha and Vijayabāhu (later King Vijayabāhu VI) were stationed at Mäṇikkadavara. This arrangement ensured internal stability but weakened central authority, as each brother functioned in practice as an autonomous ruler.

Rise to Power

Dharma Parākramabāhu IX assumed the throne in 1489 CE. Although some later traditions place the beginning of his reign around 1505, contemporary epigraphic evidence provides a clearer date. The Käḷani Vihāra inscription equates his nineteenth regnal year with the Buddhist year 2051 (1509 CE), confirming that his accession occurred nearly two decades earlier.

The Portuguese Encounter of 1505

The defining event of his reign took place on 15 November 1505, when a Portuguese fleet under Dom Lourenço de Almeida was driven by storms into the harbor of Kolamba (Colombo). This accidental arrival marked the first direct contact between the Sinhalese monarchy and a European power.

The inhabitants of the coast reported to the king at Kōṭṭe that the newcomers were “fair-skinned men” clad in “iron coats and iron hats,” who “eat stones and drink blood,” an imaginative reference to biscuits and red wine. They also emphasized the terrifying force of their weapons, stating that the sound of their cannon surpassed thunder.

In response, Dharma Parākramabāhu IX convened a council of his brothers. Prince Cakrāyuddha (Vijayabāhu) disguised himself and personally observed the Portuguese. He concluded that their military strength was too great to oppose and advised forming friendly relations instead. To disguise the location of the capital, Sinhala guides led the Portuguese envoys on a deliberately indirect journey, taking three days to travel only about 10 kilometers (six miles). This episode gave rise to the proverb “Parangiyā Kōṭṭe giyā vāgey,” meaning “like the Portuguese going to Kotte.”

A treaty followed, under which the Portuguese promised naval protection in return for an annual tribute of cinnamon and elephants, initiating Kotte’s long and complex involvement with Portugal.

Foreign Encounters and Military Defense

The reign also witnessed conflict with regional powers. A major threat came from a Moorish leader named Kadirāyana (also known as Adirāsa Rāya) from Kāyal Paṭṭanam in South India, who landed at Cilāva (Chilaw) with the intention of capturing elephants and exploiting pearl fisheries.

The king sent his brothers Sakalakalā Vallabha and Taniya Vallabha to confront the invaders. Leading a mounted charge—one on horseback, the other on an elephant—they decisively defeated the Moorish forces, securing the western coast for the remainder of the reign.

Contributions to Buddhism and Literature

The king earned the epithet “Dharma” (the Almsgiver) from the Saṅgha in recognition of his generosity and commitment to the Mahāvihāra tradition. The Portuguese chronicler Queyroz observed that the monks regarded him as especially devoted to the poor and to the worship of Budun.

His principal religious achievement was the restoration of the Kelaniya monastery, which had fallen into neglect. Under the supervision of the gaṇanāyaka-thera and the minister Vijayakkōnāra, the stupa, shrine, and monastic buildings were repaired. He endowed the institution with revenues from villages such as Vaṭṭala, Gōnahēna, and Diviyāmulla, and introduced special taxes on coconuts and paddy to ensure its long-term support.

Although literary production during his reign did not rival the brilliance of the age of Parākramabāhu VI, the major pirivena institutions, including Totagamuva and Sunetradevī, continued to function as centers of learning, preserving Buddhist scholarship during an increasingly uncertain era.

The End of the Reign and Succession

Dharma Parākramabāhu IX died around 1513 CE, after a reign estimated at between twenty and twenty-four years. His death sparked a brief succession crisis. A letter from the Portuguese viceroy Albuquerque records disagreements among the royal relatives.

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. (1933). The Gampola period of Ceylon history. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch), 32(86), 260–309.
De Silva, K. M. (Ed.). (1995). History of Sri Lanka (Vols. 2–3). The University of Peradeniya.
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. (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.
Obeyesekere, D. (1911). Outlines of Ceylon history. Times of Ceylon.
Paranavitana, S. (1961). The emperor of Ceylon at the time of the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. University of Ceylon Review, 19, 10–29.
Somaratna, G. P. V. (1969). Political history of the Kingdom of Kötte (c. A.D. 1400-1521) [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of London.
Valentijn, F. (1978). François Valentijn’s Description of Ceylon (S. Arasaratnam, Trans.). Hakluyt Society. (Original work published 1724)

Predecessor		Successor
Vira Parakramabahu VIII [1484–1508 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Dharma Parakramabahu IX [1489–1513 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-	Vijayabahu VI [1513-1521 CE] -House of Siri Sangabo-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA