Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: Queen Sivali (Seevali) [35 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
King Chulabhaya [33-35 CE] -House of Vijaya-	Queen Sivali [35 CE] -House of Vijaya-	King Ilanaga [35 CE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

Queen Sīvalī (also recorded as Seevali or Revatī) occupies a distinctive place in Sri Lankan history as the second recorded female sovereign of the Anuradhapura kingdom. Her reign, dated to approximately 35 CE, was exceptionally brief, lasting only four months.

Historical Traditions and Interpretations

The Mahāvamsa and related chronicles consistently state that Sīvalī ruled for four months. However, later interpretations—such as those referenced by François Valentijn—mention a queen named “Princess Nalabissava,” sister of Cada Ambera Raja, described as ruling for six years. Modern scholarship generally treats this as a conflation or variant tradition, likely arising from confusion with another ruler, rather than a reliable parallel account of Sīvalī’s reign.

Lineage and Accession

Sīvalī was a princess of the Vijayan dynasty and the daughter of King Āmaṇḍagāmaṇī Abhaya (r. 21–30 CE), a ruler renowned for his extreme adherence to Buddhist principles.

She was the sister of King Cūḷābhaya (r. 33–35 CE), who had succeeded their uncle, King Kanirajānu Tissa. Upon Cūḷābhaya’s death after a short but stable reign, Sīvalī ascended the throne. Her accession likely reflects either the exhaustion of the immediate male line of succession or the presence of sufficient political backing to legitimize her rule.

Deposition and Aftermath

Sīvalī’s rule ended abruptly when her cousin, Prince Ilanāga—the son of her father’s sister—successfully seized power. The ease with which Ilanāga dethroned her suggests that her political support base may have been limited or that her removal formed part of a broader realignment within the ruling elite.

Following her deposition, Ilanāga was consecrated as king. His own reign, however, was soon challenged by the Lambakaṇṇa faction, forcing him into temporary exile in India before he later reclaimed the throne.

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

Gunasekara, B. (1895). A Contribution to the History of Ceylon: Translated from Pujavaliya. H.C. Cottle.
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or a historical narrative of Sinhalese kings from Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
Mahanama, Geiger, W., & Bode, M. H. (1912). The Mahavamsa or the Great Chronicle of Ceylon. Translated into English by Wilhelm Geiger. For the Pali Text Society by Henry Frowde.
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.
Oldenberg, H. (2001). The Dipavamsa : An Ancient Buddhist Historical Record. Asian Educational Services. (Original work published 1879)
Paranavitana, S. (1959). History of Ceylon (University of Ceylon): Vol. 1 (part 1)–3. Ceylon University Press.
Valentijn, F. (1978). François Valentijn’s Description of Ceylon (S. Arasaratnam, Trans.). Hakluyt Society. (Original work published 1724)

Predecessor		Successor
King Chulabhaya [33-35 CE] -House of Vijaya-	Queen Sivali [35 CE] -House of Vijaya-	King Ilanaga [35 CE] -House of Vijaya-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

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