King Sahassa Malla [1200-1202 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Queen Leelavathi [1197-1200, 1209-1210, 1211-1212 CE] -House of Vijayabahu-	Sahassa Malla [1200-1202 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Queen Kalyanavathi [1202-1208 CE] -House of Kalinga-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

The reign of King Sahassa Malla (r. 1200–1202 CE), also known as Sahasa Malla, was short-lived, lasting only two years during a phase of acute political disintegration marked by the so-called “Tamil Anarchy” and the ascendancy of military kingmakers.

Royal Lineage and Early Life in Kalinga

Sahasa Malla belonged to the Kāliṅga dynasty, a royal house that asserted its legitimacy over Lanka through a prestigious ancestral link to Vijaya, the island’s legendary founder. He was born and brought up in Simhapura, the capital of Kāliṅga, and was the younger step-brother of King Niśśaṅka Malla (r. 1187–1196 CE).

The precise location of his homeland remains a matter of scholarly dispute. Traditional sources situate Kāliṅga on the Indian mainland, but modern interpretations, especially those advanced by S. Paranavitana, equate it with the Śrīvijaya empire of the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia.

Irrespective of its exact geography, Sahasa Malla was raised in a foreign court immersed in the ideological program of his brother Niśśaṅka Malla, who had filled Sri Lanka with stone inscriptions proclaiming the exclusive and divinely sanctioned right of the Kāliṅga line to rule, explicitly rejecting the claims of the rival Pāṇḍya and Coḷa dynasties.

The Political Vacuum and the Rise to Power

The death of Niśśaṅka Malla in 1196 CE plunged Polonnaruwa into a state of near-anarchy. Between 1196 and 1200 CE, the throne became a tool in the hands of powerful generals, with the rapid succession of Vīrabāhu I, Vikramabāhu II, and Coḍagaṅga. In 1197 CE, the Pāṇḍya faction, which supported the line of Parākramabāhu the Great [1153-1186], gained ascendancy when the influential General Lak Vijaya Siṅgu Kit Senevi (commonly known as General Kitti) overthrew Coḍagaṅga and enthroned Queen Līlāvatī.

The Kāliṅga faction, however, did not accept defeat. Leadership of the counter-movement fell to two powerful ministers from the Lolupälä family: the Adhikāra Düttati Ābonāvan, also known as Ayasmanta or Āti, and his associate Budalnāvan. Aware that they themselves lacked royal credentials, they sought to place a Kāliṅga prince on the throne as their nominee. To achieve this, they sent a Kāliṅga noble to the mainland to bring Sahasa Malla to Sri Lanka.

Sahasa Malla’s path to power was prolonged and uncertain. He arrived from his homeland at the port of Kangakonda in the Coḷa kingdom of South India, where he was compelled to remain for two years. During this period, his supporters in Sri Lanka engaged in a bitter struggle against what the chronicles describe as the “evil ministers” of the Pāṇḍya faction. The Coḷas likely extended protection to Sahasa Malla because Queen Līlāvatī and General Kitti represented a Pāṇḍya-Sinhalese alliance traditionally hostile to Coḷa interests. Only after the defeat of General Kitti and his allies was Sahasa Malla able to cross the sea and enter Polonnaruwa.

Accession: A Landmark in Chronology

Sahasa Malla was formally consecrated on Wednesday, August 23, 1200 CE. The Polonnaruwa Slab Inscription records this event with exceptional accuracy, stating that it occurred after the completion of 1,743 years, 3 months, and 27 days of the Buddhist Era. This precise dating enabled historians such as J.F. Fleet to align the Sinhalese regnal lists with the Western calendar, making Sahasa Malla’s accession the key chronological reference point for the entire medieval history of Sri Lanka.

The Reign and Administrative Works (1200–1202 CE)

The reign of King Sahasa Malla extended for only two years, during which he largely served as a symbolic ruler under the control of the military elite who had placed him on the throne. His most important administrative decision was the elevation of his chief patron, General Ābonāvan, to the positions of Senāpati (Commander-in-Chief) and Prime Minister.

In religious and social matters, Sahasa Malla followed established royal custom by making donations to the Saṅgha, although his attention was frequently diverted by the necessity of rewarding the soldiers who had secured his throne. He granted honors and gifts to loyal supporters, including Gulpiti Bud, who had sustained injuries while fighting against the king’s enemies during the succession struggles.

Deposition and Legacy

The same pattern of military manipulation that elevated Sahasa Malla ultimately led to his removal. After only two years, General Ābonāvan (Ayasmanta), either dissatisfied with his protégé or seeking a more pliant ruler, deposed Sahasa Malla in 1202 CE. He then installed Queen Kalyāṇavatī, the widow of Niśśaṅka Malla, thereby continuing the cycle of factional control over the throne.

Royal Dynasty in Plonnaruwa after Parakaramabahu the Great

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.
Fernando, P. E. E. (1978). Allai Copper Plate Charter of King Nissankamalla. The Sri Lanka Journal of the Humanities, IV(1 & 2), 73–91.
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.
Mendis, O. (1998). The story of the Sri Lankans. Sridevi Publication.
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.
Perera, J. (1957). An Examination of the Political Troubles That Followed the Death of King Parakramabāhu I. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series Volume V (Special Number), 173–182.
Wijesekara, N. (1990). The Sinhalese. M. D. Gunasena & Co.

Predecessor		Successor
Queen Leelavathi [1197-1200, 1209-1210, 1211-1212 CE] -House of Vijayabahu-	Sahassa Malla [1200-1202 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Queen Kalyanavathi [1202-1208 CE] -House of Kalinga-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA