King Sena I [833-853 CE] | AmazingLanka.com

Predecessor		Successor
Aggabodhi IX [831-833 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Sena I [833-853 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Sena II [853-887 CE] -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Sena I, who bore the royal title Silāmegha, was the second son of King Dappula II and the younger brother of King Aggabodhi IX, who ruled from 831 to 833 CE. He ascended the throne in 833 CE after the death of his elder brother and reigned for twenty years. Upon his death, the kingship passed to his nephew, King Sena II.

Sena I had three younger brothers: Mahinda, Kassapa, and Udaya. He appointed Mahinda as Yuvaraja, thereby designating him as heir apparent.

Eliminating the Rivals to the Throne

According to traditional Sinhalese succession law, the throne generally passed from brother to brother or to the eldest son of the eldest brother. King Dappula III, however, was determined to reserve the succession exclusively for his own sons. To achieve this, he deliberately broke with custom by refusing to confer the title of adipada on his nephew Prince Mahinda, the son of the former king, Mahinda III.

Almost immediately after his consecration, Aggabodhi IX was confronted with a political crisis involving this sidelined cousin, Prince Mahinda. Unable to accept being passed over in favor of what he regarded as a “younger kinsman,” and unwilling to show the customary royal reverence, Mahinda fled in disarray to the “other coast,” generally understood to mean the Indian mainland.

Aggabodhi IX interpreted this flight as a sign of a potential foreign-supported invasion. Acting swiftly to remove any threat to his authority, he dispatched an army against his cousin. In the ensuing conflict, the royal forces were victorious, although Mahinda managed to escape to India. Recognizing that Mahinda still posed a danger, King Sena I later sent agents to assassinate him in India.

Pandyan Attack and the Plundering of Anuradhapura

By this time, the Pandu Kingdom had grown considerably in strength and territorial influence. During the reign of Sena I, the Pandu king launched a major invasion of Sri Lanka. He first captured the Uttaradesa (the northern country), where the Tamil population aligned itself with the invading forces. Reinforced by these allies, the Pandu army advanced on Anuradhapura.

Realizing that the fall of Anuradhapura was imminent, King Sena I withdrew to Malayarata (the Hill Country), taking the royal treasures with him. His brother, Yuvaraja Mahinda, fought courageously from his battle elephant and, when defeat became inevitable, took his own life rather than fall into enemy hands. Another brother, Adipada Kassapa, also fought bravely but was eventually forced to retreat to Kondivata; he was later killed by the Pandu king at Polonnaruwa.

The Pandu king entered Anuradhapura and plundered its wealth, including the golden Buddha images at the Ratnaprasada and the Thuparama. The objective of this invasion, however, was looting rather than territorial control. Once the city had been stripped of its riches, the Pandu forces withdrew. King Sena I then undertook the task of restoring the island, and peace was once again established.

Of Sena I’s brothers, Mahinda and Kassapa perished during the Pandu invasion, while the only surviving brother, Udaya, died soon afterward from illness. As a result, the office of Mahadipāda was granted to Prince Sena (later Sena II), the son of his brother Kassapa.

Troubles at Rohana

During Sena I’s reign, Rohana was governed by Kittaggabodhi, to whom Sena’s father, Dappula III, had given his daughter, Princess Deva, in marriage. After Kittaggabodhi’s death, his sister murdered his eldest son and seized control of Rohana. The rest—three brothers and three sisters—fled from Rohana and came to their maternal uncle, King Sena I.

He was deeply attached to his nephews and nieces, brought them to his court, and raised them as princes. When Kassapa, the eldest son, came of age, Sena I provided him with an army and sent him to reclaim Rohana. Kassapa succeeded and subsequently summoned his brothers, Sena and Udaya, to share in the governance of the kingdom.

Princess Samgha was married to Mahadipāda Sena (II), while Princesses Tissa and Kutti were given in marriage to Mahinda, the younger brother of the Mahadipāda.

Works of King Sena I

Most of his time after the Pandyan attack was spent on rebuilding the monasteries destroyed by the Pandyan army.

Built a monastery for the Pansikulaka Bhikkus in Aritta Mountain (Ritigala)
Built a prasada of several stories in Jethavanarama Monastery
Rebuilt the prasada destroyed by fire in Mahaparivena in Jethavanarama Monastery
Built Virankuraramaya in Abhayuttara Viharaya (Abhayagiri Viharaya)
Built Pubbaramaya
Built Samghasena sanghawasa in Maha Viharaya (Sansen Pirivena in Pujavaliya). This is possibly the Sangsen-Aram mentioned in inscriptions.
Built Senaggabodhi monastery at Thusavapi Reservoir in Polonnaruwa.
Built a Danashalawa (eating hall) at Mahanettapabbata Viharaya
Built Kappura Parivena while he still as the Mahadipada
Built Uttaralha Parivena while he still as the Mahadipada
His Queen Samga built a sanghawasa (dwelling house) called Mahindasena in Abhayagiri Viharaya
Completed the Dappulapabbata Viharaya which was stated by King Dappula
Completed the Kassaparajaka Viharaya which was stated by a prince named Kassapa
Built Minimevulepana in Girigala (source: Pujavaliya)
Built Minipa Pirivena in Dena Vehera (source: Pujavaliya)
His senapati called Bhadda built Bhaddasenapati Viharaya

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.
Upham, E. (1833). The Mahavansi, the Raja-Ratnacari, and the Raja-vali, Forming the Sacred and Historical Books of Ceylon; Also, a Collection of Tracts Illustrative of the Doctrines and Literature of Buddhism: Transl. from the Singhalese (1st ed., Vols. 2–3). Parbury, Allen, and Co.

Predecessor		Successor
Aggabodhi IX [831-833 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Sena I [833-853 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Sena II [853-887 CE] -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA