King Silameghavanna [623-632 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
King Moggallana III [618-623 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Silameghavanna [623-632 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	King Aggabodhi III [632 CE] [632-643 CE] -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Silameghavanna, referred to as Asiggahaka (sword-bearer) in both the Pujavaliya and the Rajavaliya, came to power in 623 CE after defeating King Moggallana III in battle. He was the son of the Malayaraja, the regional ruler of the hill country, and reigned for nine years until his death.

His Father’s Background

Silameghavanna’s father had once served as the senapati under King Sanghatissa II. During Moggallana III’s revolt, however, he betrayed Sanghatissa and allied with Moggallana, which ultimately led to Sanghatissa’s downfall and death.

After Moggallana took control of Anuradhapura, he rewarded this betrayal by appointing the former senapati as Malayaraja and giving his son (Silameghavanna) the prestigious post of Asiggahaka. However, fearing that this newly appointed Malayaraja could also betray him one day—just as he had betrayed Sanghatissa, Moggallana had him arrested over a trivial matter and ordered his hands and feet severed.

Silameghavanna’s Rise to Power

Upon hearing of his father’s brutal punishment, Silameghavanna fled to Rohana with his son. There, he gained influence and formed an alliance with Jettatissa, the surviving son of King Sanghatissa. Together, they captured the Janapada region and established a base at Dohalapabbata, preparing to challenge Moggallana.

At this time, Moggallana’s army had been severely weakened by disease. Seizing the moment, Silameghavanna launched a decisive attack, defeated Moggallana’s forces, and killed the king at Sigiriya.

Following Moggallana’s death, Silameghavanna invited Jettatissa to return and take the throne, but with the intent to eliminate him. Sensing the trap, Jettatissa escaped back to Malayarata. Silameghavanna then entered Anuradhapura and declared himself king.

An Attack on the Kingdom

During his reign, Silameghavanna faced one major invasion. Jettatissa, still in hiding, had a maternal uncle called Sirinaga who traveled to India, returned with a Tamil mercenary army, and landed in Uttaradesa, the northern country of Sri Lanka. Silameghavanna decisively defeated the invaders at a village called Rajamittaka. The captured mercenaries were subjected to public humiliation and distributed as slaves to temples.

Conflict with the Buddhist Order

During his rule, a monk named Bodhi grew increasingly disillusioned with the lack of discipline among the monks of Abhayagiri Viharaya. Although not senior in rank, Bodhi approached the king and requested permission to implement reforms regulating monastic behavior.

The king agreed and gave Bodhi full authority to enforce the reforms, even overriding the traditional senior monks who were typically responsible for discipline. Bodhi took his task seriously, and numerous monks with questionable conduct were expelled from the Order.

In retaliation, a group of these expelled monks schemed together and murdered Bodhi, bringing the disciplinary reforms to a sudden end. Outraged by the murder, Silameghavanna had many of the conspirators arrested, amputated their hands, chained them, and forced them to serve as guards at bathing tanks. A further hundred monks were exiled to India.

Attempt to Reunify the Sangha

Following the purging of Abhayagiri, the king sought to reunify the Buddhist Sangha, which had long been divided. He invited the monks of Maha Viharaya to invite other sects in conducting the Uposatha ceremony together.

However, the Maha Vihara elders refused. Angered by their rejection, Silameghavanna lashed out verbally at Mahaviharian Elders, deeply disappointed that his vision of a unified monastic community had failed.

Death of Silameghavanna

After these events, the king traveled to Dakkinadesa, where he fell ill and died. He had ruled for nine years, and his son, Aggabodhi, succeeded him on 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

Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society.
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or 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.

Predecessor		Successor
King Moggallana III [618-623 CE] -House of Moriya-	King Silameghavanna [623-632 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	King Aggabodhi III [632 CE] [632-643 CE] -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA