King Udaya III [935-938 CE] | AmazingLanka.com

Predecessor		Successor
Dappula V [924-935 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Udaya III [935-938 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Sena III [938-946 CE] -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

King Udaya III was a ruler of the Second Lambakanṇa Dynasty who reigned for approximately three years. Prior to ascending the throne, he served first as Adipāda and was later appointed Yuvarāja in the twelfth year of King Dappula V’s reign.

Royal Lineage

The ancient chronicles offer no clear or consistent account of the genealogical relationships among the rulers from Dappula IV (924-935 CE) to Sena IV (972-982 CE), leaving their precise placement within the main royal line uncertain. To clarify this uncertainty, Professor Paranavitana turned to epigraphic sources, reconstructing the succession through inscriptions.

According to evidence from the Puliyankulam inscription and another inscription at Kataragama, King Udaya III was the son of Mahinda, who was a brother of the renowned King Sena II and Queen Kitti, daughter of Kittaggabodhi of Rohana. Mahinda died before he could ascend the throne, which subsequently passed to Kassapa V, the elder son of King Sena II.

Violation of the Sanctity of Temple Land and the Uprising of the People

The reign of Udaya III was marked by intense internal unrest and a deep rift between the monarchy and the Buddhist clergy. Unlike many earlier rulers who governed in close cooperation with the Sangha, Udaya III is portrayed as a weak monarch presiding over a court troubled by fear and administrative discord. This tension ultimately erupted in a grave violation of religious sanctuary.

A group of royal officials, fleeing the king’s anger, sought refuge in the Tapovana, a secluded residence for ascetic monks. In a highly unprecedented act, Udaya III and his Uparaja, Sena, pursued them into this sacred space and had them executed within its confines.

This breach of the right of asylum provoked a widespread uprising among both civilians and the military. The people of the capital and the surrounding royal province, together with the troops, rose in rebellion, likened in the chronicles to “the ocean stirred by a wild storm.” The enraged masses surrounded the king and the Uparaja in the Ratanaprasada of the Abhayagiri monastery. In retaliation, the rebels captured the royal advisors responsible for the killings at Tapovana and executed them, throwing their severed heads from the palace windows. The Uparaja and his supporters were forced to flee toward the southern principality of Rohana, pursued by the army as far as the Kanha-nadi River, which marked the boundary of the Rohana kingdom.

Making Peace with the Clergy

The resolution of this crisis demanded the complete humiliation of the king. Offended by his actions, the ascetic monks of Tapovana had already withdrawn to Rohana in protest. Recognizing that his authority could not be sustained without the support of both the clergy and the populace, Udaya III and his court followed the monks southward to seek reconciliation. He presented himself before the ascetics in a state of distress, with wet garments and hair from crossing the river, and implored their forgiveness. Through the intercession of the wider bhikkhu community, the king was ultimately pardoned and escorted back to the capital.

Owing to the briefness of his reign and the dominance of civil unrest during this period, Udaya III left few recorded accomplishments or building works. He died in the third year of his reign and was succeeded by his Uparaja, Sena.

Royal Dynasty from Kassapa V to King Dappula III to Vickramabahu I

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
Dappula V [924-935 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Udaya III [935-938 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Sena III [938-946 CE] -House of Lambakanna-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA