Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Vikramabahu II [1196 CE] (දෙවන වික්‍රමබාහු රජතුමා)

Predecessor		Successor
Virabahu [1196 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Vikramabahu II [1196 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Choda Ganga [1196-1197 CE] -House of Kalinga-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

The closing decades of the 12th century in Sri Lanka are often described as the “twilight” of the Rajarata civilization. After the death of the powerful King Niśśaṅka Malla in 1196 CE, the Polonnaruwa Kingdom entered a period of instability marked by rapid successions and political violence. It was in this turbulent context that King Vikramabahu II, also known in Pāli as Vikkamabāhu or by the name Erapatta, ascended the throne and ruled for a mere three months in 1196 CE.

Royal Lineage and Early Childhood

Vikramabahu II belonged to the Kalinga dynasty (Kalinga-vaṁsa), a ruling house that had become central to the Sinhalese monarchy through earlier policies of strategic marriage and diplomacy. He was the younger brother of King Niśśaṅka Malla. According to interpretations advanced by scholars such as S. Paranavitana, the Kalinga of this period referred not to the Indian region but to the Śrīvijaya empire in the Malay Peninsula and parts of Indonesia. Other scholars, however, continue to identify the family’s origins with Siṁhapura in India.

Rise to Power: The Fall of Vīrabāhu I

Vikramabahu II’s accession was not the result of an orderly succession but of a military coup. After the death of Niśśaṅka Malla, the throne passed to his son Vīrabāhu I, the legitimate heir and Uparāja, whose reign famously lasted only one night or one day.

The assassination of Vīrabāhu was carried out by the Commander-in-Chief, General Tāvuru, also known as Lak-Vijaya-Singu Tāvuru-nā. Tāvuru then acted as a kingmaker, installing Vikramabahu II as his protégé.

Reign and Administrative Context

The reign of Vikramabahu II lasted only three months in 1196 CE. During this brief period, he functioned largely as the nominal head of a state in which real authority rested with powerful generals rather than the monarch himself.

Contemporary sources describe Polonnaruwa at this time as being “full of strangers,” a reference to the influx of Indian and Malay mercenaries employed to protect the foreign-born rulers from internal opposition and nationalist revolts.

Death and the Cycle of Assassination

The same military rivalries that enabled Vikramabahu II’s accession soon led to his downfall. After three months, he was assassinated by Coḍagaṅga, a nephew of Niśśaṅka Malla and the son of the king’s sister, who therefore possessed a comparable dynastic claim.

Royal Dynasty in Plonnaruwa after Parakaramabahu the Great

References

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.
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). History of Ceylon : Outlines of Ceylon History. The Times of Ceylon Colombo.
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.

Predecessor		Successor
Virabahu [1196 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Vikramabahu II [1196 CE] -House of Kalinga-	Choda Ganga [1196-1197 CE] -House of Kalinga-
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

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Karakpattiyadi Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (කරක්පට්ටියඩි කැලයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
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Palm Leaf Fan Carved Rock in Vakare (වාකරේ වටාපත් කැටයම් සහිත පර්වතය)
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In this Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Cemetery, scattered across the landscape, lie between 15 to 20 graves. Unfortunately, the peaceful serenity of these resting places has been disrupted by thorn bushes, which have taken root amidst many of the tombs. Adding to the desecration, some graves have fallen victim to the destructive hands of treasure hunters, who have ransacked them in search of valuables. […]
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Palayadiodei Buddhist Monastic Ruins (2) in Vakare (පාලයඩිඕඩෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 2)
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