King Kithsirimewan - House of Lambakarna I | Anuradhapura - (303 - 331) - Sri Lankan History - Kings - Governors - Prisidents

King Kithsirimewan

House of Lambakarna I | Anuradhapura - (303 - 331)

The Sinhala chronicle beginning with King Mahasena and ending with King Mahasena’s son consists of 56 kings belonging to this period. The first part of the Mahavamsa, by name, and the subsequent parts written later are traditionally known as the Culavamsa. The author of the chronicle has given several reasons for this distinction. According to them, the Culavamsa begins with King Sirimeghavanna. However, there is no reason to assign King Mahasena to the Mahavamsa and his son, King Sirimeghavanna, to the Culavamsa. Since every chapter of the Mahavamsa uses the name Mahavamsa at its end, there is no fair reason to consider a Mahavamsa–Culavamsa distinction, and it is appropriate to refer to the entire work by the name Mahavamsa. It is not necessary to elaborate further on this here. After King Mahasena, the throne passed to his second son, Prince Sirimeghavanna. His name is mentioned in Sinhala records as Kitsirimēvan or Kīrtiśrīmegha. In inscriptions, Mahasena’s son is referred to as Sirimekavana Abhaya Maharaja (the son of King Mahasena, King Sirimeghavanna Abhaya). The entirety of his reign was devoted to repairing the Mahavihara, which had been destroyed due to the improper works carried out by his father, and to restoring the morale of the people who had been terrified and shaken. The king first went to the Mahavihara to inspect the damage caused by his father. The monks presented all details to the king. Since the monks had been hiding in secret chambers, it was impossible to measure the limits, and all other buildings had been destroyed, which was clearly explained to the king. The king was strongly moved by this sensitive report of the monks. King Kitsirimēvan fully restored the Mahavihara to its original state. The resources taken from the monasteries were properly replaced. Since the monks were unable to perform religious duties freely, the Mahavihara, which had become sparse, was restored to a complete condition. The industrial work in the Jotivana Mahavihara, which King Mahasena had left incomplete, was finished. The Lovamahaprasada was made as magnificent as the Mahapanada Prasada. All the subsidiary structures were restored to their proper condition. Through this work, any confusion or discontent among the public was removed. Due to King Mahasena’s actions and the disorders created among the monks residing in Abhayagiri Vihara, the king’s activities removed the unrest and restored order, increasing the confidence and trust of the people. The king, having listened to the deeds of the past kings, was regarded as the ruler of this island. He organized the Mahindodaya festival, recalling the reign of Devanampiyatissa. The relics were adorned with gold during the full moon day of Vesak and were taken from Mihintale to Anuradhapura in a procession for the public to see. The king arranged for the relics to be enshrined in a suitable location near the royal palace, placing them near the Mahabodhi and conducting worship. Orders were given to perform this festival annually. The other members of the Dhamma missionary group also participated, and the relics were thus enshrined. Here, the details are presented to illustrate how wise rulers used proper means to address public distress caused by the unwise actions of previous rulers. In this respect, there is no doubt that King Kitsirimēvan fulfilled his role as a wise and capable ruler, gaining the goodwill of the people. The Mahavamsa mentions that due to this king’s activities, the era of King Sirimeghavanna became comparable to the reign of Emperor Samudragupta. It is evident that there was a friendly relationship between the two rulers. The Sinhalese paid tribute to Samudragupta. This is also recorded in inscriptions, such as the Allahabad inscription. Moreover, the relationship between the two kings is mentioned in Chinese records. In a Chinese book called Hiuen Tsang (or similar), it is noted that, through King Sirimeghavanna’s assistance, monks traveled to Dambadiva (Sri Lanka) and, finding no suitable residence, faced many difficulties. Afterward, the king sent a delegation with gifts and permission to build a vihara. Samudragupta granted permission. The Chinese chronicler also noted that many devotees were present at the residence when he arrived. According to the Heludaladawasa, the Tooth Relic of the Buddha arrived in this country during this period. As stated in the Dathadhatuvamsa, this act took place under the expectation of King Mahasena. In Bharat (India), the governor Guhasiva, who was responsible for it, had to face a war with the Kalinga king. Therefore, he sent his daughter Hemamala and the prince Bandana (Danta Kumara) along with the relic to the port of Lanka. King Mahasena had requested this, it is stated. However, when they arrived, King Mahasena had passed away, and Prince Kitsirimēvan had ascended the throne. Hemamala and Prince Danta, traveling from Kalinga by ship with copper sheets, arrived at the port of Lanka. After receiving the relic, it became an immortal venerated object of the Sinhalese, and it became a strong symbol of royal authority belonging to the Sinhala ruler. Initially, the enshrinement of the Tooth Relic was assigned to Abhayagiri. The Mahavihara seemed indifferent to this matter, but later the situation changed. Inscriptions dating to the time of King Sirimeghavanna have now been found numbering about nine. They have been discovered in various parts of the country, in the north as well as the south, east, and west. Among these, the Tonigala inscription in the Vavuniya district is particularly important. It is extremely valuable for studying the banking and interest systems of ancient Lanka. The Kadubala inscription, found in the village of Pahappesiwa, mentions a donation made to a vihara by a person named Dewwa, the son of the amatiya (minister) Amatiya. In it, instructions are given that grains such as rice, pulses, and corn should be deposited in the village bank, and the interest obtained from them should be used to supply food, drink, and other necessities for the monks living in the monastery. These instructions were carried out during the third year of the king’s reign. During King Sirimeghavanna’s reign, the northern region of the island was governed by Pahappesiwa Amatiya. Another inscription found near Madakalapuwa provides information about a vihara called Piyakaluta. Another inscription from Pokunuwita in the western province details a donation by an amatiya. The southern Karambagala inscription was written in the twentieth year of the king’s reign. The Debarawwa inscription in the south was also established in his twentieth year. Considering the locations of these inscriptions, it is clear that King Sirimeghavanna’s authority extended uniformly across the island. As mentioned above, donations and religious activities in the northern, southern, eastern, and western regions were carried out by amatiyas under royal authorization. The Namalu inscription from the Uva region mentions that the Abhaya Amatiya was of the Lambakarna lineage. From the above details, it is evident that King Sirimeghavanna’s reign was prosperous. The Mahavamsa notes one statement regarding his actions for economic development: “He secured water for the welfare of animals,” which is obscure in meaning. However, it does not imply that he neglected the country’s economic affairs. Otherwise, he could not have accomplished so many works. Furthermore, the large-scale irrigation works carried out by his father, King Mahasena, contributed to the self-sufficiency of the country. The availability of food and drink, along with the absence of internal and external political disturbances, allowed the people to live peacefully and participate in the king’s religious activities. The rise of the Gupta Empire in India made it impossible for any state in southern India to challenge the region. This was certainly advantageous. However, as will be clarified in a later chapter, this situation changed within a century. King Sirimeghavanna’s reign lasted twenty-eight years. During the reign of this king, another significant event occurred: the arrival of the left Tooth Relic of the Buddha in this country. According to the Dathadhatuvamsa, these activities were carried out as described in the Mahavamsa. It is stated that the relic came from Kalinga. The king received this sacred object and enshrined it in a place called Dhammacakka, performing great worship and rituals for a year at Abhayagiri Vihara. Subsequently, the relic house came to be known as the Dalada Mandira (Dalada Relic House). This event is briefly mentioned in the Mahavamsa, yet a number of other texts that document the history of the Tooth Relic provide important additional information. According to Heludaladawasa, this account later appeared in the Pali Dathavamsa. As stated there, the relic came to the country under the expectation of King Mahasena. In Bharat, the governor Guhasiva had to engage in war with the Kalinga king. Therefore, he sent his daughter Hemamala and the prince Danta Kumara with the relic to the Lanka port. By the time they arrived, King Mahasena had passed away, and Prince Kitsirimēvan had ascended the throne. Hemamala and Danta Kumara sailed by ship from Kalinga and reached Lanka’s port. The relic became an immortal venerated object for the Sinhalese and a strong symbol of the ruler’s sovereignty. Initially, the enshrinement of the relic was assigned to Abhayagiri, while Mahavihara appeared indifferent. Later, the situation changed. Inscriptions from the time of King Sirimeghavanna have been discovered numbering about nine, located in various parts of the island—north, south, east, and west. Notably, the Tonigala inscription in Vavuniya is of special importance. It provides crucial information about the banking and interest systems in ancient Lanka. The Kadubala inscription, found in the village of Pahappesiwa, records a donation to a vihara by Dewwa, son of Amatiya Amatiya. Instructions in the inscription state that grains such as rice, pulses, and corn should be deposited in the village bank, and the interest collected should be used to supply food, drink, and other necessities for monks residing in the monastery. This was carried out during the third year of the king’s reign. During King Sirimeghavanna’s reign, the northern region of the country was governed by Pahappesiwa Amatiya. Another inscription near Madakalapuwa provides information about a vihara called Piyakaluta. An additional inscription from Pokunuwita in the western province details donations by an amatiya. The southern Karambagala inscription was written in the twentieth year of the king’s reign. The Debarawwa inscription in the south was also established in his twentieth year. Considering the locations of these inscriptions, it is clear that King Sirimeghavanna’s authority extended uniformly across the island. Donations and religious activities throughout the four regions were carried out by amatiyas under royal authorization. The Namalu inscription from the Uva region mentions that the Abhaya Amatiya belonged to the Lambakarna lineage. From these points, it is evident that King Sirimeghavanna’s reign was prosperous. The Mahavamsa notes that, for the economic development of the country, “He secured water for the welfare of animals,” a phrase of unclear literal meaning. However, it does not imply that he neglected the country’s economy. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to carry out so many works. The large-scale irrigation systems established by his father, King Mahasena, ensured the self-sufficiency of the country. The abundance of food and drink and the absence of internal and external political disturbances allowed the people to live peacefully and actively participate in the king’s religious undertakings. The rise of the Gupta Empire in India prevented any southern Indian state from emerging as a threat, which was advantageous. However, within a century, this situation changed, as will be clarified in a later chapter. King Sirimeghavanna’s reign lasted twenty-eight years.