King Datopathissa i - House of Moriya | Anuradhapura - (648 - 650) - Sri Lankan History - Kings - Governors - Prisidents

King Datopathissa i

House of Moriya | Anuradhapura - (648 - 650)

After King Aggabodhi III regained the throne for the second time and fled to Dambadiva with only a small force, the throne was taken by Dāṭhāsīva, the minister of King Jettatissa III. He is referred to as Dāṭhōpatiśśa, and in the Pujavaliya he is mentioned as Lamani Dalupatiśśa. He is the first to be known by that name. Although it is unclear what legitimate claim he had to the throne, he appears to belong to the Lambakarnas dynasty. King Dāṭhōpatiśśa destroyed a large number of Vihāras and committed severe acts of sacrilege. He toppled golden statues, removed the roof of the Thuparama, and even took the chhatra (umbrella) of the Mahāsāya. These audacious crimes were committed to maintain his Tamil army. The army he brought to Dambadiva was presumably this mercenary force. The Mahāvihāra entrusted the Tamils with the management of these tasks, but the Tamil forces looted the temples. The Mahavamsa states that all the people of the country suffered under the wars of these two kings. The wealth of the land was plundered. King Dāṭhōpatiśśa obliterated the legacies of previous monarchs. Even in the Trinikaaya, sacred relics were taken. Gold statues were broken, and gold from the temples and stupas was seized for military purposes. His Tamil soldiers set fire to the Vihāras and palaces, causing extensive destruction. During all these events, a noble named Rathanadāṭha, a son of his sister, assisted him. Later, the Mahāvamsa notes that Dāṭhōpatiśśa repented for the destruction carried out by himself and his Tamil forces. For this purpose, he built a Vihāra called Sākavattu (Palāvatthu Vihāra). This demonstrates that the Mahāvamsa reports historical events cautiously and without bias. The reign of King Dāṭhōpatiśśa was a period of misfortune for the country. The destructive acts he committed caused suffering both to the Sangha and the general populace. There was no peace or development. Both the unlucky and the greedy suffered greatly because of the power struggles among the rulers. This condition worsened when King Aggabodhi III, who had earlier fled to Dambadiva, returned with an army and resumed warfare. While Dāṭhōpatiśśa destroyed the Vihāras and caused devastation, Prince Kaśyapa, the brother of Aggabodhi III, also gathered forces and took treasures from the Thuparama. The power struggle among these three — Dāṭhōpatiśśa, Aggabodhi III, and Kaśyapa — brought great destruction to the country. At times Dāṭhōpatiśśa gained the upper hand, and at other times Aggabodhi III did, making it uncertain who was the reigning king. Eventually, Aggabodhi III, while organizing an army at Rohana to fight, died of illness. From these chaotic events, it is clear that the unrest continued for some time afterward. However, the exact situation in the Rohana region is unknown. Other than the death of Aggabodhi III in Rohana, no further information has been recorded. It is possible that the Rohana region was not directly involved in these conflicts. Primarily, the instigators were the princes who had authority over the Malaya region. There is no evidence that they had strong ties with Rohana. Moreover, it is uncertain what legitimate claim these princes had to the throne. Bringing a foreign mercenary army to secure kingship became a common, but undesirable, precedent. For these reasons, the kingdom suffered severe devastation. A rock inscription believed to belong to the time of King Dāṭhōpatiśśa has been discovered. It is located near the southern stupa called Elāra Sohona, on a mountain adjacent to it. The inscription details a donation made by a person named Sumana for offerings at a shrine called Dīgha in the southern region of the country. The inscription notes that the king gave the fifth-year donation. Normally, inscriptions of this period mention a king along with the honorific “Mapuruma,” “Mapurumka,” “Apapurumuwa”, or similar titles, which mean “chief” or “great leader.” However, in this inscription, only Purumka is mentioned. For this reason, some scholars have argued that the person referred to in the inscription as Dāṭhāpatiśśa may not have been a sovereign king. It should be noted that Dāṭhōpatiśśa ascended the throne without possession of the coronation pearl (ekāvali). We know that King Aggabodhi III went to India with only the coronation pearl to establish his identity. Therefore, the absence of the ekāvali suggests that Dāṭhōpatiśśa may not have been considered a fully legitimate king. This could explain why he was referred to in the inscription with the title “Purumka” rather than the more prestigious “Mapuruma.” The inscription indicates that this donation was made in the fifth year after his coronation. King Dāṭhōpatiśśa later fought with the second Kaśyapa, who had also ascended the throne, and was defeated, fleeing to Dambadiva. During this period, princes used mercenary forces from Dambadiva to secure power, creating instability in the cities. Subsequently, Dāṭhōpatiśśa returned with an army to Sri Lanka and again fought with Kaśyapa, ultimately dying in battle. His reign lasted twelve years. In the historical record, the reigns of King Aggabodhi III and Dāṭhōpatiśśa are shown concurrently, indicating that both exercised authority at various times during this turbulent period.