521 AC - 522 AC

The reign of Medisiva came to an end because a prince named Upatissa killed him and seized the kingdom. Since there was a second person by this name, he is known as Upatissa II. In some translations of the Mahavamsa, the royal lists even present him as Upatissa III. This is because during the period of anarchy following King Vijaya, Upatissa acted as a minister in the kingdom, and his name was subsequently included in the royal chronicles. However, the son of Upatissa who came to the throne after King Buddhadasa was the first Upatissa. The next Upatissa to appear was the one who became king following the death of Medisiva.
In Sinhala chronicles, he is referred to as Lamani Upatissa, indicating that this king belonged to the Lambakarna lineage. While there is no detailed information about whom King Upatissa was married to, Wilhelm Geiger, in his translation of the Mahavamsa, states that he was married to the sister of King Mugalan. This information appears in the 46th chapter, sixth stanza of the Mahavamsa, which can be translated in two ways:
"Upatissa, the general who was the husband of King Mugalan’s sister, killed King Seewaka and then became king."
Geiger presents it in this way. However, it differs in the translation of Sri Sumangala Nahimi and Pandit Batuwantudawe, which states:
"After killing King Seewaka, Upatissa became king. He was the husband of King Mugalan’s sister."
The husband of King Mugalan’s sister was Prince Silakala. Therefore, the stanza can be interpreted to mean, “Upatissa’s consort was the husband of King Mugalan’s sister,” making it clear that Upatissa’s consort was Silakala. According to Geiger’s interpretation, if King Upatissa was married to King Mugalan’s consort and also became her husband, then King Mugalan must have had two sisters. However, there is no other evidence to support this. Otherwise, she may have been a half-sister.
King Upatissa not only appointed Silakala to the post of general but also granted him wealth and his daughter. The king recognized the importance of maintaining a strong Silakala faction, which was more powerful than himself, and thus treated him with respect. By assigning offices and other privileges to those who deserved them, he also sought to win the favor of the people.
There is no mention in the chronicles of any significant accomplishment by the king. However, if we consider the Kandakaduwa Inscription to be his, then he is entitled to the honor of constructing the Seya in the Mahachitta city. In that inscription, he is referred to as “Upatisa Maharaja.”
King Upatissa had one son named Kashyapa, who was a brave warrior. Additionally, he had sixteen other valiant friends who lived virtuous lives. Silakala remained silent during conflicts involving Kittisena, Seewa, and others. However, it seems Upatissa was pleased to ascend the throne without having a clear hereditary claim.
Driven by his ambition for the throne, he went to the southern region, organized an army, and, after collecting provisions from temples, advanced near the capital. Here, King Piyarattha ordered Prince Kashyapa to lead the army forward and confront Silakala, who was then defeated. Although he participated in eighteen battles, he was forced to retreat. The reason was that Silakala had no strategic bases from which to direct the battles. Therefore, he secured parts of the country in the east and west by tactical means. Later, the army established a camp at a place called Pachinatisse Pabbatha.
This location is not the one near the Ayne Nuwara tank on the road from Anuradhapura to Mihintale. Prince Kashyapa raised his fort on the peak of a mountain, which is why he was called Girikassapa; however, the actual mountain does not survive today. It must have been located further east. From there, Prince Silakala consolidated power in every part of the country and subsequently reached the capital. Prince Kashyapa, realizing he could not win the battle, set out with his mother and blind father for the Merukandara region. However, guides led them astray. They wandered around the city until Silakala captured them. He immediately engaged in battle with the opposing side.
Seeing himself powerless, Prince Kashyapa took his own life by breaking his head against a rock. Upon hearing this, the king died from grief. The reign of King Upatissa lasted one and half years.