After the brief reign of King Mahanaga, the throne was succeeded by his nephew, Prince Aggabodhi. As he was the first ruler to bear this name, he is regarded as King Aggabodhi the First. In Sinhala records, he is referred to as Agbo Raja.

This king cannot have been the same Prince Abo, who served as King Mahanaga’s sub-king, because Aggabodhi was the son of King Bhayaseeva, making him the nephew (bhagineyya) of Mahanaga. The Mahavamsa uses that very term — bhagineyyo — to describe the relationship. In some manuscripts, however, the word matuleyyo (“uncle’s son”) appears, though that is likely a scribal error.

According to the Mahavamsa, King Mahanaga, ruling from Ruhuna, sent a messenger to his nephew (Abo) in Anuradhapura, requesting that he come there. The prince, having seen inauspicious omens on his journey, turned back and soon after died — as noted in an earlier account. Therefore, it may be inferred that the term bhagineyyo (“nephew”) used in the chronicle refers in fact to this Prince Aggabodhi. If not, it must be either a textual error or a confusion of names.

The Mahavamsa states further that King Mahanaga appointed the son of his uncle as Sub-King, and that this prince too was named Aggabodhi. Thus, it is evident that the same Prince Aggabodhi who had been sub-king ascended the throne after King Mahanaga’s death. No source records further details of his lineage, but it is clear that he was the son of Bhayaseeva.

The Mahavamsa contains a distinguished and poetic description of King Aggabodhi I, saying:

“In brilliance he was like the Sun;
In gentleness, like the full Moon;
In firmness, like a great mountain;
In depth, like the mighty ocean;
In stability, like the Earth;
In calmness, like the wind;
In wisdom, like the Teacher of the Gods;
In purity, like the sky;
In pleasure, like the King of Gods;
In wealth, like Kuvera;
In justice, like the sage Vasettha;
In valor, like the Lion King;
In royal virtue, like a Universal Monarch;
And in generosity, like King Vessantara.”

The author of the Mahavamsa guarantees that such a lofty, poetic praise is found for no other ruler in the history of the Sinhala kings. Yet, the historical record reveals no corresponding feats of valor to substantiate these poetic eulogies.

King Mahanaga’s brief three-year reign seems to have provided the foundation upon which Aggabodhi’s rule was built. However, there is evidence that Aggabodhi too had to face certain difficulties during the early part of his reign. The Mahavamsa states that in the first year of his kingship, he carried out a “cleansing of thorns” (kanthaka-shodhana). This clearly indicates that conspiracies against the king were active in various parts of the country.

With the Mauryan dynasty once again in power, the Lambakanna nobles, who had been spread throughout the land, appear to have initially opposed the new king. Nevertheless, Aggabodhi seems to have subdued them with ease.

King Aggabodhi’s first major act was to organize the system of government in a proper and efficient manner. He appointed one of his maternal cousins (mailanu) as Sub-King, his brother as Crown Prince, and other kinsmen to suitable royal positions. His brother-in-law was made King of the Malaya region (the hill country), while his daughter, Princess Datha, was married to a worthy noble. By thus arranging the royal administration and hierarchy, peace and good order appear to have been restored, leading to a prosperous and stable period in the kingdom.

The rulers of Sri Lanka governed in accordance with ancient custom. It was the sacred duty and responsibility of a newly crowned monarch to preserve the peace of the country, to promote its development, and to strengthen the Buddhist Order. Accordingly, King Aggabodhi I first turned his attention to religious affairs.

For guidance in these spiritual matters, he received advice from the Venerable Dathasiva Thera, who appears to have been a most venerable and learned monk. Following his direction, the king built the Giri Vihara and offered to it two dessis (fields) of land. He also constructed and endowed the Ambilapassa, Unnawalli, and Sumanapabbata Viharas. Among the monasteries mentioned in the chronicles, the founding of the Kurunda Vihara is particularly notable. The king donated a coconut grove to this monastery and assigned one hundred attendants for its maintenance.

This monastery can be identified with the present-day Kurundammalai (Kurundu Maha Vihara) in the Mullaitivu District. The king also restored the Lohamahapaya, repaired the sacred Bodhi precincts, and constructed oil wells for the offering of lamps.

He built a great pond at the Abhayagiri Vihara — which may be identified with either the present Kuttam Pokuna or Eth Pokuna — and the Nagasondi Tank at Sigiriya was also his creation. He instituted the annual Mahinda Perahera (procession in honor of Arahant Mahinda) and ordered that an image of Mahinda Thera be built and worshipped at the tank’s boundary.

During this period, a significant religious event occurred. A Thera named Jotipala defeated the Vaitulya heretics in doctrinal debate. During the reign of King Salamevan (Sirisangabo), the heretical Vaitulya sects had revived, emphasizing relics such as Keshadhatu (hair relics) and Dharmadhatu (relics of doctrine). By the time of Aggabodhi’s reign, they had grown strong again, confronting the orthodox Mahavihara monks in debate.

According to the Nikaya Sangraha, Jotipala Thera had come from India (Dambadiva). However, the same text does not state exactly during which king’s reign the debate occurred. After their defeat, one of the heretical leaders, Dathapabhuti, planned to attack Jotipala Thera. Suddenly, his hand became paralyzed, and he was unable to strike. The Mahavamsa says that, impressed by this event, the king became deeply devoted to Jotipala Thera and built for him the Nilageha Monastery. This also shows that certain influential officials at court had been sympathetic to the Vaitulya sect.

The reign of King Aggabodhi I was also an age of great poets. Like the celebrated Navaratna (Nine Gems) in the court of the Indian Emperor Vikramaditya Samudragupta, twelve great poets shone in the royal court of King Aggabodhi I. They composed works of poetry, though these have not survived. The Nikaya Sangraha records their names as follows:

Sakdamala, Asakdamala, Demiya, Babiri, Dalabiso, Prince Anuruddha, Prince Dalagotta, Prince Dalasala, Prince Kitsiri, Prince Puravadu, Suriya Bahu, and Kasupta Atapa.

Some of these poets were probably members of the royal family. Although their poetic compositions are no longer extant, fragments of their verses appear to have been quoted in later literary works.

The presence of twelve court poets signifies that the Sinhala royal court of this period had reached a high level of refinement and culture. It also suggests that the king extended great royal patronage to the literary and intellectual community. This, in turn, serves as strong evidence of the peace and prosperity prevailing in the country.

No evidence exists of foreign invasions or internal rebellions during this time. The political disturbances indicated in the Mahavamsa as having occurred during the ninth year of the reign — the “cutting of thorns” — appear to have been completely resolved by then.

Thus, the reign of King Aggabodhi I was a period of prosperity and peace. The king took interest in development works, religious reforms, and the promotion of literature and the arts. Upon the administrative foundations laid by King Mahanaga, King Aggabodhi I built a vast and enduring edifice of governance.

He reigned for thirty-four years, a long and fruitful period marked by numerous accomplishments. Yet, no inscriptions of his reign have thus far been discovered.