Thammanna Nuwara
Upatissa Nuwara
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura Chola
Ruhuna
Polonnaruwa
Dambadeniya
Yapahuwa
Kurunegala
Gampola
Kotte
Sitawaka
Kandy
Portuguese
Dutch
British
Monarch of Ceylon
113
King Dappula II
Kingdom of Anuradhapura
815 AC - 831 AC

After King Aggabodhi VIII, the throne was succeeded by his brother, Prince Dappula. In ancient records, he is mentioned as Dappula III, but in the compilation of the Lanka Rajavaliya, he is counted as Dappula II. Apart from the customary religious descriptions, the Mahavamsa states only that this king was a person who preserved all the traditions and customs of his predecessor. He restored a structure at the Hatthikucchi Vihara. This was located at Rajangana, which is considered the land where King Sirisangabo offered his head as alms; thus, it must have belonged to that same Hatthikucchi Vihara. The Tulabhara Dana (ceremonial offering of alms equal to one’s own weight) was another meritorious act of this king. His commander-in-chief was a man named Vajira, who, according to chronicles, also built a monastery for monks who wore robes made from discarded cloth (pamsukoolika bhikkhus).

It is appropriate to briefly examine the order of events that prevailed in the Ruhuna region at this time. As mentioned in an earlier chapter, Princess Deva, daughter of King Udaya I, was given in marriage to Prince Mahinda, the son of Dathasiva, the ruler of Ruhuna. This marriage created a new kinship link between the royal line of Anuradhapura and that of Ruhuna. During the reign of Dappula II over Anuradhapura, Ruhuna was governed by the aforementioned Prince Mahinda. Like his father, he too expelled his own sons from his province. The reason for this act is not mentioned. The princes, named Kittaggabodhi and Dappula, went to their uncle, King Dappula.

King Dappula II received these princes kindly, cared for them, and raised an army to help them wage war against their father. Prince Kittu Aggabo, together with Prince Dappula, advanced toward Ruhuna with his army to confront his father. However, instead of facing his father in battle, he handed over his troops to the commander and returned to the king.

Although Prince Mahinda abandoned the battle, he later fought with another relative and was killed. That relative too perished. The princes Kittaggabodhi and Dappula, though they marched against their father with an army, returned without engaging in battle, believing it improper to fight against their own parent.

It appears that Prince Mahinda, who governed Ruhuna, although he withdrew from the earlier conflict, later engaged in a separate battle with another relative and was slain. Who this other relative was, and why they fought, is not clear. Possibly, he was someone driven by ambition to seize power in Ruhuna. From these events, it is evident that while peace prevailed in Anuradhapura during this period, there existed some form of power struggle among the royal princes in Ruhuna. It is possible that Prince Mahinda expelled his sons from Ruhuna due to this same struggle. Nevertheless, it seems that this conflict ended with the deaths of Prince Mahinda and his relative. Afterward, Prince Kittu Agbo appears to have become the ruler of Ruhuna.

King Dappula III gave his own daughter, Princess Deva, in marriage to Prince Kittu Agbo. According to the Mahavamsa, the prince, along with his wife and children, settled in Ruhuna after being granted leave by the king, taking an army with him. This description is of great significance. As observed earlier, the kinship first established when King Udaya I gave his daughter Princess Deva to Prince Mahinda was further strengthened when Dappula III gave his daughter, also named Princess Deva, in marriage to Kittu Agbo, the son of that same Prince Mahinda.

From the rock inscriptions of Kittu Agbo, also known as Kittaggabodhi, it is evident that he held great power in the Ruhuna region. He bore the title Adipada (Governor). The Devundara rock inscription mentions an annual ceremonial procession (Atthani Perahera) offered to the Kirireli Pirivena of Devinuvara. This inscription, carved on a tree trunk near the Bodhi tree at the Devundara Devale grounds, is considered the oldest record found there. A notable point in this inscription is that when any wrongdoing was committed by the servants of the temple, it had to be judged jointly with the participation of the Sangha (the Buddhist clergy). This is a rare and remarkable provision.

Apart from the conflict in Ruhuna, no other struggles occurred during the reign of King Dappula II. The kingdom appears to have enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity. Although the chronicles mention religious and developmental activities undertaken by the king, they do not describe any particularly notable deeds. This king reigned for ten years.

Home | Era | Colony | Dynasty | Works | The Book | About | Contact
Copyright © www.mahawansaya.com All rights reserved. Copying or unauthorized use is prohibited. 2009 / 2026