After a reign of seven months, the third Dappula King passed away, and the crown prince, who was present, ascended the throne under the name Dappula. Thus, he is the fourth king known by this name. Some also refer to him as “Savana.” The coronation name of this king, according to inscriptions, appears to have been Abhasalamevan. Surprisingly, the Mahavamsa does not mention the familial relationship of this king with the third Dappula, who had previously ruled. However, texts such as the Pujavaliya, Rajavaliya, and Rajaratnakara indicate that he was the brother of the first king. The Rajavaliya refers to him under the name “Kuda Dappula.” The crown prince of King Dappula was the prince Udaya, who later ascended the throne as the fourth Udaya King. However, inscriptions indicate that there was another crown prince named Kasup (Kashyapa).

An inscription found in Anuradhapura mentions a crown prince named Kasupmahapradanan. It states that he was the son of Mahinda, the brother of King Sena II, and was appointed by Sangha Bisova. From this inscription, it appears that Kasup the prince died during the tenure of the crown prince of King Dappula. This inscription also reveals information about the lineage of King Dappula. Mahinda, the crown prince, is mentioned as a younger father figure of King Dappula in the inscription. These details, not included in the Mahavamsa but revealed through inscriptions, are particularly significant.

Regarding the period of the fourth Dappula King, the Mahavamsa ends with just the title of a stanza. However, it seems that two events that occurred during his reign should have been described in detail, though the Mahavamsa only gives a hint. The first is that King Pandu, fearing the Cholas, abandoned his territory and arrived by ship at Mahatiththa. King Dappula, upon seeing him, rejoiced and gave him great gifts, allowing him to leave the city. The second event concerns a minor battle in which local warriors of the island fought when the Pandu King, having captured two chiefs from a war with the Chola King, was to be delivered to the Lankan king. The Mahavamsa attributes this battle to the Pandu King’s sinful deeds.

Although other local texts do not mention these two points, some issues can be clarified using certain foreign and local inscriptions. Information about the situation in South India during this period is partly related to the fifth King Kashyapa, as noted in an earlier chapter. At the time when the first Parantaka Chola King invaded the Pandya country, the ruler there, King Veera Narayana, was killed, and his son, Rajasingha II Pandya, took over. Since he sought assistance from the Sinhalese king, the fifth King Kashyapa sent a military force. However, the commander Senaviya died of disease, and the king recalled the army, as noted in the earlier chapter.

The information is corroborated by inscriptions from the second Ganga Prithvipathi King’s era. The first Parantaka Chola King’s campaign led to the victory over the Pandya country. He united with Madurai and Ilamumkond regions, indicating that he had subdued Madurai and Lanka. However, the term Ilamum (subjugated Lanka) is an exaggeration. No documents indicate that he actually conquered Lanka. It is a false claim that cannot be verified. The second Rajasingha King fled to Lanka during this event, when he could not confront the first Parantaka Chola King. He brought royal items and a crown, seeking to gain military assistance from the Lankan ruler to free his country from Soli Narapati. However, this did not succeed, so the Rajasingha King returned to Kerala. This account in the Mahavamsa is corroborated by the Thiruwalangadu inscriptions of the first Rajendra Chola King. Although the Kerala and Chola kings were strong allies, the Rajasingha King went there because it was his mother’s birthplace.

The Mahavamsa indicates that the Rajasingha King had to leave the island because local warriors had created a disturbance, making it clear that he could not obtain help from this country. The nature of this disturbance is not mentioned in any chronicle. It may have been created by those opposed to Dappula King’s deployment of an army to save the Pandya country. Why? Because they must have recalled the fate of the commander and army previously sent to fight in South India. The Mahavamsa emphasizes this disturbance as a serious uprising by the local warriors.

The Mahavamsa states that this disturbance was resolved. However, it gives no details about the measures taken by the king. One may interpret that the disturbance subsided either because the king returned to Kerala or abandoned the plan to invade Dambadiva.

However, although this interpretation seems reasonable, a different explanation is revealed by inscriptions. According to an inscription found at Kataragam, it appears that there was a disturbance in the Rohana and Malaya regions. It occurred during the reign of the second Udaya King, as noted in an earlier chapter. An earlier inscription also mentions a ritual conducted by Prince Mihindu during the Savana period established by King Dappula. It states that this Mihindu Udaya was the son of King Udaya Mahraja, born from the Kusin of Degon Bisova, and that he secured the Ruhunu Malamadu region through his own efforts. It can be inferred that Dappula Mahraja was the second Dappula and that Udaya Mahya was the third Udaya King who succeeded him. Although the situation in Rohana was resolved under the second Udaya King, by this period, unrest had arisen again. Earlier, the border of Rohana had been extended to Gal Oya. We know of battles conducted by kings against Rohana rulers when they attempted to exceed boundaries. It is certain that the fourth Dappula King faced a territorial struggle. Due to this, he had to place Mihindu Lama in Malaya and Rohana. The Mahavamsa refers to this as a warrior conflict.

The above points are confirmed by inscriptions found in Digamadulla. The Tam inscription near Kondawatuvana tank belongs to the period of the fourth Dappula King. It mentions an official named Sang Vearakus, appointed by the king as a war administrator. The Pandu King understood that he could not gain support because of the circumstances faced by King Dappula. As noted earlier, he went to Kerala for this reason.

Details of King Dappula’s activities are minimal in primary sources. After suppressing the internal disturbances, the Mahavamsa only records that he granted a village near the city to the Mahabodhiya. His commander, Rakaka, organized a retinue at Thuparama in the king’s name. The Mahavamsa states that the king governed according to established custom. The reign of this king lasted twelve years.