After the short reign of the fourth Sena King, the throne was ascended by Prince Mahinda. He is considered as the fourth in that line. In the Poojawaliya, this king is named “Kuda Mihindel.” The Mahavamsa attributes four epithets to this king. These can be interpreted as Mahapin (“greatly endowed”), Mahateda (“of great intelligence”), Mahayasas (“of great fame”), and Mahasena (“of great army”). It further describes that he united the country by removing enmities and that the provincial rulers were constantly submissive to him.

The fourth Mihindu King, although there were Kshatriya lineage princesses in the country, was consecrated by bringing a princess from the Kalinga Chakravarthi lineage to the capital. She bore him two sons and one daughter. The king granted the sons the positions of Adipada (principal officials) and the daughter the status of queen.

The Mahavamsa also mentions that King Mahinda had another consort named Kitti. It describes that she attained fame equal to that of the king. It is worth inquiring why such a distinguished consort would have been married to a Kalinga princess. The text states, “Although there were Kshatriya princesses in this country, a Kalinga princess was brought.” The phrasing suggests that the author may have been reluctant to record this act. However, there is a tradition in the Mahavamsa indicating that this Sinhala lineage was established. It cannot be conclusively assumed that it was politically motivated. One could speculate that some political advantage was expected from this marriage. Professor Senarath Paranavitana comments, “According to the theory of mandalas, King Mahinda must have understood the importance of making friends with the enemies of India’s enemies.” It can be inferred that, after this marriage, the Kalinga princesses and their lineage gradually came to this island. This seems similar to the conflict resolved by bringing princesses from the Nayakkar line of the Kandy Udarata kings. Since there is no evidence identifying whose daughter the Kalinga princess was, it is not possible to consider this marriage as a political strategy, as some might think.

No records regarding the descendants of the fourth Mihindu King appear in the Mahavamsa. According to the chronicle, his claim to the royal inheritance was merely that he had been the crown prince of the previous king. However, using inscriptions, certain ideas can be formulated. The large inscription at Mihinthale has been determined to belong to the period of the fourth Mihindu King. This inscription records that Sirisangabo Aba Maharaja, the son of King Abha Salamavan and Queen Degon, was established in the sixteenth year of his reign. Accordingly, it appears that the father of King Mihindu was a king named Aba Salamavan. This seems to be the king’s consecration name. His son, identified as Sirisangabo Aba, also carried this consecration name. Since many kings of this period are recorded with these two names, there are no firm grounds to determine them individually. However, by considering the name of the king’s mother and the regnal year, some hypotheses can be explored.

After the tenth year of the fourth Kashyapa King, no one ascended to the throne until the fourth Mihindu King. Therefore, the inscription should not be assumed to refer to the fourth Mihindu King. This is further confirmed by an inscription at Vessagiriya. Although it does not mention the king’s parents, it records the king as Sirisangabo Aba Mihindu. Since details of Sena Senaviya’s deeds are also included, this identification is correct. However, it does not provide certainty regarding his parents. To clarify that, one must investigate which king had a consort named Devigon (Deva).

It appears that three kings who bore the consecration name Aba Salamavan reigned around this approximate period. They are the fifth Kassapa, the fourth Dappula, and the third of these kings. Some consider that the father of the fourth Mihindu King was one of these three. Further discussion suggests that the fourth Sena King could have been his father. The only way to confirm this is by clarifying which king had a consort named Deva. The Mahavamsa indicates that the fifth Kashyapa King had a consort named Deva. She was the mother of Sakkasenapati, who died during the Indian invasion. No other son of Deva consort is mentioned due to King Kassapa. However, since no other king of this period is recorded with a consort named Deva, it is reasonable to consider that the fifth Kashyapa King was the father of the fourth Mihindu King. Accordingly, it appears that Prince Mihindu ascended to the throne after the reigns of four previous kings, which can also clarify that this happened thirty-two years after the death of his father. Therefore, the prince would have been of mature age when he became king.

Before Mahinda King could spend a long period on the throne, he faced a foreign invasion. The Mahavamsa states, “King Vallabha sent an army to Nagadeepa to subdue this land. The king, seeing this, sent Sena Senaviya with military force. Sena Senaviya went there, waged war, destroyed the enemy camp, and took possession. The kings of Vallabha could not defeat this king and established friendly relations with Lankaeshvara. Thus, the king’s fame spread across the sea to Dambadiva.”

According to the above account, it appears that King Vallabha sent an army to Nagadeepa and made an agreement with the Sinhala king after being defeated. The Vallabha army landed at Nagadeepa (the Jaffna region) at Urathotini. The Poojawaliya and Rajawaliya clearly state this. This is the old port known today as Kayts. It is important to identify which Vallabha king invaded this island.

Some consider this invader to be the second Parantaka Chola King, while others believe it was the third Krishna Chola, who, after defeating the Cholas, invaded many regions in southern India. According to inscriptions, kings of Chola, Pandya, and Lanka paid tribute to him. He established a base at Rameshwaram. Considering this, it is conceivable that Krishna Chola’s army could have entered Lanka. The Sinhala king would have immediately dispersed them.

As stated, the Poojawaliya and Rajawaliya indicate that the invading force that came to Nagadeepa was Tamil. Nothing is said about King Vallabha. Therefore, the reports in the Mahavamsa and these two texts can be considered separate incidents. As Professor Senarath Paranavitana notes, the second Parantaka King also invaded this island during this period. The inscriptions show that the second Sundara Chola, Virudhayaarakond, subjugated the Pandya kingdom again. The main battle took place at a location called Chevur Malaya, south of the Sevalikota region, which belonged to the Pudukkottai kingdom. As a result of this battle, the Pandya king fled, and the Cholas gained power. Kodumbalur, led by the Chola commander Sirivellar, invaded this island and landed at Urathotot. Nevertheless, during the reign of the fourth Mihindu King, this foreign invasion occurred and was repelled, as confirmed by inscriptions.

The Vessagiriya inscription initially mentioned, “Sirisangabo Aba Mihinda Maharaja Sena Senaviya Vikmen, throughout the land, conducted military arrangements.” It clearly establishes that King Mihindu sent Sena Senapati to Nagadeepa to repel the invading forces. The claim in the inscription that the entire Dambadiva was subject to him is exaggerated. On the other hand, since the inscription was set up during the king’s regnal year, the invasion must have occurred earlier.

Although King Mihindu faced such invasions, he was also engaged in extensive administrative and religious duties. The Mahavamsa records that he performed many pious deeds, including thirty stanzas of poetry. Among these were important events, such as having Dhamma-mitta monks of Siththagama conduct an Abhidharma exposition, and having Dathnaga monks preach Abhidharma. Offering alms, donations, providing hospitals, and constructing monasteries were among his many activities. The text also mentions the construction of a beautiful building on the site of the Padalanchana, which had been burned by the Chola army. It is not clear whether the Chola forces that burned it arrived during Mihindu’s reign or earlier. In any case, it appears that the Vallabha forces that arrived at Nagadeepa did not reach Anuradhapura. This can be considered destruction carried out by the Cholas during the reign of the fourth Udaya King. King Mihindu’s consort named Kitti also performed notable ceremonies.

The chronicles do not mention the king’s contribution to the country’s development. However, considering his administrative activities, it appears that the economic condition of the country was good.

Several inscriptions from this king’s period have been found. The Mihinthale wall inscription is the most prominent. Among inscriptions written during the Anuradhapura period, this seems to be the largest. The points recorded are very important for those inquiring about monastery administration. The inscription details a method of paying salaries to the Dharmacharya monks residing in the monastery.

For monks studying the Vinaya Pitaka, five portions were allocated; for monks studying the Sutta Pitaka, four portions; and for monks studying the Abhidharma Pitaka, twelve portions. During this period, more attention seems to have been given to Abhidharma than to Vinaya, which is particularly notable.

As previously mentioned, King Mihindu had Dhamma-mitta monks conduct an Abhidharma exposition. This indicates that the emphasis was more on scripture than on disciplinary matters, affecting both the monks and the administrative side. It may have been influenced by Mahayana traditions. The use and management of monastery property, as well as the roles of monks and monastery staff, were regulated according to this inscription. Evidence of environmental concern is also seen, as even the cutting of trees within the monastery grounds was prohibited. This inscription was set up in the final regnal year of the king.

The Wewalketiya Tam inscription, which is considered to possibly belong to the fourth Mihindu King, is very useful for understanding royal law. Therefore, it is more important than other inscriptions.

In this inscription, the king’s name is recorded as “Sirisangbo Abha Maharappu Putra Sirisangbo Abha Maharappu.” It records both the king and his father’s name as their consecration names. Although the inscription is located in a small village called Wewalketiya in the Anuradhapura region, historically this area held significant administrative importance. Possibly, even a trading town existed there, so unlawful acts may have been common. Thus, a small legal framework could have been established for public knowledge.

The text describes methods of punishment for crimes such as killing, maiming, theft (including kidnapping and robbery), theft of livestock and poultry, and selling stolen animals. People who committed offenses were liable to the death penalty. Assisting in committing wrongful acts was also considered punishable. Stolen animals’ brands had to be removed. Those who removed brands had to be punished with iron chains. The offenses, judgments, and punishments were to be recorded for future reference. This indicates that a high-level judicial system existed in the past.

The Vessagiriya inscription was set up to record donations to the Isurumuni Vihara and their management. It notes that King Mihindu took measures to suppress local disturbances. The Rambawa, Polonnaruwa Rajamaligawa, and Abhayagiri Vihara inscriptions also belong to King Mihindu’s reign. These confirm monastery administration, management of monastic property, and duties of the staff. This king ruled the country for ten years.