1798 AC - 1815 AC

After the death of King Rajadhi Rajasinha, the throne was intended to pass to Muttusami, the brother of the chief queen. However, the Kandyan nobility held decisive influence over succession politics. As a result, they installed Kannasami (a relative of Queen Upendra Ammal Devi’s sister) as king. He ascended the throne at around 18 years of age and was crowned as Sri Vikrama Rajasinha.
Although the king was initially placed on the throne under the condition that he would follow the wishes of the nobility, relations soon deteriorated. Power struggles between the king and the Kandyan chiefs intensified.
In 1803, an attempt was made with British assistance to place Muttusami on the throne, but it failed. Following this, the king ordered the execution of Muttusami.
The rebellion led by Pilimatalawe Adikaram also failed, resulting in his execution. Later, Ehelepola Nilame attempted another revolt but fled to the British, while his wife and children suffered severe punishment.
As conflicts between the king and the nobility escalated, the Kandyan Kingdom weakened significantly. This internal division ultimately enabled the British to take control in 1815.
On February 18, 1815, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was taken into custody. Shortly after, on March 2, 1815, the Kandyan Convention was signed at the Magul Maduwa, formally ending the Sinhala monarchy and transferring power to the British.
On 24 January 1816, the king was taken as a prisoner to Vellore in Madras by the British. He remained in exile and died on 31 January 1832, reportedly due to abdominal illness.
With the fall of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the Nayakkar dynasty ended in Sri Lanka. More broadly, the long line of Sinhalese monarchy that began with King Vijaya (traditionally 543 BCE) is considered to have effectively ended with the British takeover in 1815.
Isura Wickramarachchi
Mahawansa Pradeepikawa