After the death of King Gothabhaya, who had dethroned the righteous King Sirisanghabodhi and seized the throne, his eldest son, Prince Jettatissa, ascended the throne. During the time when he was performing his father’s funeral rites, he took a severe action against a group of ministers. According to the Mahavamsa, this happened as follows:

King Jettatissa instructed the ministers to join the royal funeral procession that was organized for his father. However, some of the ministers were unwilling to participate. Enraged by this, the King sent his brother, Prince Mahasena, and the ministers who agreed with him to go ahead in the procession. When they had passed through the gates, the King ordered the gates to be shut, preventing the rebellious ministers from leaving, and had them all killed. Their corpses were piled around the tomb of the late King.

The Mahavamsa Tika further explains that the group entered through the western gate and, upon exiting the eastern gate, both gates were closed simultaneously, and the ministers were slain. It appears that, according to the customs of the time, the royal council of ministers was expected to walk ahead of the funeral procession of a deceased monarch. Their refusal to do so is recorded here as the cause for their execution.

It is not improper to consider that there might have been another underlying cause for this incident. For the ministers to decide not to participate in the funeral of the King they had served, there must have been some compelling reason. Yet, the Mahavamsa mentions nothing of the sort. The author of the Pujavaliya, in describing the enthronement of King Gothabhaya’s son, says:

“King Jettatissa, who performed the funeral of his father, captured sixty disobedient men who had not honored the late King, killed them, piled their bodies, and took the kingdom under his sole rule.”

The Rajavaliya records it as:

“He captured all the disobedient forest-dwellers who had not honored his father’s funeral, killed them by piling their corpses, and took the kingdom into his sole rule.”

From this, it is clear that there had been some opposing power that tried to prevent Prince Jettatissa from ascending the throne.

At this time, the monk Sanghamitta was residing in Anuradhapura. He is described as having come from Andhra Desha and was skilled in the science of spirits (Bhuta Vidya). According to the Mahavamsa, he arrived from Kaveri Pattanam, where he had been living. This period was one in which the influence of the Yogachara school, founded by teachers such as Asanga and Vasubandhu, had spread strongly throughout South India.

During this time, methods of Gupta Yoga, Yantra, Mantra, and Tantra practices had begun to enter the Buddhist tradition. The Yogachara doctrine itself was essentially a Mahayana philosophy. Sanghamitta Thera may have been a follower of these teachings.

When he arrived in Sri Lanka, he quickly gained royal favor and was elevated to the position of Royal Preceptor (Rajaguru). It is notable that although the Mahavihara had existed for centuries as a great seat of learning, no monk from there was chosen to educate the two royal princes — an omission that raises questions.

It is evident that Sanghamitta Thera’s educational intentions deviated from Prince Jettatissa and leaned toward Prince Mahasena. Therefore, it is likely that he acted against Jettatissa. Being well-versed in occult sciences, he also managed to gain the favor of many ministers.

However, it is possible that Prince Mahasena had no involvement in this. If he did not, then it must be assumed that a large number of Lambakarna nobles who were disheartened by the killing of King Sirisanghabodhi were holding government posts during King Gothabhaya’s reign and posed opposition to his rule. That same opposing force may have resurfaced upon the King’s death, and Prince Jettatissa might have suppressed it by slaughtering the ministers.

Under the Lambakarna dynasty, there had been an expansion of the administrative structure — an increase in offices, the growth of the bureaucratic class, and an enhancement of the officials’ authority. The King’s position too became more elevated.

This is evident from two events that occurred during the reigns of King Gothabhaya and King Jettatissa. King Gothabhaya’s move to expel the Vaitulya monks who opposed the Mahavihara was a decisive act demonstrating royal power. Yet, his actions, though firm, appear to have been motivated not by hatred but by righteous intention.

On the other hand, it is clear that by the time of King Gothabhaya’s funeral, the officials’ power had grown so much that they dared to refuse participation in the royal rites. This indicates how the power balance between the monarchy and the officials had shifted.

Eventually, as can be seen from the chronicles, this struggle between royal authority and officialdom reached a point where officials even determined who would become king.

The great scholar Professor Senarath Paranavitana interprets these events differently. He states that toward the end of King Gothabhaya’s reign, discontent arose within the royal palace and that some considered Prince Mahasena, rather than Jettatissa, as the more suitable successor.

However, in an era where the rule of primogeniture was well established — that the eldest son should succeed in the absence of another brother — there must have been some extraordinary reason for passing over Prince Jettatissa in favor of Prince Mahasena. No such reason is mentioned in the sources, except possibly the influence of Sanghamitta Thera’s intrigues.

Professor Paranavitana further suggests that a conspiracy was brewing to dethrone Jettatissa and seize the kingdom. Since there is no evidence that King Gothabhaya had another son, the question of succession should not have been disputed. Thus, Jettatissa may have harbored suspicions or resentment regarding his brother.

If Mahasena had indeed been involved in the conspiracy, then it is certain that he too would have been killed by King Jettatissa. The fact that he was not implies that, despite tensions between the brothers, there was restraint on Jettatissa’s part. Professor Paranavitana notes that this is why Jettatissa, the elder brother, was later praised for not harming his younger sibling.

However, there is no record of any direct involvement of Prince Mahasena in these events. If we assume that a group of ministers, displeased by the murder of King Sirisanghabodhi, refused to attend King Gothabhaya’s funeral, that could justify their fate.

Nevertheless, due to these harsh actions, King Jettatissa came to be known as “Kakkhala” — meaning stern or ruthless. The word Makalan in the Pujavaliya and Kalakan in the Rajavaliya both appear to reflect this same notion of “Kakkhala.”

After his coronation, the monk Sanghamitta left the island for India (Dambadiva). The Mahavamsa Tika notes that he said to Prince Mahasena before his departure:

“The King bears hatred toward me; therefore, it is difficult for me to remain here. I will go to India. When your consecration ceremony is arranged and you ascend the throne, I shall return, bringing the consecration vessels.”

King Jettatissa, following the ancient tradition, acted in favor of the Mahavihara. He completed the unfinished work on the Lovamahapaya begun by his father, spending a crore (10 million) in wealth and constructing it as a seven-story edifice.

He also offered a gem valued at sixty lakhs and built a gem-studded pavilion called Manipasada. Two exquisite gems were offered to the Great Stupa (Mahathupa), and two gateways (Toranas) were built for the Sacred Bo Tree (Sri Maha Bodhi).

He built a monastery named Pacinatissapabbata Vihara and offered it to the monks of the Panchavasa. He also transferred the sacred image of the Buddha known as Urusilapattima, which had been enshrined in Thuparama by King Devanampiyatissa, to the Pacinatissapabbata Vihara.

The remains of this site are identified near the present Nuwara Wewa bund, north of the Mihintale road, surrounded by a small pond. It must have been a magnificent place of worship in ancient times.

The Mahavamsa further records that he opened the Lovamahapaya, organized the Vesak festival, and offered triple robes to thirty thousand monks during that celebration.

According to the Rajarathnakara, he built six tanks (wewas) and four monasteries, though none have yet been precisely identified.

Looking at this series of meritorious deeds and religious offerings, it is clear that during this time, the country enjoyed prosperity, peace, and internal stability.

The King’s authority was accepted throughout the land, and despite his initial execution of a large number of ministers, no opposition movement arose against him.

No inscriptions from his reign have yet been discovered. King Jettatissa ruled the kingdom for ten years.