The Period of the Six Dravidian Kings and the Rise of King Dhātusena

As explained in the final chapter of the Mahā Rājavansaya (Great Chronicle of the Sinhalese Kings), the rule of the six Dravidian (Tamil) kings lasted for 27 years. During this period, there are no detailed historical records describing the state of the country. The Mahāvaṃsa notes that at the beginning of their rule, the Sinhalese nobility fled to the region of Rohana (the southern part of the island). As was the case whenever Anuradhapura fell into foreign hands (except during the reign of King Valagamba), the Sinhalese kings and nobles always took refuge in Rohana.

This suggests that the six Dravidian rulers suppressed the native nobility harshly. Although the Dravidian kings made donations to Buddhist monasteries in an attempt to win public favor, it is clear that they never gained the true acceptance of the Sinhalese people.

After the final Dravidian ruler was overthrown, King Dhātusena ascended the throne. The chronicles mention that he confiscated the villages that had been granted to noblemen who supported the Dravidian rulers, indicating that certain factions among the Sinhalese aristocracy had collaborated with the invaders—either out of fear or in pursuit of personal gain while the nation and the religion were collapsing.

During the reign of the last Dravidian ruler, Pīṭhiya, a powerful liberation movement arose among the Sinhalese. Its leadership emerged from the guidance of the Buddhist Sangha, embodied in a national hero—Prince Dhātusena—who became the rallying figure of the Sinhalese resistance.

Origins and Early Life of Dhātusena

According to the Mahāvaṃsa, Dhātusena descended from a Mauryan family that had hidden themselves in various parts of the country after the reign of King Subha, roughly 375 years earlier. He lived in a village called Nandivāpi, and his father’s lineage traced back to a family of Mauryan descent. His father, Dāṭha, lived in Ambiliyāgu Gāma and had two sons—Dhātusena, the elder, and Sīlātissa Bodhi, the younger.

The chronicles further describe that the uncle of these princes was a monk residing at the Dīghasanda monastery in Anuradhapura. Prince Dhātusena became a novice monk under his uncle. One day, during a heavy rain, a cobra was seen shielding the novice with its hood—a miraculous omen foretelling his future greatness. On another occasion, an ill-behaved monk dumped refuse on his head, but the novice remained calm and unshaken. Witnessing this, the elder monk realized the boy’s spiritual strength and predicted that he would one day become king.

When King Pandu learned of this prophecy, he sent men to capture the prince. The elder monk, foreseeing the danger, helped Dhātusena escape south across the Goṇanadi river, where he was hidden safely in a remote hermitage.

This episode suggests that the Dravidian king’s authority did not extend far beyond the Goṇanadi river, and that Dhātusena found refuge in the Maya region.

The Liberation Struggle

Over time, the Dravidian rulers expanded their power southward. King Pāriṇḍa, who succeeded Pīṭhiya, brought the Maya country under his control. His successor, Buddhapāriṇḍa, extended his rule up to Rohana and persecuted all those loyal to Prince Dhātusena.

Despite being unprepared and with limited military strength, Dhātusena rose up against the invaders for the first time, though he was defeated. Nevertheless, the resistance intensified, and inscriptions found near Kataragama—referring to “Maha Daṭika Maha Nāga” and “Tirītara”—are believed to date from this period of struggle.

According to the Mahāvaṃsa, Dhātusena led 21 military campaigns, gradually reclaiming territory. With the assistance of his brother Sīlātissa Bodhi—much as Dutugemunu had been aided by Prince Saddhatissa—he waged war for nearly 23 years, ultimately defeating the entire line of Dravidian rulers and ascending the throne around 459 CE.

Thus began the second Mauryan dynasty in Sri Lanka.

Dynastic and Cultural Identity

The Mahāvaṃsa explicitly calls King Dhātusena a Mauryan (Mōriya Vaṃsika). Earlier kings, from Pandukabhaya to Yasalālaka Tissa, were also of Mauryan descent, though the chronicle does not always use the term explicitly. Later texts connect both the Mauryan and Lambakanna dynasties to the Śākya princes who arrived in Sri Lanka with Jaya Śrī Mahā Bodhi.

There is also evidence from Indian literature suggesting that the Mauryas had previously invaded the Dravidian lands before Emperor Aśoka’s reign. Professor Senarath Paranavitana notes, however, that no direct link between the Mauryas of India and those of Sri Lanka can be conclusively established.

In ancient Brahmi inscriptions of Sri Lanka, the term “Meriya” (Maurya) appears, confirming the existence of this lineage locally.

Religious Works and Public Administration

After uniting the country, King Dhātusena worked to rebuild and strengthen both the administration and the Buddhist religion. His first act was to restore the sacred sites in Anuradhapura destroyed by the invaders—rebuilding the Great Alms Hall (Mahā Pali Dāna Sālā), repairing the Bodhighara (Bodhi shrine), and copying the sacred texts.

He supported all three major monastic centers—Mahāvihāra, Abhayagiri, and Jetavana—and built or renovated eighteen regional monasteries. Among his most significant religious constructions were the Kālavāpi Vihāra (today’s Aukana), the Magul Maha Vihāra at Lahugala, and other shrines in Rohana. He also revived the Buddhābhiṣeka ceremony, symbolizing that royal authority was subordinate to the Dharma.

Economic Development and Irrigation

Dhātusena’s next major focus was the economic revival of the island. During the Dravidian occupation, agriculture and irrigation had fallen into ruin. The king undertook an ambitious irrigation program—building 18 great reservoirs and 18 minor tanks to restore prosperity.

The most famous of these is the Kala Wewa, constructed on the advice of his preceptor, the Mahā Thera of Nandivāpi, in fulfillment of a vow he had made while crossing the Goṇanadi River during his exile. This vast reservoir, with its intricate canals, remains one of the most magnificent engineering achievements in Sri Lankan history.

Legacy

King Dhātusena is remembered as a national hero who liberated Sri Lanka from foreign domination, restored Buddhism, rebuilt the economy, and unified the country. The people honored him as both a warrior-king and a great patron of religion and culture.