633 AC - 643 AC

King Asiggāhaka Shīlāmegha had three sons named Aggabodhi, Māna, and Kassapa. After the death of their father, the eldest son, Prince Aggabodhi, ascended the throne under the name Sirisangabo. He was the third monarch to bear that name. In Sinhala chronicles, this king is mentioned as Sirisagabo.
He appointed his younger brother, Prince Māna, as Yuvaraja (Sub-King) and sent him to govern the southern region. At this time, Prince Jettatissa, who was mentioned earlier as the son of the first Sanghatissa, was residing in the Malla country. He had hidden there out of fear of King Shīlāmegha.
When Prince Aggabodhi ascended the throne, Jettatissa came to Aritthagiri, gathered his army, and set up camp. He also sent one of his ministers named Dāṭhāsiva to subdue the western region, where he encamped at a village called Siripiṭṭha. Aritthagiri is believed to be the present-day Ritigala, while Siripiṭṭha is thought to be Hiripitiya in the Kurunegala District. Accordingly, it is clear that Jettatissa planned to invade Anuradhapura from the west and south.
King Aggabodhi sent Prince Māna, the Yuvaraja, to battle Dāṭhāsiva. The Yuvaraja won this battle, and Dāṭhāsiva fled to Māyetti Tank, which is believed to be either the present Vilachchiya or Mahavilachchiya Tank. There, the minister was captured by the king.
When Prince Jettatissa heard of this, he immediately raised an army and marched against the king. In that battle, the king was defeated. He escaped on an elephant and fled to Dam̆badiwa (India) by ship. Thus, his first reign lasted only six months. Apart from this account, the Mahavamsa merely states that “he ruled according to the ancient customs.”
After the above-mentioned conflict, Prince Jettatissa became king. However, before describing his activities, it is fitting here to mention the remaining details about the third King Aggabodhi.
Having spent some time in India, King Aggabodhi, after the reign of Prince Dēṭutissa, brought a Tamil army to Lanka, fought with King Dēṭutissa, and regained his throne. During his first six months, he was unable to accomplish much, but upon becoming king for the second time, he ruled according to the ancient traditions.
This king donated several villages to monasteries such as Jetavana, and he also constructed the Mahā Pānadeepa Vihara in Polonnaruwa. This indicates that the rulers of Anuradhapura during this period had begun to focus attention on Polonnaruwa. However, this site has not yet been clearly identified.
It appears that during his reign, there arose a conflict within the royal palace. His brother, Prince Māna, who held the position of Sub-King, was accused by palace officials of committing a crime within the inner chambers and was executed. Afterward, the king appointed his younger brother, Prince Kāśyapa, as the new Yuvaraja.
It is likely that the king had approved of his brother’s execution, though it may also have been the result of a conspiracy by others. Otherwise, the king must have been too weak to punish those responsible. In any case, this incident shows that the king was in a position of weakness.
As a result of this, the king appears to have faced many difficulties. When Dāṭhāsiva, the former minister of the late King Dēṭutissa, heard of Prince Māna’s death, he raised a Tamil army and marched to Kinkinīgāma for battle.
King Aggabodhi, realizing that he could not achieve victory, took only a small force and fled once again to India (Dam̆badiwa). This time, his reign lasted twelve years. After that, according to the Mahavamsa, he continued to wage battles repeatedly.
During the reign of King Dāṭhopatissa I, King Aggabodhi fought against him, but was defeated, retreated to Ruhuna, and while reorganizing his army, he died of illness.
The struggle between King Aggabodhi and King Dāṭhopatissa I continued for four years.