Thammanna Nuwara
Upatissa Nuwara
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura Chola
Ruhuna
Polonnaruwa
Dambadeniya
Yapahuwa
Kurunegala
Gampola
Kotte
Sitawaka
Kandy
Portuguese
Dutch
British
Monarch of Ceylon
138
King Jayabahu I
Kingdom of Polonnaruwa
1110 AC - 1111 AC

With the death of King Vijayabahu, who had unified the island, internal disorder and confusion began to arise in the country. It is clear that this situation emerged as a result of a power struggle among the princes. After King Vijayabahu, the kingship was bestowed upon his brother, Prince Jayabahu. He was the first king to appear under that name. In bringing about this appointment, the king’s sister Mitta, her three sons (Manabharana, Kitti Sirimegha, and Sirivallabha), the chief ministers, and the monks of the Ashta Vihara fraternities were involved. After Prince Jayabahu was enthroned, Prince Manabharana was granted the position of sub-king. Following the death of Prince Virabahu, who had served as sub-king under King Vijayabahu, Prince Jayabahu was appointed to the office of sub-king.

As King Vijayabahu had no other brothers, the right of succession after King Jayabahu lay with Prince Vikramabahu. However, Vikramabahu, the king’s son, who at this time was residing in Ruhuna as the Adipada (regional ruler), was disregarded. According to customary practice, this was contrary to the tradition that had prevailed until then. It appears that even the forest-dwelling (arannaka) monks, who enjoyed great respect in society, were involved in this conspiracy. The intention of Princess Mitta, the king’s sister who orchestrated this plan, was to place Prince Jayabahu on the throne while governing the country through her own son Manabharana, who had been appointed sub-king. It further appears that her objective was also to eliminate Prince Vikramabahu, the son of King Vijayabahu, who could have posed an obstacle to this plan.

According to long-standing custom, if a brother of the king was alive after the king’s death, kingship was granted to that brother, and once the line of brothers ended, the throne passed to the son of the eldest brother. Accordingly, the coronation of Prince Jayabahu was not improper; however, granting the office of sub-king to Prince Manabharana, a son of Mitta, was contrary to accepted practice. That position rightfully belonged to Prince Vijayabahu, the son of King Vijayabahu. This became the primary seed of the powerful conflict that arose, and another factor that intensified it was the entry into Ruhuna by Prince Manabharana and his two brothers, together with King Jayabahu, in an attempt to capture Prince Vikramabahu.

Professor Senarath Paranavitana comments on this matter as follows:
“On the side of Prince Manabharana, it may have been argued that he was both a son-in-law of King Vijayabahu and a descendant of the Sinhalese royal lineage, while Prince Vikramabahu belonged to the Kalinga lineage.”

Prince Manabharana was the son of Princess Mitta, the sister of King Vijayabahu. We know that her husband was a prince of the Pandya dynasty. Accordingly, when lineage is considered from the paternal side, Prince Manabharana was not connected to the Sinhalese royal lineage. Prince Vikramabahu was the son of Queen Tilokasundari of the Kalinga lineage, who was the consort of King Vijayabahu. Thus, from the paternal side, he was connected to the Sinhalese royal lineage. On this basis, no question could arise regarding Prince Vikramabahu’s right to the throne. However, it must not be overlooked that, under the influence of the Cholas during this period, there is evidence suggesting the emergence of a tendency to assert royal succession through the maternal line. Nevertheless, the conflict continued to intensify.

At this time, Prince Vikramabahu, who had not even been granted the opportunity to participate in his father’s final rites, lived in great distress. Hoping at least to see his father’s tomb, he set out for Polonnaruwa with a small group and arrived at a place called Kosbukkuwa near Guththala. There he encountered Prince Manabharana and his party, who had come to capture him. In the battle that ensued between the two sides, Prince Vikramabahu emerged victorious. The defeated Prince Manabharana fled but repeatedly re-engaged in battle. Fierce clashes took place at Adipadajambu (Dambagalla), Katagama (Katagamuwa), Kalavapi (this refers to the Kala Wewa in Ruhuna, which has not yet been conclusively identified), Uddhanadvara (Galabedda), and Pankavela (Mandavela). Having won all these battles, Prince Vikramabahu entered Polonnaruwa.

According to the Pujavaliya, the reign of King Jayabahu lasted fourteen years. An inscription found at Budumuttawa mentions his eighth regnal year. Furthermore, as Professor Senarath Paranavitana notes, inscriptions have also been found that record the thirty-eighth regnal year of King Jayabahu. However, it is not believed that this king occupied the throne for such a long period. Although he had received consecration, he was deposed, and King Vikramabahu, who ascended the throne thereafter, ruled Rajarata without receiving consecration. This may have been because King Jayabahu, the lawful ruler, was still alive. According to customary practice, when dating an inscription, the regnal years of a consecrated king were used. Dating by the reign of an unconsecrated king was considered contrary to established custom.

For this reason, Paranavitana points out that Kings Vikramabahu II and Gajabahu II dated their inscriptions according to the regnal years of King Jayabahu I, who was a consecrated king. Accordingly, some scholars argue that the reign of King Jayabahu I was not as long as suggested by the records. In a slab inscription found in a paddy field near Katahamuwewa, close to the road running from Kataragama to Sithulpawwa, mention is made of a person called Manabharana Devayan Vahanse. It is also stated that the grant mentioned therein was made in the thirty-fifth year of a king called Jayabahu Devayan Vahanse. The two individuals referred to have been identified as King Jayabahu mentioned earlier and Prince Manabharana, the eldest son of Princess Mitta. The reign of King Jayabahu should therefore be calculated by including the period during which he served as sub-king in Ruhuna. No records exist of any secular or religious works undertaken by this king.

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