192 AC - 194 AC

According to the Mahavamsa, King Kanitthiss had two sons. After the elder son, Chulānāga, passed away, the throne was ascended by Rassava. His reign lasted two years. The fact that the Mahavamsa mentions this king only in a single verse illustrates how insignificant his position was considered. In some copies of the Mahavamsa, his name is recorded as Budujaga. The Dipavamsa also records it in the same way. The Rajawaliya records him as Sulunā or Chulānāga, and the Nikāya Sangraha, Pujawaliya, Saddharmaratnakara, and Rajaratnakara mention him as Kuhunna. The Sulu Rajawaliya records it as Kuhunya.
The Mahavamsa does not mention any of this king’s activities. However, the Rajawaliya, Rajaratnakara, and similar texts note that he constructed the Lōwāmahāpāya with five foundations and built the Piyageta line of the Bō house on four sides. Yet these works are attributed in the Mahavamsa to the future king, Sirināga. Given the short duration of two years, it is doubtful that such works could have been carried out by the weak ruler Chulānāga. As described later, the Mahavamsa report seems to be correct.
Some kings mentioned in the Mahavamsa have been overlooked by modern historians. However, even for kings who reigned briefly or for whom information was scarce, we should seek data. Fortunately, three inscriptions referring to Chulānāga, also called Bujjanāga, have been found. The first is the Elāra Sohona inscription, discovered in the southern Thupeya Maluwa, currently in use. It contains information regarding numerous offerings made to that Thupeya. The ritual records, although later carried out by the succeeding king Sirināga, clearly show that the contributor was King Bujjanāga. The inscription mentions him as Maparuma Ramana Maharaja. This indicates that the king referred to in the chronicles as Bujjanāga or Chulānāga is mentioned in the inscriptions as Rana or Ramana. The origin of this name is unclear. The inscription shows that for the southern Thupeya, he made large mounds, tanks, and many other offerings, including the production of yellow clay.
The second inscription details the lineage of King Ramana. It clarifies that offerings were made to the Anulathissa Pabbata Mahavihara, associated with Abhayagiri. It states: “Thaka Maharaja’s son, Malutisa Maharajah’s daughter, Rapha’s son, Ranaya Maharaja…” This confirms that Ramana was the son of the Mahārāja named Tisa, Malutisa was the daughter of a Mahārāja, and Thaka was the son of a Mahārāja. No detailed interpretation of this inscription has been made so far. Yet it reveals significant historical information.
From the inscription mentioned above, it is possible to identify Nak Mahārāja as Mahallakanāga, Malutisa Mahārāja as King Kanitthiss, and Tisa as the second Bhathiyatissa. This clarifies that the king referred to as Chulānāga or Ramana in the chronicles was not the son of King Kanitthiss but the son of his brother, the second Bhathiyatissa. After King Kanitthiss, his own son did not ascend the throne; instead, the son of the elder brother, Ramana Kumaraja, became king. The inscription indicates that Ramana Mahārāja, being the son of Malutisa Mahārāja, relied on the daughter of his paternal uncle (father’s brother).
An Asasdduma inscription records an offering made by Ramana Mahārāja to a Buddhist monastery. Another inscription mentions his daughter, Wavana. Based on the information presented above, it is evident that the details in the Mahavamsa need to be slightly clarified in this context.