Dhatusena of Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
Dhatusena was a king of Sri Lanka
who ruled from 455 to 473. He was the first king of the royal Moriyan dynasty of Sri Lanka. In some records, he is also identified as Dasenkeli. Dhatusena reunited the country under his rule after twenty six years, defeating the South Indian invaders that were ruling the country at that time. Dhatusena made eighteen irrigation tanks, a large irrigation canal known as Yodha Ela, and the Avukana statue
, a large statue of Lord Buddha.
Dhatusena was raised by his uncle, a Buddhist monk
named Mahanama. The Tamil rulers were searching for Dhatusena, and his uncle ordained him as a Buddhist monk to disguise him. Dhatusena later organised a resistance movement
against the Tamil rulers and led a rebellion against them. Dhatusena claimed the kingship of the country in 455. By the time Dhatusena started the rebellion, three of the six Tamil rulers were already dead, and in the battles that occurred during the rebellion, two more were killed. The final battle took place in 459, where the last king, Pithiya, was killed. Having successfully defeated the Pandyan invaders, Dhatusena was crowned as the king of Sri Lanka in 459, taking Anuradhapura as his capital.
Dhatusena built eighteen irrigation tank
s in order to develop agriculture in the country. Among these tanks are the Kalavewa
and Balaluwewa, which are interconnected and cover an area of 6380 acres (2,581.9 ha).
He also constructed the Yodha Ela, also known as Jayaganga, an irrigation canal carrying water from Kalawewa to Tissawewa tank in Aunuradhapura.
The Avukana statue
, a 13 metres (42.7 ft) high statue of Lord Buddha, is also a creation of Dhatusena.
, while Kassapa was born to a non-royal concubine. Dhatusena’s daughter was married to his sister’s son and the general of his army, Migara. Following an argument between his daughter and sister, Dhatusena ordered his sister to be killed. In reprisal, Migara encouraged and assisted Kassapa to overthrow the king and take the throne. Kassapa eventually rebelled against Dhatusena and overthrew him. Dhatusena was imprisoned and Kassapa became the king of the country in 473.
Migara led Kassapa to believe that Dhatusena had hidden treasures of great wealth and persuaded him to find these. When asked to lead Kassapa to where these treasures were hidden, Dhatusena led him to the Kalavewa and taking water into his hands, claimed that this was the only treasure he had. Enraged at this, Kassapa had him killed by burying him alive in the bund
of the Kalaweva.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
who ruled from 455 to 473. He was the first king of the royal Moriyan dynasty of Sri Lanka. In some records, he is also identified as Dasenkeli. Dhatusena reunited the country under his rule after twenty six years, defeating the South Indian invaders that were ruling the country at that time. Dhatusena made eighteen irrigation tanks, a large irrigation canal known as Yodha Ela, and the Avukana statue
Avukana Buddha Statue
The Avukana statue is a standing statue of the Buddha near Kekirawa in North Central Sri Lanka. The statue, which has a height of more than , has been carved out of a large granite rock face during the 5th century. It depicts a variation of the Abhaya mudra, and the closely worn robe is elaborately...
, a large statue of Lord Buddha.
Early life and becoming king
Dhatusena was the son of Sangha, the daughter of King Mahanama who ruled from 410 to 432. The country was invaded in 433 by six Tamil leaders from South India, known as the six Dravidians. They overthrew the Sri Lankan monarch and ruled the country for twenty six years, from 433 to 459. During this time, Sinhalese leaders abandoned Rajarata and fled to the Ruhuna municipality in the south of the country. Ruhuna was used as the base for resistance against the invading rulers.Dhatusena was raised by his uncle, a Buddhist monk
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
named Mahanama. The Tamil rulers were searching for Dhatusena, and his uncle ordained him as a Buddhist monk to disguise him. Dhatusena later organised a resistance movement
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
against the Tamil rulers and led a rebellion against them. Dhatusena claimed the kingship of the country in 455. By the time Dhatusena started the rebellion, three of the six Tamil rulers were already dead, and in the battles that occurred during the rebellion, two more were killed. The final battle took place in 459, where the last king, Pithiya, was killed. Having successfully defeated the Pandyan invaders, Dhatusena was crowned as the king of Sri Lanka in 459, taking Anuradhapura as his capital.
Services as king
Irrigation tank
For etymology, see Storage tank#Etymology.In India, an irrigation tank or tank is an artificial reservoir of any size. . It can also have a natural or man-made spring included as part of a structure...
s in order to develop agriculture in the country. Among these tanks are the Kalavewa
Kala Wewa
Kala Wewa is an ancient reservoir in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It was built by King Dhatusena around 400 AD. This reservoir has a circumference of and has a total area of at full capacity.-References:...
and Balaluwewa, which are interconnected and cover an area of 6380 acres (2,581.9 ha).
He also constructed the Yodha Ela, also known as Jayaganga, an irrigation canal carrying water from Kalawewa to Tissawewa tank in Aunuradhapura.
The Avukana statue
Avukana Buddha Statue
The Avukana statue is a standing statue of the Buddha near Kekirawa in North Central Sri Lanka. The statue, which has a height of more than , has been carved out of a large granite rock face during the 5th century. It depicts a variation of the Abhaya mudra, and the closely worn robe is elaborately...
, a 13 metres (42.7 ft) high statue of Lord Buddha, is also a creation of Dhatusena.
Death
Dhatusena had two sons, Moggallana and Kassapa. Moggallana was the son of the royal consort and the rightful heir to the throneHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
, while Kassapa was born to a non-royal concubine. Dhatusena’s daughter was married to his sister’s son and the general of his army, Migara. Following an argument between his daughter and sister, Dhatusena ordered his sister to be killed. In reprisal, Migara encouraged and assisted Kassapa to overthrow the king and take the throne. Kassapa eventually rebelled against Dhatusena and overthrew him. Dhatusena was imprisoned and Kassapa became the king of the country in 473.
Migara led Kassapa to believe that Dhatusena had hidden treasures of great wealth and persuaded him to find these. When asked to lead Kassapa to where these treasures were hidden, Dhatusena led him to the Kalavewa and taking water into his hands, claimed that this was the only treasure he had. Enraged at this, Kassapa had him killed by burying him alive in the bund
Bund
- Organizations :* German American Bund, a pro-Nazi pre-World War II organisation* General Jewish Labour Bund in Lithuania, Poland and Russia, a political party founded in the Russian Empire* General Jewish Labour Bund in Poland, a political party founded in Poland...
of the Kalaweva.