Gajabahu I
Encyclopedia
Gajabahu I also known as Gajabahuka Gamani (c. 114 – 136 CE) was a Sinhalese
king of Rajarata
in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his religious benefactions, extensive involvement in south Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini
to Sri Lanka. The primary source for his reign is the Mahavamsa
, though he is also the only early Sri Lankan king (along with Elara
) to be extensively mentioned in the Chera
Cilappatikaram
(also spelled Silapathikaram) http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=3388&http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/Epigraphy/epig_tamilorigin.htm.
-113
), king of Rajarata from Anuradhapura
, and his consort Mahamatta. As such he must have witnessed the most dramatic event of Tissa's reign, the invasion of Rajarata by the Chola king Karikalan http://encyclopedia.vestigatio.com/Sri_Lankan_Army (it should be noted though that Karikalan's reign is dated by some historians as having occurred about 100 years after Gajabahu's). 12,000 Sinhalese people
were seized to work as slaves on the banks of the Kaveri river http://pattini.org/pattini-1.htmhttp://www.tamilnation.org/heritage/aryachakravarties.htm and taken to India.
The Mahavamsa
mentions Gajabahu's accession and reign of twenty-two years, and mentions neither Karikalan's invasion, nor the military campaigns to south India that Gajabahu became famous for http://lakdiva.org/mahavamsa/chap035.html. Instead he is presented as a great patron of religion; the chronicle credits him with the construction of two vihara
s - Matuvihara and Rumika - and a stupa called Abhayuttara. He is also credited with making a mantle for Dutugemunu's Mirisavetiya, and for building a reservoir to provide the Abhayagiri monastery with food. He also made improvements to the four entranceways of the Abhayagiri stupa http://www.srimahabodhiya.lk/Abayagiriya.htm.
Gajabahu is also credited with the introduction of the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka. The
Silapathikaram mentions Gajabahu's presence at the consecration of a temple to Kannagi (identified as Pattini in this case) by the Chera king Senguvuttan http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=3388&. Returning from India he brought back not only the begging bowl of the Buddha but Pattini's sacred anklet, and constructed a temple to the goddess 'at a place called Vattapalli near Mullaitivu'http://pattini.org/pattini-1.htm. However there is an alternative view that the cult actually arrived in Sri Lanka in the 13th century, and the legend of Gajabahu's patronage was retrospectively created to generate legitimacy for the goddess http://pattini.org/ankeli-puja.htm
The annual Perahara held in Kandy is also thought to have its roots in Gajabahu's reign. Following the successful completion of a campaign into Chola territories the temple of Vishnu
in Anuradhapura is said to have staged a procession in thanks, which eventually developed into today's festival http://daladamaligawa.org/historical-places.htm.
Gajabahu was succeeded by his father-in-law Mahallaka Naga.
The Mahavamsa
, as seen above, does not mention any mission to India by Gajabahu. On the other hand the 17th century Rajaveliya, composed in the kingdom of Kandy
, gives the basic details. Gajabahu crossed over into India with an army, assisted by the giant Neela who lit the sea, allowing them to safely cross the Palk Strait
. Once in India Gajabahu liberated the 12,000 Sinhalese prisoners, and further forced the Chola king to hand over 12,000 Tamils as compensation. These Tamil prisoners were then allowed to settle and live in Sri Lanka, some of them possibly near the modern city of Matale
http://www.mcmatale.org/HISTORY.htm and Alutkuru Korale (modern North-Western Province)http://www.tamilnation.org/heritage/aryachakravarties.htmhttp://eelavar.com/eelam/pageview.php?ID=102&SID=1005.
The Rajaveliya describes the events thus:
In contrast the mentions of Gajabahu in the Tamil sources represent a much more cordial visit by the Sri Lankan king. The Silapathikaram mentions him twice. On the first occasion he is with the Chera king Senguvuttan, offering sacrifices to the goddess Kannagi in an introductory passage. Later he is in the Chera king's company again, and on very good terms.
It has been suggested that this mention does not necessarily preclude a military campaign http://encyclopedia.vestigatio.com/Sri_Lankan_Army; after all it is entirely possible that Gajabahu and Senguvuttan offered joint sacrifices as a way of securing a freshly concluded peace. On the other hand the versions presented in the Mahavamsa and Silapathikaran do not mention any violence at all, despite being the major sources for this period. Furthermore the reliability of the entires in the Silapathikaran has been questioned, and it has been suggested that the meeting between Gajabahu and Senguvttan is the result of a certain amounth of 'poetic licence' on the part of the compiler http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9702&L=indology&D=1&P=10849http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/Tamil/tami_tamilorigin_not_considered.htm
named after the warrior King and the Sri Lanka Navy had named a ship named after the King, the SLNS Gajabahu
.
To students of south Indian history his reign is important as it provides the 'Gajabahu syncretism' which is used to date many rulers of the ancient Chola and Chera http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9702&L=indology&D=1&P=10849.
It is also possible to argue that Cheran Senkuttuvan's father Cheran Kutako Nedum Cheral Athan and uncle Cholan Karikal Valavan jointly attacked the northern part of Lanka from Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu, India and in the process Cheran Nedum Cheral Athan managed to cut down the protector tree of Sinhaleese king of the time, which has the name 'Kadampu' as stated in Sangam literature (Pathittupathu 2.10). The Sinhaleese king (probably the father of Gajabahu) was ruling from Anuradhapura, which was washed by the River Kadamba, the present Malwatu Oya. The protector tree was replanted by the mother of Gajabahu in their palace garden. Probably there was a truce between Gajabahu and the Cheras and the hostages were exchanged as a mark of friendship. If this was not the case Gajabahu would not have visited Cheran Senkuttuvan, for a ceremony highly objected to by the Pandian King, since Pandian kingdom was an immediate neighbour of Gajabahu's kingdom.
(= Godawaya, Gothapabbata), situated around a huge rock overlooking the Indian Ocean, close to the gem mining area of the Lower Sitracala Wewa and the inland shipping route of the Walawe Ganga. The archaeologists have found that Godavaya's was an important stop on the maritime Silk Route, in the early centuries of the Common era
with excavations and research revealing connections from China to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. A stone inscription in Brahmi
, dating to Gajabahu I's reign, orders that part of the customs collections at the Godavaya Port at Ambalanthota be donated to the nearby Godapawath Temple. There have been three inscriptions and some 75,000 late Roman coins found in earthen vessels in the region.
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
king of Rajarata
Rajarata
Rajarata is the name given to the region of Sri Lanka from which monarchs ruled the country from approximately the 5th Century BCE to the early 13th Century CE...
in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his religious benefactions, extensive involvement in south Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini
Pattini
In Sinhala Buddhist belief the Pattini is a guardian deity of Buddhism. She is the deification of Kannagi, who is the central character of the Tamil epic Silapadhikaram of Ilango Adigal...
to Sri Lanka. The primary source for his reign is the Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
, though he is also the only early Sri Lankan king (along with Elara
Elara
Elara may refer to one of the following:*Elara , a moon of Jupiter*Elara , the mother of Tityas in Greek mythology*Elara , an ancient Sri Lankan king...
) to be extensively mentioned in the Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
Cilappatikaram
Cilappatikaram
Silappatikaram Silappatikaram has been dated to likely belong to the beginning of Christian era, although the author might have built upon a pre-existing folklore to spin this tale. The story involves the three Tamil kingdoms of the ancient era, the Chola, the Pandya and the Chera...
(also spelled Silapathikaram) http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=3388&http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/Epigraphy/epig_tamilorigin.htm.
Life and Religion
Next to nothing is known about Gajabahu's youth, except that he was son of Vankanasika Tissa (reigned 110110
Year 110 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Priscinus and Scipio...
-113
113
Year 113 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Celsus and Crispinus...
), king of Rajarata from Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
, and his consort Mahamatta. As such he must have witnessed the most dramatic event of Tissa's reign, the invasion of Rajarata by the Chola king Karikalan http://encyclopedia.vestigatio.com/Sri_Lankan_Army (it should be noted though that Karikalan's reign is dated by some historians as having occurred about 100 years after Gajabahu's). 12,000 Sinhalese people
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
were seized to work as slaves on the banks of the Kaveri river http://pattini.org/pattini-1.htmhttp://www.tamilnation.org/heritage/aryachakravarties.htm and taken to India.
The Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
mentions Gajabahu's accession and reign of twenty-two years, and mentions neither Karikalan's invasion, nor the military campaigns to south India that Gajabahu became famous for http://lakdiva.org/mahavamsa/chap035.html. Instead he is presented as a great patron of religion; the chronicle credits him with the construction of two vihara
Vihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
s - Matuvihara and Rumika - and a stupa called Abhayuttara. He is also credited with making a mantle for Dutugemunu's Mirisavetiya, and for building a reservoir to provide the Abhayagiri monastery with food. He also made improvements to the four entranceways of the Abhayagiri stupa http://www.srimahabodhiya.lk/Abayagiriya.htm.
Gajabahu is also credited with the introduction of the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka. The
Silapathikaram mentions Gajabahu's presence at the consecration of a temple to Kannagi (identified as Pattini in this case) by the Chera king Senguvuttan http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=3388&. Returning from India he brought back not only the begging bowl of the Buddha but Pattini's sacred anklet, and constructed a temple to the goddess 'at a place called Vattapalli near Mullaitivu'http://pattini.org/pattini-1.htm. However there is an alternative view that the cult actually arrived in Sri Lanka in the 13th century, and the legend of Gajabahu's patronage was retrospectively created to generate legitimacy for the goddess http://pattini.org/ankeli-puja.htm
The annual Perahara held in Kandy is also thought to have its roots in Gajabahu's reign. Following the successful completion of a campaign into Chola territories the temple of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
in Anuradhapura is said to have staged a procession in thanks, which eventually developed into today's festival http://daladamaligawa.org/historical-places.htm.
Gajabahu was succeeded by his father-in-law Mahallaka Naga.
Invader or Guest?
The main event for which Gajabahu is remembered is his invasion of Chola territory and liberation of the 12,000 Sinhalese prisoners seized in his father's reign. However the sources contrast deeply on the actual events of his reign and the reality of the situation remains somewhat obscure.The Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
, as seen above, does not mention any mission to India by Gajabahu. On the other hand the 17th century Rajaveliya, composed in the kingdom of Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
, gives the basic details. Gajabahu crossed over into India with an army, assisted by the giant Neela who lit the sea, allowing them to safely cross the Palk Strait
Palk Strait
Palk Strait is a strait between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Mannar district of the Northern Province of the island nation of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Palk Bay and thence with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest. The strait is wide. Several...
. Once in India Gajabahu liberated the 12,000 Sinhalese prisoners, and further forced the Chola king to hand over 12,000 Tamils as compensation. These Tamil prisoners were then allowed to settle and live in Sri Lanka, some of them possibly near the modern city of Matale
Matale
Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....
http://www.mcmatale.org/HISTORY.htm and Alutkuru Korale (modern North-Western Province)http://www.tamilnation.org/heritage/aryachakravarties.htmhttp://eelavar.com/eelam/pageview.php?ID=102&SID=1005.
The Rajaveliya describes the events thus:
- Taking the giant Nila with him he went and struck the sea with an iron mace,. divided the waters in twain, and going quietly on arrived at the Soli capital, struck terror into the king of Soli, and seated himself on the throne like King Sak; whilst the giant Nila seized the elephants. in the city and killed them by striking one against another.
- The ministers informed the king of Soli of the devastation of the city thus being made. Thereupon he inquired of Gajaba, "Is the Sinhala host come to destroy this city?" Gajaba repiled, " I have a little boy who accompanied me; there is no army," and caused the giant Nila to be brought and made to stand by his side. Thereupon the king of Soli asked, "Why has your Majesty come along without an army?" Gajaba replied, " I have come to take back the 12,000 persons whom your royal father brought here as prisoners in the time of my father." To this the king of Soli saying, "A king of our family it was who, in time past, went to the city of the gods and gained victory in the war with the Asuras," refused to send for and deliver the men. Then Gajaba grew `wroth and said, "Forthwith restore my 12,000 people, giving 12,000 more besides them; else will I destroy this city and reduce it to ashes." Having said this, he squeezed out water from sand and showed it; squeezed water from his iron mace and showed that. Having in this way intimidated the king of Soli he received the original number supplemented by an equal number of men as interest, making 24,000 persons in all. He also took away the jewelled anklets of the goddess Pattini, and the insignia of the gods of the four devala, and also the bowl-relic which had been carried off in the time of king Valagamba; and admonishing the king not to act thus in future, departed.http://lakdiva.org/codrington/chap02.html
In contrast the mentions of Gajabahu in the Tamil sources represent a much more cordial visit by the Sri Lankan king. The Silapathikaram mentions him twice. On the first occasion he is with the Chera king Senguvuttan, offering sacrifices to the goddess Kannagi in an introductory passage. Later he is in the Chera king's company again, and on very good terms.
It has been suggested that this mention does not necessarily preclude a military campaign http://encyclopedia.vestigatio.com/Sri_Lankan_Army; after all it is entirely possible that Gajabahu and Senguvuttan offered joint sacrifices as a way of securing a freshly concluded peace. On the other hand the versions presented in the Mahavamsa and Silapathikaran do not mention any violence at all, despite being the major sources for this period. Furthermore the reliability of the entires in the Silapathikaran has been questioned, and it has been suggested that the meeting between Gajabahu and Senguvttan is the result of a certain amounth of 'poetic licence' on the part of the compiler http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9702&L=indology&D=1&P=10849http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/Tamil/tami_tamilorigin_not_considered.htm
Significance
Sources notwithstanding, Gajabahu is regarded in modern Sri Lanka as an archetype of the mighty Sinhalese monarch, who avenged humiliation by the Cholas and took the sporadically-fought wars between Rajarata and Chola to Indian soil. Furthermore two important religious institutions - the cult of the goddess Pattini and the Perahara - also trace their origins to his reign. The Sri Lanka Army as an infantry regiment, Gajaba RegimentGajaba Regiment
The Gajaba Regiment was formed when 1st Battalion the Rajarata Rifles and 1st Battalion the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were amalgamated in 1983 to counter the threat from the LTTE. It is made up of six regular battalions and five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura...
named after the warrior King and the Sri Lanka Navy had named a ship named after the King, the SLNS Gajabahu
SLNS Gajabahu
SLNS Gajabahu was a River class frigate of the Sri Lanka Navy. She has since been converted to a training ship for the Naval & Maritime Academy, Trincomalee.-History:...
.
To students of south Indian history his reign is important as it provides the 'Gajabahu syncretism' which is used to date many rulers of the ancient Chola and Chera http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9702&L=indology&D=1&P=10849.
It is also possible to argue that Cheran Senkuttuvan's father Cheran Kutako Nedum Cheral Athan and uncle Cholan Karikal Valavan jointly attacked the northern part of Lanka from Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu, India and in the process Cheran Nedum Cheral Athan managed to cut down the protector tree of Sinhaleese king of the time, which has the name 'Kadampu' as stated in Sangam literature (Pathittupathu 2.10). The Sinhaleese king (probably the father of Gajabahu) was ruling from Anuradhapura, which was washed by the River Kadamba, the present Malwatu Oya. The protector tree was replanted by the mother of Gajabahu in their palace garden. Probably there was a truce between Gajabahu and the Cheras and the hostages were exchanged as a mark of friendship. If this was not the case Gajabahu would not have visited Cheran Senkuttuvan, for a ceremony highly objected to by the Pandian King, since Pandian kingdom was an immediate neighbour of Gajabahu's kingdom.
Trade
There have been a series of archaeological excavations in recent years at the ancient port GodavayaGodavaya
Godavaya or Godawaya is a small fishing hamlet located at the mouth of the Walawe river, between Ambalantota and Hambantota in the Hambantota District in southern Sri Lanka....
(= Godawaya, Gothapabbata), situated around a huge rock overlooking the Indian Ocean, close to the gem mining area of the Lower Sitracala Wewa and the inland shipping route of the Walawe Ganga. The archaeologists have found that Godavaya's was an important stop on the maritime Silk Route, in the early centuries of the Common era
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
with excavations and research revealing connections from China to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. A stone inscription in Brahmi
Brāhmī script
Brāhmī is the modern name given to the oldest members of the Brahmic family of scripts. The best-known Brāhmī inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka in north-central India, dated to the 3rd century BCE. These are traditionally considered to be early known examples of Brāhmī writing...
, dating to Gajabahu I's reign, orders that part of the customs collections at the Godavaya Port at Ambalanthota be donated to the nearby Godapawath Temple. There have been three inscriptions and some 75,000 late Roman coins found in earthen vessels in the region.
Popular culture
Gajabuja is a common Tamil slang used to denote the superlative. Bhuja and Bahu are both Sankskrit for Arm, and it is suspected that this word evolved from the corruption of Gajabahu over time.See also
- MahavamsaMahavamsaThe Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
- List of monarchs of Sri Lanka
- History of Sri LankaHistory of Sri LankaThe History of Sri Lanka begins around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. Chronicles, including the Mahawansa, the Dipavamsa, the Culavamsa and the Rajaveliya, record events from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC; through the arrival of European...
- CilappatikaramCilappatikaramSilappatikaram Silappatikaram has been dated to likely belong to the beginning of Christian era, although the author might have built upon a pre-existing folklore to spin this tale. The story involves the three Tamil kingdoms of the ancient era, the Chola, the Pandya and the Chera...