Dhatusena’s war of liberation

01The campaign

The Culavamsa says Dhatusena and his brother Silatissabodhi grew up under the care of their uncle, a monk, while the Damila kings ruled the north. When grown, Dhatusena raised forces and fought Tiritara, who fell; then Dathiya, who fell; then Pithiya, who fell after a short reign. The chronicle lists many forts and camps along the way. With the north cleared, Dhatusena was consecrated at Anuradhapura. He punished the nobles who had sided with the mainland kings and rewarded those who had stayed loyal.

02The builder king

Dhatusena is remembered less for his battles than for water. He built the Kala Wewa, the great reservoir whose coordinates mark this entry, and the long Jaya Ganga canal that carried its water to Anuradhapura. Tradition holds that the monk who raised him was Mahanama, the author of the Mahavamsa. His reign ended in tragedy: his son Kassapa overthrew him, and the story of the tank appears again at his death.

Dynasty · 437 BCE–1017 CE (traditional founding)Kingdom of AnuradhapuraThe first great kingdom of Lanka, ruled from Anuradhapura for some fourteen centuries. Its kings received the Dharma from Ashoka’s son Mahinda and built the great stupas, while the island’s Shaiva shrines stood on its coasts.Read →