Vasabha (
Sinhala: ) was a monarch of the
Anuradhapura period
The Anuradhapura period was a period in the history of Sri Lanka of the Anuradhapura Kingdom from 377 BCE to 1017 CE. The period begins when Pandukabhaya, King of Upatissa Nuwara moved the administration to Anuradhapura, becoming the kingdom's ...
of
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. He is considered to be the pioneer of the construction of large-scale irrigation works and underground waterways in Sri Lanka to support paddy cultivation. 11 reservoirs and 12 canals were constructed during his reign. He also constructed several Buddhist temples in addition to renovating already existing ones. Vasabha started a new dynasty in the history of Sri Lankan monarchs, having seized the throne after killing
Subharaja, the then ruler of Anuradhapura.
Early life and kingship
Prince Vasabha, born to a family of a clan named Lambakanna, spent his childhood in a village in the North of the country working for his uncle who was a general in the king's army. The ruler of the country at this time was
Subharaja, who was informed by soothsayers that one named Vasabha would defeat him and become king. To avoid this, Subharaja ordered everyone in the country bearing that name to be kill me. Vasabha's uncle tried to take him to the king under the pretext of taking him to join the king's service. However, he was saved by Pottha, the wife of his uncle, who told him about the king's decision. He went into hiding followed this, and gathered an army in secret.
Having eventually raised an army, Vasabha led a rebellion against the king, and subsequently seized the throne in 67 AD after killing Subharaja and his uncle. He ruled for 44 years, until his death in 111 AD.
His accession to the throne marked the beginning of a new dynasty of rulers, known as the
First Lambakanna Dynasty after the name of his clan.
Services
The ancient chronicle
Mahavamsa states that he constructed eleven reservoirs and twelve canals to distribute water from them. His most notable construction is the Elahara canal or
Aalisara canal, which originally had a length of about . It was created by damming the
Amban river
Amban (Manchu and Mongol: ''Amban'', Tibetan: ་''am ben'', , Uighur:''am ben'') is a Manchu language term meaning "high official", corresponding to a number of different official titles in the imperial government of Qing China. For instanc ...
, and was used to divert water in a westerly direction for agricultural use. The reservoirs at Mahavilachchiya and
Nochchipotana, which have both been identified as constructions of Vasabha, have a circumference of about . Due to such constructions, Vasabha pioneered the construction of large irrigation works in the country.
Having been told by a soothsayer that he would live only for twelve more years, Vasabha became a devout
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and performed many
meritorious acts in an effort to prolong his life. He constructed several Buddhist temples, and renovated others. Among his constructions are the
vatadage
A vaṭadāge ( si, වටදාගෙ) is a type of Buddhist structure found in Sri Lanka. It also known as a ''dage'', ''thupagara'' and a ''cetiyagara''. Although it may have had some Indian influence, it is a structure that is more or less uniq ...
at
Thuparama
Thuparamaya is the first Buddhist temple that was constructed, after the arrival of Mahinda Thera (Mahindagamanaya) in Sri Lanka. Located in the sacred area of Mahamewna park, the Thuparamaya Stupa is the earliest Dagoba to be constructed in th ...
and some additions to the
Mahavihara
Mahavihara () is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a great vihara (centre of learning or Buddhist monastery) and is used to describe a monastic complex of viharas.
Mahaviharas of India
A range of monasteries grew up in ancient Magadha (modern Bihar ...
.
Inscriptions
Inscriptions belonging to the reign of King Vasabha such as the Vallipuram Gold Plate in the Jaffna peninsula in the north which mentions about a minister named Isigiraye was appointed to" Nakadiva", which was then Jaffna.
Situlpawwa and Tissamaharama in the south, Batticaloa District of the east and Kurunegala District of the west all prove that King Vasaba's power had spread through the island.
See also
*
List of Sri Lankan monarchs
The Sinhalese monarch -- anachronistically referred to as the Kings of Sri Lanka—featured the heads of state of the Sinhala Kingdoms, in what is today Sri Lanka.
The Sinhalese monarchy originates in the settlement of North Indian Indo-Ary ...
References
External links
Chapter 35 of the Mahavamsa, which describes Vasabha's rule
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasabha Of Sri Lanka
Sinhalese kings
Monarchs of Anuradhapura
House of Lambakanna I
1st-century Sinhalese monarchs
2nd-century Sinhalese monarchs