Mahanaga was an early monarch of
Sri Lanka of the
Kingdom of Ruhuna
The Principality of Ruhuna, also referred to as the Kingdom of Ruhuna, is a region of present-day Southern and Eastern Sri Lanka. It was the center of a flourishing civilisation and the cultural and economic centres of ancient Sri Lanka. Magama, T ...
in the southern region of the island. He is the founder of the Ruhuna. The Kingdom of Ruhuna was in some periods a client state loyal to the
King of Anuradhapura and in some periods a country independent of it.
Background
The king
Mutasiva
Mutasiva was ruler of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. He ruled from 367 BC to 307 BC. He had nine sons, some of whom were his successors such Devanampiya Tissa, Uttiya, Mahasiva and Asela ...
had nine sons, including
Devanampiya Tissa
Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa, was one of the earliest kings of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 247 BC to 207 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of the Mauryan ...
,
Uttiya
Uttiya was an early monarch of Sri Lanka of the kingdom of Anuradhapura, based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 267 BC to 257 BC.The death of Arahat Mahinda (who had brought Theravāda Buddhism to Sri Lanka) was occurred in king Ut ...
,
Mahasiva
Mahasiva was an early monarch of Sri Lanka of the kingdom of Anuradhapura, based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 257 BC to 247 BC according to historical records. Mahasiva was one of the many sons of Mutasiva and also brother of monarc ...
, Mahanaga and
Asela. After the death of Mutasiva, the eldest son Devanampiya Tissa became the king. According to the customs of Anuradhapura kings, Uttiya, Mahasiva and Mahanaga should have come to the throne next. Devanampiya Tissa's son's turn was next. Devanampiya Tissa's consort Ramadatta didn't like that. She planned to bring her son to the throne sooner, by murdering Mahanaga.
One day when Mahanaga was working with his men in a field, the queen sent them a basket of poisoned mangoes. Unfortunately Devanampiya Tissa's son ate the fruit and died. Prince Mahanaga thought, it's not good to be in the city, and left Anuradhapura with his family and men and migrated to
Ruhuna
The Principality of Ruhuna, also referred to as the Kingdom of Ruhuna, is a region of present-day Southern and Eastern Sri Lanka. It was the center of a flourishing civilisation and the cultural and economic centres of ancient Sri Lanka. Magama, T ...
.
See also
*
List of monarchs of Sri Lanka
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-Ar ...
*
List of Ruhuna monarchs
External links
Kings & Rulers of Sri LankaCodrington's Short History of Ceylon
Anuradhapura period
Prince of Ruhuna
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