Mayadunne of Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
Mayadunne (1501–1581) was a king of the Kingdom of Sitawaka
, who ruled for 30 years between 1521 and 1581. Mayadunne was a fierce opponent of the Portuguese
, who had arrived on the Island in 1505. He devoted his whole life attempting to oust his brother Bhuvanekabahu, the king of Kotte
and thereby preserve the independence of Lanka, which was being undermined by the Portuguese intrigue. He constantly invaded the territory of Bhuvanekabahu of Kotte.
of the Kingdom of Kotte
. He was the son of Vijaya Bahu VII who reigned as king from 1509 to 1521. Mayadunne was the youngest child born to Vijaya Bahu VII and his main Queen. He had two full brothers, Bhuvanekabahu and Raigama Bandara
, Bhuvanekabahu who was also king of Kotte from 1521 to 1551.
, who were born to the main queen of Vijaya Bahu VII, he revolted against his father, suspecting him of planning to pass the throne of Kotte to one of Vijaya Bahu VII's other queen's sons (Devaraja) after his death. Although Mayadunne was the youngest of the three brothers he was the mastermind behind this revolt which ended with the death of their father Vijaya Bahu VII (he was assassinated by a hired foreigner) and the Kotte Kingdom was divided between the three brothers. This incident is known as "Wijayaba Kollaya
" and can roughly be translated as the "Spoiling of Vijayabahu". Bhuvanekabahu came to power as Bhuvanekabahu VII of Sri Lanka and he got established in the Kotte Kingdom with a region roughly including present day Colombo
, Gampaha
, Districts, North Western Province and Southern Province
coastline. Raigama Bandara
got established in Raigama with his control roughly over present day Kalutara
District & Southern Province
except the coastilne (which was under Kotte Kingdom). Mayadunne got established in the Kingdom of Sitawaka
(Present day Avissawella
) controlling roughly the modern day Sabaragamuwa Province
(Kegalle
, Ratnapura
Districts).
against their father, Bhuvanekabahu VII was from the beginning suspicious of him and developed close ties with the Portuguese
who had established a fort in Colombo
(1517). Before long Mayadunne got popular support from the local chiefs and population who didn't like Bhuvanekabahu VII collaborating with Portuguese. Mayadunne led several invasion against Kotte but Bhuvanekabahu VII was able to drive Sitawakan
forces back with the help of Portuguese. During the first phase of these battles Mayadunne was helped by an anti-Portuguese Kingdom in Calicut
, India
. The Portuguese wanted to kill Mayadunne fearing one day he will become a greater threat to their foothold on the Island but Bhuvanekabahu VII didn't let them to conduct an all out invasion against Sitawaka
.
Several years later after Raigam Bandara died, in 1538, Mayadunne annexed the Kingdom of Raigama
to Sitawaka. The all out rivalry between Sitawaka and Kotte started to unroll here on. By this time the Buddhist monks in Kotte who were responsible of the Dantha Dhathuwa
, the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, secretly smuggled it into Sitawaka
and placed it under the protection of Mayadunne since they saw Portuguese as hostile towards Buddhism
. According to the local tradition if someone has the ownership of the Tooth Relic
he can claim the throne of all the Kingdoms within Sri Lanka
. Mayadunne's popularity grew rapidly among locals and similarly Bhuvanekabahu VII of Kotte and later Dharmapala of Kotte had to rely more and more on Portuguese for help. Mayadunne started frequent attacks against the Kotte Kingdom and more and more of the lands of Kotte became part of Sitawaka. Since Kotte lacked local support the Portuguese automatically became the protectors of that Kingdom. Hence the rivalry between Kotte and Sitawaka
turned into a rivalry between Sitawaka
and Portuguese.
was apart of the Sinhalese–Portuguese War which was an effort to get rid of the occupying Portuguese forces and stop them from colonizing the island. At the time, it was the worst ever defeat by a colonial
power on eastern soil. Mayadunne and his son Rajasigha fought the Portuguese in the Battle of Mulleriyawa
and won, where the Kingdom of Sitawaka
emerged all-powerful, able to challenge the Portuguese who lost the opportunity to ensure their total control of the island.
, Mayadunne is considered one of the greatest kings of Sri Lanka
. He died at the ripe age of 80 years in 1581.
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
, who ruled for 30 years between 1521 and 1581. Mayadunne was a fierce opponent of the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, who had arrived on the Island in 1505. He devoted his whole life attempting to oust his brother Bhuvanekabahu, the king of Kotte
Kingdom of Kotte
The Kingdom of Kotte , centred on Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte was a kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Its king was the last native sovereign to unify all of Sri Lanka under one rule. -Etymology:The term Kotte means fortress in Sinhalese...
and thereby preserve the independence of Lanka, which was being undermined by the Portuguese intrigue. He constantly invaded the territory of Bhuvanekabahu of Kotte.
Early life
Mayadunne was born in 1501 in KotteKotte
Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte , also known as Sri Jayawardenapura or Kotte කෝට්ටේ, is the administrative capital of Sri Lanka. It is located beyond the eastern suburbs of the commercial capital Colombo and is often called New Capital Territory...
of the Kingdom of Kotte
Kingdom of Kotte
The Kingdom of Kotte , centred on Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte was a kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Its king was the last native sovereign to unify all of Sri Lanka under one rule. -Etymology:The term Kotte means fortress in Sinhalese...
. He was the son of Vijaya Bahu VII who reigned as king from 1509 to 1521. Mayadunne was the youngest child born to Vijaya Bahu VII and his main Queen. He had two full brothers, Bhuvanekabahu and Raigama Bandara
Raigama Bandara
Raigama Bandara also known as Pararajasinghe was the son of Vijayabahu VII and brother of Mayadunne and Buvanekabahu VI. When Kingdom of Kotte was divided due to the incident known as "Wijayaba Kollaya", which resulted the assassination of king Vijayabahu, Pararajasinghe became the ruler of Raigama...
, Bhuvanekabahu who was also king of Kotte from 1521 to 1551.
Wijayaba Kollaya
In 1521 together with his two full brothers Bhuvanekabahu and Raigama BandaraRaigama Bandara
Raigama Bandara also known as Pararajasinghe was the son of Vijayabahu VII and brother of Mayadunne and Buvanekabahu VI. When Kingdom of Kotte was divided due to the incident known as "Wijayaba Kollaya", which resulted the assassination of king Vijayabahu, Pararajasinghe became the ruler of Raigama...
, who were born to the main queen of Vijaya Bahu VII, he revolted against his father, suspecting him of planning to pass the throne of Kotte to one of Vijaya Bahu VII's other queen's sons (Devaraja) after his death. Although Mayadunne was the youngest of the three brothers he was the mastermind behind this revolt which ended with the death of their father Vijaya Bahu VII (he was assassinated by a hired foreigner) and the Kotte Kingdom was divided between the three brothers. This incident is known as "Wijayaba Kollaya
Wijayaba Kollaya
Vijayaba Kollaya This is the historic event that happened in 1521 where the Kotte king's three sons mutinied against their father killing him and divided the Kingdom among themselves....
" and can roughly be translated as the "Spoiling of Vijayabahu". Bhuvanekabahu came to power as Bhuvanekabahu VII of Sri Lanka and he got established in the Kotte Kingdom with a region roughly including present day Colombo
Colombo District
Colombo District is the smallest district in Sri Lanka with an area of 642 km². It is located in the Western Province, on the western coast of the island. Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Colombo and the political capital, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte are located in this district...
, Gampaha
Gampaha District
- Local Authorities in Gampaha district:Gampaha is the District Capital of Gampaha District and is a principal town around Colombo. It is about 4 km from Miriswatte on the Colombo - Kandy Road.- Urban Councils :* Katunayake-Seeduwa * Ja-ela* Wattala...
, Districts, North Western Province and Southern Province
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...
coastline. Raigama Bandara
Raigama Bandara
Raigama Bandara also known as Pararajasinghe was the son of Vijayabahu VII and brother of Mayadunne and Buvanekabahu VI. When Kingdom of Kotte was divided due to the incident known as "Wijayaba Kollaya", which resulted the assassination of king Vijayabahu, Pararajasinghe became the ruler of Raigama...
got established in Raigama with his control roughly over present day Kalutara
Kalutara
Kalutara is a resort town located approximately 40 km south of Colombo in Sri Lanka.- Overview :Once an important spice-trading center, the city's name is derived from the Kalu Ganga River . In the 11th Century, the town was temporarily made a capital on the orders of a South Indian Prince...
District & Southern Province
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...
except the coastilne (which was under Kotte Kingdom). Mayadunne got established in the Kingdom of Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
(Present day Avissawella
Avissawella
Avissawella, also known as Seethawakapura or Seethawaka, is a town along the A4 route from Colombo on the Western Coast to Kalmunai in the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka via Ratnapura, Pelmadulla, Balangoda and Wellawaya.- Overview :...
) controlling roughly the modern day Sabaragamuwa Province
Sabaragamuwa Province
Sabaragamuwa, is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. Sabaragamuwa University is in Belihuloya. It is named after its former indigenous inhabitants, namely the Sabara, an indic term for hunter gatherer tribes, a term seldom used in ancient Sri...
(Kegalle
Kegalle District
Kegalle is a district in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1,663 km². It was a former Dissavani of Sri Lanka. Has a population of 785,524 according to census 2001.-Physical Information:...
, Ratnapura
Ratnapura District
Ratnapura is a district of Sri Lanka in the province of Sabaragamuwa.The gem-mining centre of Sri Lanka is also a major crossroad between southern plains and the hill country to the east. A bustling market city servicing most of the surrounding towns. Many of the prominent gem dealers in Sri Lanka...
Districts).
Reign
Since Mayadunne was the main actor during the rebellionWijayaba Kollaya
Vijayaba Kollaya This is the historic event that happened in 1521 where the Kotte king's three sons mutinied against their father killing him and divided the Kingdom among themselves....
against their father, Bhuvanekabahu VII was from the beginning suspicious of him and developed close ties with the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
who had established a fort in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
(1517). Before long Mayadunne got popular support from the local chiefs and population who didn't like Bhuvanekabahu VII collaborating with Portuguese. Mayadunne led several invasion against Kotte but Bhuvanekabahu VII was able to drive Sitawakan
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
forces back with the help of Portuguese. During the first phase of these battles Mayadunne was helped by an anti-Portuguese Kingdom in Calicut
History of Kozhikode
Kozhikode , also known as Calicut, is a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the third largest city in Kerala and the headquarters of Kozhikode district....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Portuguese wanted to kill Mayadunne fearing one day he will become a greater threat to their foothold on the Island but Bhuvanekabahu VII didn't let them to conduct an all out invasion against Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
.
Several years later after Raigam Bandara died, in 1538, Mayadunne annexed the Kingdom of Raigama
Kingdom of Raigama
Raigama, according to some historians, was the seventh capital of ancient Lanka, after Anuradhapura , Polonnaruwa , Dambadeniya , Yapahuwa , Kurunegala and Gampola...
to Sitawaka. The all out rivalry between Sitawaka and Kotte started to unroll here on. By this time the Buddhist monks in Kotte who were responsible of the Dantha Dhathuwa
Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
The Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism.-The relic in India:...
, the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, secretly smuggled it into Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
and placed it under the protection of Mayadunne since they saw Portuguese as hostile towards Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. According to the local tradition if someone has the ownership of the Tooth Relic
Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
The Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism.-The relic in India:...
he can claim the throne of all the Kingdoms within Sri Lanka
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...
. Mayadunne's popularity grew rapidly among locals and similarly Bhuvanekabahu VII of Kotte and later Dharmapala of Kotte had to rely more and more on Portuguese for help. Mayadunne started frequent attacks against the Kotte Kingdom and more and more of the lands of Kotte became part of Sitawaka. Since Kotte lacked local support the Portuguese automatically became the protectors of that Kingdom. Hence the rivalry between Kotte and Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
turned into a rivalry between Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
and Portuguese.
Sinhalese–Portuguese War
Mayadunne and the Kingdom of SitawakaKingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
was apart of the Sinhalese–Portuguese War which was an effort to get rid of the occupying Portuguese forces and stop them from colonizing the island. At the time, it was the worst ever defeat by a colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
power on eastern soil. Mayadunne and his son Rajasigha fought the Portuguese in the Battle of Mulleriyawa
Battle of Mulleriyawa
The Battle of Mulleriyawa was a battle part of the Sinhalese–Portuguese War, it was one of the most decisive battles in Sri Lankan history. At the time, it was the worst ever defeat by a colonial power on eastern soil. Local chronicles say that the marshlands of Mulleriyawa turned red with blood...
and won, where the Kingdom of Sitawaka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...
emerged all-powerful, able to challenge the Portuguese who lost the opportunity to ensure their total control of the island.
Death and Legacy
Due to the fact that he stood against Portuguese invaders and stopping them from conquering the whole islandSri 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...
, Mayadunne is considered one of the greatest kings of Sri Lanka
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...
. He died at the ripe age of 80 years in 1581.