Kavan Tissa, also known as Kaha Wan Thissa (''Golden-coloured Tissa)'' and Kaka Wanna Tissa (''Crow-coloured Tissa'') was the
king
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
of the
Kingdom of Ruhuna in the southern part of
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. He ruled Ruhuna, at the same time as
Kelani Tissa of
Maya Rata. Kavan Tissa was a great-grandson of King
Devanampiyatissa's youngest brother
Mahanaga, and also the father of the King
Dutugemunu.
Sources
As with his son Dutugemunu, Kavan Tissa's figure is mostly swathed in myth and legend. The main source of information on his life is ''
Mahavamsa'', the historical chronicle about the kings of Sri Lanka, which portrays Kavan Tissa as "devoutly believing in the
three gems,
ndhe provided the
brotherhood continually with... needful things".
Life and legacy
In Wilhelm Geiger's rendering of the Mahavamsa Kavantissa is given as Kakavannatissa. Under that name, the Mahavamsa mentions him twice.
In chapter 15 Kavantissa, or Kakavannatissa is the son of a king named Gothabhaya and father of king Abhaya better known as Dutthagamini, correctly spelt as Dutugemunu.
Chapter 15 of the Mahavamsa has been called, either by Geiger or by previous scribes, "The acceptance of the Mahavihara".
Chapter 22 of the Mahavamsa, "The birth of Prince Gamani" mentions of the city of Rohana where there are "still princes who have faith in the three gems" (Buddha, his Teaching, the Community of monastics). Chapter 22 describes the war against the Damila. This name of Damila occurs both in the Mahavamsa and in the Culavamsa (Small Chronicle).
See also
*
Mahavamsa
*
List of monarchs of Sri Lanka
*
History of Sri Lanka
The history of Sri Lanka covers Sri Lanka and the history of the Indian subcontinent and its surrounding regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Prehistoric Sri Lanka goes back 125,000 years and possibly even as far back a ...
References
External links
Kings & Rulers of Sri LankaCodrington's Short History of Ceylon
Monarchs of Ruhuna
{{SriLanka-hist-stub