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' ...

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 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 killed. 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 purposely put no lime and

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...

with the

Betel Betel (''Piper betle'') is a species of flowering plant in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious vine, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plants are cultivated for their lea ...

leaves that he gave him, and when the guards escorting him to the king told him to bring it, she told him about the king's decision. He went into hiding following this event 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. To thank his aunt, king Vasabha married her, as they were about the same age. 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, 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 Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

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 () 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 unique to the architecture ...

Thuparama Thuparamaya is the earliest documented Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. Its building dates to the arrival of Mahinda (Buddhist monk), Mahinda Thera (Mahindagamanaya) and the introduction of Buddhism to the island. Located within the sacred precinct ...

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 Biha ...

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 Isigiraya 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.

Notes

:1., ; Should not be confused with the Hindu and Sikh princely title "''

Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...

''". :2.Not mentioned in the Mahavamsa list of Kings. According to some historians the name 'Duṭaga' refers to Vankanasika Tissa. See, Neth FM - Unlimited History - Episode 59 - 03

References

External links