- The invasion
of Sena and Guttika
 According
to Rajavaliya, King Uttiya passed away in 257 B.C. He was succeeded
by his younger brother, Mahasiva. Being a loyal follower of Thera
Bhaddasala, Mahasiva has ruled the country according to the principles
laid down in Buddhism. Due to the influence of Buddhism on society,
the citizens were good natured and law-abiding. The society was
non-violent. This made the king’s task very easy.
- Most of
the people observed ‘Ata sil’ (eight precepts) on
all four poya days. They gave up hunting, their main pastime so
far. They showed love and kindness to animals. It is this peaceful
way of life that made the king’s task easy. King Mahasiva
gathered the support of the people and built the noble Vihara
– Nagarangana and offered it to Thera Bhaddasala.
King Mahasiva’s rule was also a short one. He ruled only
for ten years. He was succeeded by Suratissa, his younger brother.
He too was a righteous ruler, leading a pious life. In the southern
quarter of the city he built another Nagarangana Vihara.
King Suratissa was a devout Buddhist. He had the good fortune
of listening to the advice of the Maha-Theras (Arhats). The ‘Mahavamsa’
records that he built 500 viharas in all, some of them even before
he ascended the throne. As a prince, Suratissa had been known
as Suvanna-pinda-tissa.- King Suratissa
built viharas all over the country. On top of mountains, at the
foot of mountains, on either side of the river, the stupas were
scattered. His subjects loved him for all the meritorious work
done by him. Gonagala, Vanguttara, Lankarama, Makulaka and Girinelavahanaka
are just some of the viharas he built.
-
 Many
people started to misuse the kindness of the king. When the majority
of the subjects were bent on the religious path, seeking emancipation,
the security of the land was neglected. Though there were the
soldiers of the royal army, nobody took his job seriously. There
was no regular training of the army and the country was open to
invasion by enemies. It was at this time , that Sena and Guttika,
sons of a South Indian freighter, who brought horses to our country,
invaded the land.
- They came
with a huge army and defeated King Suratissa. These invaders were
so cruel as to kill such a pious ruler like Suratissa. Thus ended
the 10 year rule of King Suratissa. The first South Indian invaders,
Sena and Guttika, ruled Lanka for a period of about 22 years.
As the people of this country were leading religious lives, according
to the new doctrine they had embraced, it was easy for an invader
to rule the country comfortably.
-
 It
is important to note, that everyone was not ready to accept things
lying low. The ninth son of Mutasiva, Asela, by name, rose to
the occasion. He meant to reawaken the Sinhala people. He increased
the army and gave regular training.
- Once well-equipped
for battle, he fought against Sena and Guttika. He was able to
defeat the enemy and come to power in Anuradhapura. Thus the power
of Sinhala kings was established once more in Anuradhapura. There
is no doubt that the people were jubilant.
By Halaliye Karunathilaka Edited and translated by Kamala Silva
llustrated by Saman Kalubowila
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