Funday Times

This article is part of a continuing series on the ‘Mahavamsa’, the recorded chronicle of Sri Lankan history
King Dutugemunu attacks

The reconstruction work of the Mahhiyangana Chetiya was complete. The king summoned his army and said, “We have just begun the battle. It’s going to be a tough one. Yet, we are sure to be victorious. Let’s advance”. The army agreed in one voice. They were impatient to march forward.
As planned earlier, the ‘Ambathota battle’, on the bank of the Mahaweli, began. It was a stronghold of the Tamils, commanded by Commander Ambutu. He had a number of warriors too. Dutugemunu besieged the fortress.
The fighting went on day and night and this battle lasted for four months. The Sinhala army was able to capture the fort. All the Tamil soldiers, including their commander were killed. Gaining a lot of confidence, the Sinhala army marched forward.
Next came the fortress named ‘Sathbanda Kotta’. This was guarded by seven brothers who were well versed in warfare. Though they fought valiantly, they could not match Dutugemunu’s army. The fortress was turned to ashes and not one enemy soldier was allowed to flee.
After this victory, the king’s army rested there, that day. They celebrated their victory. The king gave gold to the brave soldiers. The following day, they marched towards ‘Aturuheba’, where a Tamil leader, Maha Thunda by name, was in command. This fortress too was razed to the ground in one day and all the soldiers were killed.
The king and his army then attacked the fortress at Denagama, where the commander Gavasa was in charge. After their victory, the Sinhala army spent the night there. The following day, they proceeded to the city named ‘Semen Maha Kola’. Mahissariya Tissa, the commander in charge of this fortress, hearing of the king’s advance, got ready to face the enemy. The two armies met and the battle began. The king’s army attacked the enemy relentlessly. The Tamil soldiers lost courage and finally lost their lives in the battle.
After capturing all the fortresses, one after the other, King Dutugemunu and his army defeated the commander Naliya, who was at Polwatta. The king’s next victory was the fortress ‘Dighabhayagalla’. As the king and his army badly needed a rest, they camped there. They ate, drank and rested for a day. Their next target was the Tamil stronghold at ‘Kasathota’. It wasn’t an easy fight. There were a number of clever warriors fighting for the Tamils.
The Sinhala forces used all their strength. This battle lasted for four months. By using all war tactics, the Sinhala army was able to finally defeat the enemy.

By Halaliya Karunathilaka
Edited and translated by Kamala Silva
Illustrated by Saman Kalubowila

Back to Mirror Magazine