Funday Times

This article is part of a continuing series on the 'Mahavamsa', the recorded chronicle of Sri Lankan history

Mercenary armies become powerful
1. King Agbo 111 won the battle, came to Anuradhapura and was crowned for the second time. He donated villages named Hankara and Samugama to the chief-priest of the meditation centre. In addition to this, he donated a part of the revenue he got from the village named Kehella. He also gifted villages to Jetavana Vihara.

2. This king built a temple in Polonnaruwa. It was named Mahapanadipa Vihara. King Agbo 111 ruled the country for 10 years. During this period he extended his patronage to religion. It is during this period that his 'Yuvaraja' - the second in command, was found guilty of a crime. He was Prince Mana. The ministers got together and killed this prince. Then King Agbo appointed his youngest brother - Prince Kashyapa - to that post.

3. The king's armies were under the control of Prince Mana. The soldiers loved Prince Mana, as he was very close to them. He adopted a fatherly attitude towards the soldiers and saw to their comfort all the time. He helped them, whenever they were in difficulty. So, when this prince was murdered, the soldiers got disgusted. They neglected their duties. As a result, the army was weakened. Unfortunately, the king did not consider this a serious situation.

4. This was the time that South India was keenly observing the political situation of our country. The chief minister of King Detutis, Dathasiva, was still abroad. When King Detutis died, he postponed his coming home. He learnt about the poor form the army was in and the plight of King Agbo. He collected an army from India and landed in Sri Lanka. He set up camp in Siyambalagamuwa and declared war.

5. King Agbo 111, lost in the battle and fled. He fled to India. Dathasiva, who won, conquered Anuradhapura. He was crowned as Dathopatissa in 639 A.D. Before long, King Agbo 111, came back, bringing with him a foreign army and chased away King Dathopatissa.

6. Even though he became king once more, that too, was only for a short period. Dathopatissa came back with fresh armies, chased Agbo 111 and became king once more. These two kings went on fighting like this, and the one who proved to be powerful won the throne. Because of this political unrest, nothing was done for the development of the country. The only thing that happened was, loss of lives as a result of fighting. The people suffered a lot. As there was no strong administration, there was no law and order in the country. Corruption reigned supreme.

7. As a result of constant fighting, the entire irrigation system was neglected. Tanks were abandoned. Agriculture suffered. There were no officers to maintain tanks and canals. There was scarcity in the land. In short, the entire country suffered. Meanwhile, King Dathopatissa went against the monks of all three Nikayas. He was instrumental in the destruction of a number of temples. Statues of gold and valuables like gems and jewels were stolen. The golden pinnacle of Thuparama was also stolen. The red canopy of Ruwanveli Chetiya was broken down.

8. This king, Dathopatissa did all that he could for the destruction of the 'Sasana'. He even stopped giving alms to the monks. It is only from the Mahapali Hall that the monks were able to get their meals. During this time, Mahapali Hall had become a centre where meals were supplied to the mercenaries (South Indian armies). This made the Tamil armies too free and powerful in Anuradhapura. They began to ruin the Buddhist temples and other religious centres, without any fear.

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