Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 1

Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 134
Rajasiha Defeated for the First Time by Konappu Bandara: (1593 AD)
As expected King Rajasiha came with a huge force to attack the Kandy kingdom, which was under
Wimala Dharmasuriya. Rajasiha’s force was defeated at Balana by Wimala Dharmasuriya. Rajasiha
was defeated in battle for the first time in his life.
Rajasinha’s speech to his generals (Rajavaliya account)
“Since my eleventh year, no King was able to stand before me. But he who had appeared in
hill country this time is a favorite of fortune. My merits have run out”.
(Author’s Note: This battle at Balane was one of the most decisive battles in the 2,000 year
history of Buddhism in Lanka. By this time Rajasiha was able to destroy almost all the bhikkus in the
country. He had already decapitated many Buddhist monks, burnt many books, destroyed Viharas,
killed many lay people who were supportive of Buddhism and was ready to hammer the ultimate death
knoll on Buddhism in the country. If Rajasiha were to breakthrough at Balana for the second time and
capture Kandy, the Buddhism in Sri Lanka probably would have come to an end since King Rajasiha
was only fifty years old at the time).
Rajasiha’s Death: (1593 AD)
Rajasiha started to retreat back to Seethawaka after the defeat and stopped at Pethangoda Uyana to rest.
At Pethangoda, a bamboo splinter pierced his foot. The poison in the splinter made the King sick. An
astrologer named “Dodampe Ganithaya” by magic, made sure that poison would stay in King’s body.
Rajasiha’s generals placed King Rajasiha on a barge and started to transport him to Seethawaka. King
died at a place known as “Kukulu Bittharawela” without uttering a single word.
Queyroz account on Rajasiha’s death:
“On the death of Raju, whom the whole Ceylon, including Japanapatao and the furthest of
the highlands obeyed, there were great revolts as he had no legitimate sons, because he
killed the son he had”
Ref: Queyroz – (1617 –1680 AD) - Edited for brevity
(Author’s Note: Here Queyroz accuses Rajasiha for killing his own son, while Mahavamsa
accuses Rajasiha for killing his own father. Later the reader would see Robert Knox accuses Rajasiha
II of killing his son as well. Did Queyroz mixed up the two Rajasihas?).
Terror inflicted by this King on the society and Buddhism is well portrayed by W. A. De Silva in his
celebrated novel “Sunetra”.
On the other hand this brutal character of the fifteenth century put breaks on the Portuguese. If
Seethawaka Rajasiha had not have appeared during this time period, Portuguese could have captured
the whole country and completed conversion and name change of the Sinhalese. As I have mentioned
elsewhere almost fifty percent of the Sinhalese do not have Sinahalese names. Seethawaka Rajasiha
did serve a purpose in the Lankan history.