Dhatusena Father of King Kasyapa of Sigiriya

SIGIRIYA - Book

Immerse yourself in the fascinating history of Sigiriya in this beautifully illustrated book. In Part 1 travel back in time and meet the key players who shaped the rock fortress's history. Part 2 contains a comprehensive Site Guide with hundreds of photographs and descriptions of the ruins.

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Dhatusena, ruled from 255-473 AD and was the first king of the Moriyan dynasty of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of ancient Sri Lanka. He was the father of King Kasyapa who built the magnificent Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Dhatusena's greatest contribution to posterity was decision to set aside a thousand pieces of money for the writing of the Mahavamsa the world's oldest and most comprehensive authenticated metrical chronicle of history. The Kala Wewa and the possibly the Avukana Buddha statue are monuments associated the Dhatusena.

Dhatusena was originally intent on being a Buddhist monk. However, he discarded the saffron robes of the novice Buddhist monk and donned the garb of a soldier and undertook a grueling guerrilla campaign to rid his country of foreign occupation. One after another he slew their leaders, but the invaders held on tenaciously. Finally, in about the tenth year of his campaign, he was victorious and restored Sinhala hegemony over the entire island. Dhatusena, having cleared the land of the last vestiges of the enemy, applied himself to peace as diligently as he had previously applied himself to war. He repaired and provided endowments to numerous monasteries. He dammed the rivers and built eighteen new reservoirs including the massive Kalawewa, a reservoir of two thousand six hundred hectares.

Dhatusena had two sons. Kasyapa, the older, was born of a liaison between Dhatusena and "a woman of unequal birth" during his years as a guerrilla fighter. Moggallana, on the other hand, although much younger, was born of the royal bloodline and therefore the rightful heir to the throne.

SIGIRIYA - Novel

Palace intrigue, passion, deceit, betrayal and tragedy. Set fifteen hundred years ago, this compelling novel weaves historical facts into a remarkably entertaining story of fate, dangerous alliances, enduring friendships, and forbidden love. Available in Ebook and Paperback.

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The Culavamsa tells us that the king also had a daughter, who was as "dear to him as his own life." She was married to his nephew Migara, the son of his sister. Dhatusena himself had appointed Migara as commander-in-chief of his army. We are told that Migara "caused her to be flogged on the thighs with a whip although she had committed no offence." She fled to her father. The king, seeing his daughter's garments trickling with blood, was outraged. In an uncontrollable fit of rage, he had Migara's mother, his own sister, stripped naked and burned alive in retribution. Deeply aggrieved by the gruesome death of his mother, Migara conspired with Kasyapa, captured the king and seized control of the government. Still vengeful and seeking even more revenge, Migara convinced Kasyapa that the old king was hiding a large treasure for Moggallana. Agitated by Migara's constant haranguing, Kasyapa sent messenger after messenger to his father, demanding to know where his treasure was hidden.

The stubborn old man, however, remained silent. With each rebuke, Kasyapa's anger grew more intense, and his demand more shrill. Finally, Dhatusena, acknowledging his impending death, resolved that he would visit his mentor and friend Mahanama, purify himself in the waters of the mighty Kalawewa, and then resign himself to his fate. Appearing to relent, Dhatusena sent word that he was ready to point out the place where the treasure was concealed, and he asked to be taken to the banks of the Kalawewa. Kasyapa gladly agreed and intent on amplifying the old king's humiliation, he provided him with a "chariot with a bent axle." Dhatusena bathed himself in the Kalawewa and merging from the water purified, he pointed to his friend and then slowly, in a sweeping motion to the shimmering expanse of water before him and said, "O, friends, this is all the treasure that I possess!" On being informed of this rebuke, Kasyapa flew into a rage and he ordered Migara, "Slay my father." With relish, Migara extracted his revenge. He had Dhatusena stripped naked, bound him in heavy chains, fettered him in a niche of his prison cell, and slowly entombed him alive by plastering up the opening with clay.