Pāli Dictionary

Rājasīha I

Person

A king of Sri Lanka who reigned from 1581 to 1593, gaining the throne by defeating the Portuguese but later persecuting the monastic Order after killing his own father.

King of Sri Lanka (1581-93 A.C.). He was the son of Māyādhanu. It is said that at the age of eleven he was distinguished for his bravery. He gained the throne by defeating the Portuguese. His capital was at Sītāvaka. Later, he slew his father, and, when the monks declared that it was impossible to atone for such a heinous crime, he turned against them, gave the revenues from Samantakūṭa to the Saivite priests, slew the monks, and burned their sacred books. Cv.xciii.3 ff; he was held in great fear and is now worshipped as a god; Cv. Trs.ii.226, n.1.

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