Gothabhaya of Anuradhapura

Sri Lankan king of Anuradhapura from 254 to 267

Gothabhaya
King of Anuradhapura
Reign	254 – 267
Predecessor	Siri Sangha Bodhi I
Successor	Jettha Tissa I
Died	267
Issue	Jettha Tissa I Mahasena

Gothabhaya, also known as Meghavannabhaya, Gothakabhaya and Goluaba, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka whose reign lasted from 254 to 267. During his reign, Gothabhaya renovated several temples and monasteries and also built a new temple. He is the last of three princes who seized the throne from King Vijaya Kumara and ruled the country. He is known for banishing 60 Buddhist monks who followed teaching contradictory to Theravada, and also for rebelling against his friend Samghabodhi to seize the throne himself.

Legacy

Gothabhaya had two sons named Jetthatissa and Mahasena. He entrusted the education of his sons to a South Indian monk named Sanghamitta who had befriended him. This turned out to be a key point in Sri Lankan history since Mahasena, who had embraced the Vaitulya doctrines taught by Sanghamitta, constructed the Jetavana temple which became one of the country's three main schools of Buddhism during the Anuradhapura period despite Gothabhaya's efforts to arrest the spread of Vaitulyavada.^[1]

References

^ Siriweera, W. I. (2004). History of Sri Lanka. Dayawansa Jayakodi & Company. pp. 246, 247. ISBN 955-551-257-4.

External links

Kings & Rulers of Sri Lanka
Codrington's Short History of Ceylon

Regnal titles
Gothabhaya of Anuradhapura King of Sri Lanka
Preceded by Siri Sangha Bodhi I	King of Anuradhapura 254–267	Succeeded by Jettha Tissa I

Monarchs of the Sinhala Kingdom

Pre-Anuradhapura period
House of Vijaya (543–237 BCE)

Prince Vijaya (543 BCE–505 BCE)
Upatissa (505 BCE–504 BCE)
Panduvasdeva (504 BCE–474 BCE)
Abhaya (474 BCE–454 BCE)
Tissa (454 BCE–437 BCE)

Anuradhapura period
House of Vijaya (543–237 BCE)
Chola dynasty (237–215 BCE)
House of Vijaya (215–205 BCE)
Chola dynasty (205–161 BCE)
House of Vijaya (161–103 BCE)
The Five Dravidians (103–89 BCE)
House of Vijaya (89 BCE–66 CE)
House of Lambakanna I (66–436)
The Six Dravidians (436–463)
House of Moriya (463–691)
House of Lambakanna II (691–1017)

Pandukabhaya (437–367 BCE)
Mutasiva (367–307 BCE)
Devanampiya Tissa (307–267 BCE)
Uttiya (267–257 BCE)
Mahasiva (257–247 BCE)
Suratissa (247–237 BCE)
Sena and Guttika (237–215 BCE)
Asela (215–205 BCE)
Elara (205–161 BCE)
Dutugamunu (161–137 BCE)
Saddha Tissa (137–119 BCE)
Thulatthana (119 BCE)
Lanja Tissa (119–109 BCE)
Khallata Naga (109–104 BCE)
Valagamba (104–103 BCE)
Pulahatta (103–100 BCE)
Bahiya (100–98 BCE)
Panya Mara (98–91 BCE)
Pilaya Mara (91–90 BCE)
Dathika (90–88 BCE)
Valagamba (89–76 BCE)
Mahakuli Mahatissa (76–62 BCE)
Chora Naga (62–50 BCE)
Kuda Tissa (50–47 BCE)
Siva I (47 BCE)
Vatuka (47 BCE)
Darubhatika Tissa (47 BCE)
Niliya (47 BCE)
Anula (47 BCE)
Kutakanna Tissa (42–20 BCE)
Bhatikabhaya Abhaya (20 BCE–9 CE)
Mahadathika Mahanaga (9–21)
Amandagamani Abhaya (21–30)
Kanirajanu Tissa (30–33)
Chulabhaya (33–35)
Sivali (35–35)
Interregnum (35–38)
Ilanaga (38–44)
Chandamukha (44–52)
Yassalalaka Tissa (52–60)
Subharaja (60–66)
Vasabha (66–110)
Vankanasika Tissa (110–113)
Gajabahu I (113–135)
Mahallaka Naga (135–141)
Bhatika Tissa (141–165)
Kanittha Tissa (165–193)
Cula Naga (193–195)
Kuda Naga (195–196)
Siri Naga I (196–215)
Voharika Tissa (215–237)
Abhaya Naga (237–245)
Siri Naga II (245–247)
Vijaya Kumara (247–248)
Sangha Tissa I (248–252)
Siri Sangha Bodhi I (252–254)
Gothabhaya (254–267)
Jettha Tissa I (267–277)
Mahasena (277–304)
Sirimeghavanna (304–332)
Jettha Tissa II (332–341)
Buddhadasa (341–370)
Upatissa I (370–412)
Mahanama (412–434)
Soththisena (434)
Chattagahaka Jantu (434–435)
Mittasena (435–436)
Pandu (436–441)
Parindu (441)
Khudda Parinda (441–447)
Tiritara (447)
Dathiya (447–450)
Pithiya (450–452)
Dhatusena (463–479)
Kashyapa I (479–497)
Moggallana I (497–515)
Kumara Dhatusena (515–524)
Kittisena (524)
Siva II (524–525)
Upatissa II (525–526)
Silakala Ambosamanera (526–539)
Dathappabhuti (539–540)
Moggallana II (540–560)
Kittisiri Meghavanna (560–561)
Maha Naga (561–564)
Aggabodhi I (564–598)
Aggabodhi II (598–608)
Sangha Tissa II (608)
Moggallana III (608–614)
Silameghavanna (614–623)
Aggabodhi III (623)
Jettha Tissa III (623–624)
Aggabodhi III (624–640)
Dathopa Tissa I (640–652)
Kassapa II (652–661)
Dappula I (661–664)
Dathopa Tissa II (664–673)
Aggabodhi IV (673–689)
Unhanagara Hatthadatha (691)
Manavanna (691–726)
Aggabodhi V (726–732)
Kassapa III (732–738)
Mahinda I (738–741)
Aggabodhi VI (741–781)
Aggabodhi VII (781–787)
Mahinda II (787–807)
Dappula II (807–812)
Mahinda III (812–816)
Aggabodhi VIII (816–827)
Dappula III (827–843)
Aggabodhi IX (843–846)
Sena I (846–866)
Sena II (866–901)
Udaya I (901–912)
Kassapa IV (912–929)
Kassapa V (929–939)
Dappula IV (939–940)
Dappula V (940–952)
Udaya II (952–955)
Sena III (955–964)
Udaya III (964–972)
Sena IV (972–975)
Mahinda IV (975–991)
Sena V (991–1001)
Mahinda V (1001–1029)

Anuradhapura from Rohana

Kassapa VI (1029–1040)
Mahalana–Kitti (1040–1042)
Vikrama Pandu (1042–1043)
Jagatipala (1043–1046)
Parakrama Pandu (1046–1048)
Loka (1048–1054)
Kassapa VII (1054–1055)

Polonnaruwa period
House of Vijayabahu (1055–1187)
House of Kalinga (1187–1197)
House of Vijayabahu (1197–1200)
House of Kalinga (1200–1209)
House of Vijayabahu (1209–1210)
Lokissara (1210–1211)
House of Vijayabahu (1211–1212)
Pandyan dynasty (1212–1215)
Eastern Ganga dynasty (1215–1236)