Nissanka Malla

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Statue of Nissanka Malla

Nissanka Malla (also: Kirti Nissanka , Kalinga Lokesvara Sinhala නිස්සංක මල්ල ; born 1157/58; died 1196) was a king of Sri Lanka . His rule lasted from 1187 to 1196. His most famous achievements are buildings such as Nissanka Lata Mandapaya , Hatadage and Rankot Vihara , as well as the renovation of old temples and water reservoirs .

Nissanka Malla stated that only a Buddhist had the right to rule the country, thereby consolidating his position and establishing his claim to royal dignity. He spent large sums of money on numerous construction projects and renovations, and also made funds available for a government attempt to fight crime. He maintained cordial relations with several countries, but conquered the Pandya and Chola states in southern India .

origin

A rock inscription by Nissanka Malla near Dambulla mentions that he comes from the Kalinga dynasty and is a descendant of King Vijaya . Another inscription in Ruwanwelisaya describes him as a member of the royal family of Kalinga , from Sinhapura :

"... coming from the royal line of the Ikshvaku family, he had become like a forehead sign of the royal family of Kalinga rulers who were born in Sinhapura ..."

Nissanka Malla's year of birth is given as 1157 or 1158. He was the son of Queen Parvati and King Jayagopa . This information also comes from a rock inscription by Nissanka Malla near Galpota . In it Jayagopa is referred to as the ruling king of Sinhapura. Nissanka Malla had two wives: Kalinga Subadradevi and Gangavamsa Kalyanamahadevi . In addition, he was the son or nephew of Parakramabahu I .

Domination

Nissanka Malla came to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Vijayabâhu II , the successor of Parākramabāhu I (the great), and was appointed Aepa (sub-king) of Vijayabâhu. Vijayabâhu was killed by Mahinda VI of House Kalinga. Mahinda VI ruled only five days before Nissanka Malla killed him in compensation and ascended the throne himself (1187).

By claiming to be a descendant of Vijaya, the first king of Sri Lanka, Nissanka Malla justified his claim to the throne. He further secured his position through a decree that the ruler of Sri Lanka must be a Buddhist. His rock inscription at Galpota describes this rule. It goes roughly: "Non-Buddhists should not be ruled in Sri Lanka, where the Kalinga dynasti provides the rightful heir."

In the rock inscriptions he is referred to as the “source of knowledge”, “protector of the earth” and “lamp that has illuminated the whole world”.

economy

Heavy taxes that Parākramabāhu I had introduced were largely abolished by Nissanka Malla. He gave money, gold, cattle, land and other valuables to the people to “reduce theft” because he believed that theft was a result of high taxes and oppression. However, at the same time he tried to trump the structures that Parākramabāhu I had built with his own buildings, which almost led to the bankruptcy of the kingdom.

International Relations

Nissanka Malla had relationships with " Ramanna " ( Burma ) and it is said that he also had contact with such remote countries as Cambodia . Rameswaram of South India, which came under the control of Sri Lanka during the rule of Parākramabāhu I, still belonged to the Kingdom of Sri Lanka under the rule of Nissanka Malla. Nissanka Malla renewed a temple in Rameswaram and named it Nissankesvara . He also conquered the Pandya and Chola states in southern India.

Buildings

Nissanka Lata Mandapaya , a building by Nissanka Malla.

The Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is a unique building. Today there are 8 granite pillars that used to support a roof. The pillars are shaped like lotus stems with budding lotus flowers on top. You are standing on a platform.

The Hatadage is another building by Nissanka Malla. This building was used to store the Buddha's tooth relic . The Rankot Vihara , the fourth largest stupa in Sri Lanka, was also built by Nissanka Malla.

Extensive renovation work was carried out on the Dambulla Cave Temple (Dam̆būlū Len Vihāraya, Tampuḷḷai Poṟkōvil). One rock inscription records that Nissanka Malla gave 7 lakh (700,000?) For it, while another rock inscription lists only 1 lakh. The interior of the temple was gilded , as were 50 Buddha statues . This earned the temple the name Ran Giri - Golden Rock. A statue of Nissanka Malla was also made in one of the caves.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The largest dagoba in Polonnaruwa . In: Sunday Observer . May 8, 2005. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
  2. ↑ a b c C. Rasanayagam, Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar: Ancient Jaffna. Asian Educational Services 1993: 322, 323 . ISBN 81-206-0210-2
  3. ↑ ... having come from the royal line of the Ikshvaku family having become like a forehead mark to the royal family of Kalinga emperors born at Sinhapura ...
  4. ↑ a b c d H. W. Codrington: Short History of Ceylon . Asian Educational Services, 1995, ISBN 81-206-0946-8 , p. 65 (accessed April 11, 2009).
  5. ↑ S. Wijesooriya: 53 . In: A Concise Sinhala Mahavamsa . Participatory Development Forum, Sri Lanka, 2006, ISBN 955-9140-31-0 , p. 126.
  6. ^ Alan Strathern: Kingship and Conversion in Sixteenth-Century Sri Lanka . Cambridge University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-521-86009-1 , p. 147 (Accessed April 12, 2009).
  7. ↑ a b "non-Buddhists should not be placed in power in Sri Lanka to which the Kalinga dynasty was the rightful heir." The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa . Educational Publications Department, Sri Lanka. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  8. ^ Arnold Wright: Twentieth century impressions of Ceylon . Asian Educational Services, 1999, ISBN 81-206-1335-X , p. 38 (Accessed April 12, 2009).
  9. ↑ a b T.W.Rhys David: International Numismata Orientalia . Asian Educational Services, 1996, ISBN 81-206-1188-8 , p. 23 (Retrieved April 12, 2009).
  10. ^ Hugh Paxton: Studying Sri Lanka's simian soap opera . In: The Japan Times Online . September 10, 2002. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
  11. ^ GC Mendis: Early History of Ceylon . Asian Educational Services, 1996, ISBN 81-206-0209-9 , pp. 65, 66 (accessed April 12, 2009).
  12. ^ Patrick Peebles: The history of Sri Lanka . Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, ISBN 0-313-33205-3 , pp. 21, 23 (accessed April 12, 2009).
  13. ^ Ananda K. Coomaraswamy: History of Indian and Indonesian Art . Kessinger Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7661-5801-2 , p. 165 (accessed April 12, 2009).
  14. ↑ Hansima Witharanage: Sacred Tooth Relic; a journey from Kalinga in India to Senkadagalapura Temple of Tooth. . In: The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka . February 14, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  15. ↑ Ganga Pradeepa: Dambulla - Best preserved cave temple complex . In: Daily News . October 24, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  16. ^ The cave temples of Dambulla . In: Sunday Observer . November 7, 2004. Retrieved April 12, 2009.

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Mahinda VI. King of Polonnaruwa
1187–1196 		Vira Bahu I.
personal data
SURNAME Nissanka Malla
ALTERNATIVE NAMES නිස්සංක මල්ල (sinhala)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Sri Lankan ruler
DATE OF BIRTH 1157 or 1158
PLACE OF BIRTH Sinhapura
DATE OF DEATH 1196