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1157 Ruhuna Rebellion, also known as the Rebellion of Queen Sugala, was a revolt led-by Queen Sugala of Ruhuna against the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa ruled by Parakramabahu the Great. The rebellion was suppressed by the army of Parakramabahu, and the kingdom of Ruhuna was annexed as a part of Polonnaruwa in 1158.

Background

After the death of King Vikramabahu I, his son Prince Gajabha became the king of Polonnaruwa. During this period, the king Kithsirime of Maya Rata and Sri Vallabha of Ruhuna fought against King Gajabahu, but Gajabahu's general Gokanna drove them out.

Keerthi Sri Megha, who ruled Dakkhinadesa during this period, died and his sub-king Parakramabahu ascended to the throne. Shortly after becoming king, Parakramabahu came to Polonnaruwa with a large army and fought and defeated King Gajabahu, but with the intervention of the Sangha Polonnaruwa kingdom was again handed over to King Gajabahu.

Revolt

After the demise of King Gajaba II, King Parakramabahu became the king of both Maya Rata and Polonnaruwa. But by this time Ruhuna was ruled by King Manabharana II. Shortly afterwards, Manabharana died, and his ministers continued the invasion of Polonnaruwa led before by Manabharana under the leadership of his mother, Sugala Devi. Katuwana was the site of Sugala's “defensive fortifications…for her warriors.”

By all accounts Sugala was a fearless military leader and “the queen had the strong loyalty of the people of the area, and her possession of the Alms Bowl and the Tooth Relic of the Buddha apparently gave her rule legitimacy.”

However, the revolt was suppressed “after a series of savage campaigns.” Eventually Queen Sugala and her totems of power were captured, and Ruhuna was annexed by Polonnaruwa.

Aftermath

The annexation of Ruhuna united the whole of Sri Lanka under one flag, and this lasted until the death of Parakramabahu the Great in 1187.

Further reading

• Adithiya, L.A.. Search for Sugala. Sri Lanka, Travel Friends, 1980.

References

1. Codrington, H. W. “NOTES ON CEYLON TOPOGRAPHY IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY, II.” The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, vol. 30, no. 78, 1925, pp. 70–91. JSTOR, JSTOR 43483786. Accessed 24 Sep. 2022.
2. Nishantha Joseph, Sujeewa. Sinhalese Kings (in Sinhala). Jayasinghe Book Publishers. pp. 56–57. ISBN 978-955-0642-32-8.
3. "Mahavamsa - Queen Sugala". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
4. Salmonson, Jessica Amanda (2015). The Encyclopedia of Amazons : Women Warriors from Antiquity to the Modern Era. . ISBN 978-1-4532-9364-5. OCLC 904020917.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
5. "Hidden Dutch Fort in Katuwana". Sunday Observer. 2016-11-25. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
6. ^ De Silva, Chandra Richard (1997). Sri Lanka, a history (2nd revised ed.). New Delhi: Vikas Pub. House. p. 79. ISBN 0-7069-9899-5. OCLC 38528085.

Bibliography

• Codrington's Short History of Sri Lanka - Chapter IV
• Nishantha Joseph, Sujeewa. Sinhalese Kings (in Sinhala). Jayasinghe Book Publishers. pp. 56–57. ISBN 978-955-0642-32-8.
• Mahavamsa - Queen Sugala of Ruhuna

• Polonnaruwa period