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This
article is part of a continuing series on the ‘Mahavamsa’,
the recorded chronicle of Sri Lankan history
Queen Anula becomes the ruler
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After the death of Chora-naga, Mahasilu’s son, Kuda Tissa
ascended the throne in 51 BC. He was not a clever ruler. He could
not do anything for the progress of the country. He was lazy by
nature and this led to Queen Anula’s rise to power. After
a short three year period of rule, Kuda Tissa died. He was poisoned
by Queen Anula. Then followed a very bad period.
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Queen Anula who exercised the powers of the king, took Siva, a
palace guard, as her husband. He was made king and he ruled for
about a year and two months. Meanwhile, Queen Anula met a Tamil
carpenter named Vatuka and wished to make him her husband. So
she secretly poisoned Siva and saw to the end of his rule.
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Vatuka was then made king. Everyone who had a genuine right to
the throne was getting scared of Anula. They fled the city of
Anuradhapura. The queen of King Mahasilu, became a Buddhist nun.
Her second son, Makalan Tissa went to a distant place and he too
became a Buddhist priest. In the meantime, infamous Anula started
a romance with the man who supplied firewood to the palace. He
was Dara-Kati-Tissa by name.
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When Vatuka had ruled for a little over one year, he was suddenly
found dead in his bedroom. Upon examination, it was found that
his death too was due to poisoning. Queen Anula then made Darakati-Tissa
her husband and got him to rule the country.
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Her love for this man was also short lived. She changed her mind,
the moment she met the handsome Brahmin named Niliya. After a
rule of about one year, Darakati-Tissa too died of poisoning.
After his cremation, Niliya came to live in the palace.
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Queen Anula then became wife to Niliya and made him the king.
Both of them could not live together for more than six months.
Anula poisoned Niliya and got rid of him. By this time, the country
had suffered a lot. Due to the lack of proper administration,
the society was full of vices. Tanks and canals were utterly neglected.
Fields had been abandoned.
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The capital city and the neighbouring villages were in dire want.
They lacked the bare essentials. People got angry with the palace.
They hated Anula for all her misdeeds. But Queen Anula just did
not care. After the death of Niliya, she took upon herself the
task of ruling the country. That made no change for the country.
Conditions only became worse. She had ruled the country for four
months, when a prince, accompanied by an army, reached the capital
city.
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This prince, was none other than Makalana-Tissa. Noticing the
sad state of affairs in the country, he had given up robes. The
army was ready to support him. So he marched forwards. People
too joined him. He besieged the palace, entered it, caught Anula
and got her killed. He saw to it, that Queen Anula was given a
royal burial.
By Halaliye Karunathilake
Edited and translated by
Kamala Silva
Illustrated by
Saman Kalubowila
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