Funday Times

The capital keeps shifting: a period of uncertainty
Polonnaruwa had to be abandoned as the capital of the Sinhalese kingdom when Magha of Kalinga invaded the country. The capital was shifted first to the South-West Mayarata and kept on moving until a firm kingdom was established in the central hills.

This situation extended for at least four centuries from the 13th century onwards. From Polonnaruwa, the capital was moved to Dambadeniya in the present Kurunegala district, then to Yapahuva, Kurunegala, Gampola, Raigama, Kotte and finally to Kandy. This period is known as the transitional period and the heritage of that era is displayed in the Transitional Gallery in the Colombo National Museum.

From the Polonnaruwa Gallery, one walks through to the Transitional Gallery adjoining which is the Kandy Period Gallery. As you enter, a map of Sri Lanka depicts the numerous capitals to which the rulers kept moving during the period. It was because of the insecurity conditions prevalent in the country with the threat of foreign invasion.

A prince named Vijayabahu established himself at Dambadeniya around 1232 A.D., (Magha was then the ruler at Polonnaruwa) and reigned for four years as Vijayabahu III. His elder son succeeded him as Parakramabahu II and was one of the two kings (the other was Parakramabahu VI of Kotte) who maintained a stable government for a fairly long period during this period of transition. During his 34-year rule, he repaired the Buddhist monasteries and edifices destroyed by the invaders, restored tanks and improved roadways.

The grandeur of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa eras in the sphere of architecture and sculpture, was lacking during this period. This was due to the unstable political situation with quick changes of ruling power and kingdoms. Although there is mention of a resurgence of architectural activity during the Dambadeniya and Yapahuva kingdoms, not many buildings remain. The Tooth Relic shrine known as Vijayasunderarama had followed the two-storeyed plan of the Atadage of Polonnaruwa but on a mini scale.

The shifting of the Tooth Relic to wherever the king resided was a feature of the day since the Tooth Relic was the king's symbol of authority. Thus the king built a special shrine for the Tooth Relic at each capital. Bhuvanekabahu I (1272-1284) moved from Dambadeniya to Yapahuva. The Yapahuva gateway to the Tooth Relic shrine seen even today represents a classic sample of 13th-14th century architecture indicating the influence of South Indian and Cambodian architectural styles.

At least four kings had ruled from Kurunegala from 1293-1341. They were Bhuvanekabahu II, Parakramabahu 1V (also known as Pandita Parakramabahu), Bhuvanekabahu III and Vijayabahu V. The kingdom thereafter moved to Gampola from where Bhuvanekabahu IV, Parakramabahu V, Vikramabahu III, Bhuvanekabahu V and Virabahu II ruled during the period 1341 - 1374.

An Alakesvara or Algakkonara who took up residence at Peradeniya was to become, in a few years, the virtual dictator of the Sinhalese kingdom. He came up during the time of Vikramabahu III when he married the king's sister. The ruler in Jaffna was a dominant figure at the time as a result of which the Sinhalese ruler was reduced to a state of subserviency. Alakeshvara resolved to put an end to this humiliating state of affairs.

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