Gothabhaya of Anuradhapura

Mahasena
King of Anuradhapura
Reign (254-267)
Died 267
Predecessor Siri Sangha Bodhi I
Successor Jettha Tissa I
Offspring Jettha Tissa I
Mahasena

Gothabhaya, also known as Meghavannabhaya, Gothakabhaya and Goluaba, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka who ruled the country from 249 to 262 AD. During his reign, Gothabhaya renovated several temples and monasteries and also built a new temple. He is the last of three friends 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 Vaitulya doctrines taught by Sanghamitta, constructed the Jetavana temple which became one of the country's three main schools of Buddhism of the Anuradhapura period despite Gothabhaya's efforts to arrest the spread of Vaitulyavada.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ Siriweera, W. I. (2004). History of Sri Lanka. Dayawansa Jayakodi & Company. pp. 246, 247. ISBN 955-551-257-4. 
Gothabhaya of Anuradhapura
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Siri Sangha Bodhi I		 King of Anuradhapura
249 AD–262 AD		 Succeeded by
Jettha Tissa I
House of Vijaya
(477 BC-237 BC, 215 BC–205 BC)
Pandukabhaya (437 BC-367 BC) • Mutasiva (367 BC-307 BC) • Devanampiya Tissa (307 BC-267 BC) • Uttiya (267 BC-257 BC) • Mahasiva (257 BC-247 BC) • Suratissa (247 BC-237 BC) • Asela (215 BC-205 BC)
Chola invaders
(237 BC–215 BC, 205 BC–161 BC)
Sena and Guttika (237 BC-215 BC) • Elara (205 BC-161 BC)
House of Vijaya
(161 BC–103 BC)
Dutthagamani (161 BC-137 BC) • Saddha Tissa (137 BC-119 BC) • Thulatthana (119 BC-119 BC) • Lanja Tissa (119 BC-109 BC) • Khallata Naga (109 BC-104 BC) • Valagamba (104 BC-103 BC)
The Five Dravida
(103 BC–89 BC)
Pulahatta (103 BC-100 BC) • Bahiya (100 BC-98 BC) • Panya Mara (98 BC-91 BC) • Pilaya Mara (91 BC-90 BC) • Dathika (90 BC-88 BC)
House of Vijaya
(89 BC–66 AD)
Valagamba (104 BC-103 BC) • Mahakuli Mahatissa (76 BC-62 BC) • Chora Naga (62 BC-50 BC) • Kuda Tissa (50 BC-47 BC) • Siva I (47 BC-47 BC) • Vatuka (47 BC-47 BC) • Darubhatika Tissa (47 BC-47 BC) • Niliya (47 BC-47 BC) • Anula (47 BC-42 BC) • Kutakanna Tissa (42 BC-20 BC) • Bhatikabhaya Abhaya (20 BC-9 AD) • 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 (52-60) • Subharaja (60-66)
House of Lambakanna I
(66–436)
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 (434-434) • Chattagahaka Jantu (434-435) • Mittasena (435-436)
The Six Dravidas
(436–463)
Pandu (436-441) • Parindu (441-441) • Khudda Parinda (441-447) • Tiritara (447-447) • Dathiya (447-450) • Pithiya (450-452)
House of Moriya
(463–691)
Dhatusena (463-479) • Kashyapa I (479-497) • Moggallana I (497-515) • Kumara Dhatusena (515-524) • Kittisena (524-524) • 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 (608-608) • Moggallana III (608-614) • Silameghavanna (614-623) • Aggabodhi III (623-623) • 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 (691-691)
House of Lambakanna II
(691-1017)
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 (1001-1017)
Italics indicate regent.