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According to the Mahāvaṃsa, he was the son of King Sinhabahu of Sinhapura in India. He established the Kingdom of Tambapanni, but later abandoned Kuveni and their two children to marry a princess from the Pandyan kingdom in Madurai, India, to legitimize his rule.

He governed the kingdom from this city while awaiting the arrival of Vijaya's designated successor, Panduvasudeva, from India.

He was the nephew of his predecessor, King Vijaya, and was summoned from Sinhapura, India, to continue the royal lineage. His reign was foundational for the new kingdom, establishing a stable succession and strengthening ties with Indian royalty..

He was the son of King Mutasiva and maintained a close friendship with the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka of India.

Two horse traders from South India, named Sena and Guttika, mounted an invasion, defeated King Suratissa in battle, and usurped the throne. This event marks the first recorded instance of a foreign invasion and rule over the Anuradhapura Kingdom, breaking the Vijayan dynasty for a period of 22 years..

Sena and Guttika were two Tamil horse traders from South India who became the first recorded foreign rulers of Anuradhapura. After arriving on the island for trade, they organized an army, defeated and killed King Suratissa, and usurped the Sinhalese throne.

However, his reign was also brought to an end by another invasion from South India, led by a Chola prince named Elara, who defeated and killed Asela to become the next ruler..

Elara was a Chola prince from South India who invaded Sri Lanka and took the throne of the Anuradhapura Kingdom by defeating King Asela.

As the son of King Kavan Tissa of Ruhuna, he was driven from a young age by the desire to expel the Chola king Elara, who ruled Anuradhapura.

King Valagamba (Vattagamani Abhaya) (103, 89–77 BCE) – Valagamba first lost the throne in 103 BCE amid South Indian challenger pressure and internal instability, then reclaimed it (89–77 BCE) after prolonged exile. His restoration symbolizes resilience and strategic regional alliance building in Ruhuna.

In the absence of recorded doctrinal controversy or external invasion, he likely functioned as an interim stabilizer.

Kavan Tissa was the king of the southern kingdom of Ruhuna during the period when the northern Anuradhapura Kingdom was under the rule of the Chola king Elara.

King Gajabahu I (114–136 CE) – Gajabahu I is renowned in tradition for a legendary military expedition to South India—rescuing captive Sinhalese and acquiring the sacred relic of the Tooth of the Buddha (alternative traditions vary on relic acquisition timing).

Where specifics are missing, scholarly consensus defaults to broader structural patterns of Anuradhapura governance..

King Siri Meghavanna (301–328 CE) – Siri Meghavanna is celebrated for hosting the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, brought from India and enshrined in Anuradhapura—a pivotal moment elevating the city's religious centrality.

Mahanama (406–428 CE) ruled during a transitional period marked by increasing South Indian incursions.

Siva II (428–430 CE) – Siva II (428–430 CE) had a brief two-year reign amid escalating South Indian interference. His tenure marks the onset of a tumultuous period where Tamil invasions challenged Anuradhapura sovereignty.

Aggabodhi IV ruled for 16 years, focusing on Buddhist scholarship and temple restoration.

His 35-year nominal rule witnessed escalating Chola invasions from South India, culminating in the sacking of Anuradhapura (993 CE) and his eventual capture.

Vijayabahu I is the heroic liberator who expelled Chola occupation and established Polonnaruwa as the new capital. His 55-year reign focused on restoration: rebuilding monasteries destroyed during occupation, re-ordaining the Sangha (bringing monks from Burma to revive ordination lineages), and constructing new irrigation works around Polonnaruwa.

He unified fractious regional kingdoms, conducted military campaigns into South India and Burma, and patronized literature and the arts.

Despite instability, she maintained administrative continuity through strategic court alliances.

She maintained administrative continuity through court alliances, yet her tenure underscores the dynasty's fragility.

Parakrama Pandya II ruled briefly before Kalinga Magha's devastating invasion.

Kalinga Magha invaded from South India and established a Tamil Hindu kingdom in Jaffna around 1215, ruling for approximately 40 years.

Kalinga Magha (1215–1236) – Kalinga Magha was an invader from Kalinga (East India) who conquered Polonnaruwa and ruled for 21 years. Kalinga Magha's invasion marks a watershed: ending the classical hydraulic kingdoms centered on Anuradhapura-Polonnaruwa and initiating a decentralized, mobile capital era..

Vijayabahu III established Dambadeniya as the new capital after expelling Kalinga Magha's forces from Polonnaruwa. Operating from a smaller hydraulic base, he adapted kingship to a more modest scale—emphasizing religious legitimacy and regional alliance-building over grand irrigation projects.

He built Hindu temples, managed trade with South India, and patronized Tamil literature.

He repelled South Indian incursions, patronized Buddhist scholarship, and maintained regional irrigation networks.

Bhuvanaikabahu I relocated the capital to Yapahuwa, a fortified rock stronghold, in response to ongoing South Indian threats.

Vira Pandya ruled Jaffna for 39 years, expanding its commercial ties with Tamil Nadu and reinforcing Hindu institutions. He oversaw temple construction and irrigation, embedding Jaffna within South Indian cultural networks.

Jaya Sinha ruled Jaffna for seven years, maintaining Hindu patronage and northern trade.

He sponsored Hindu temples, expanded maritime trade, and maintained autonomy from southern kingdoms.

He maintained Hindu institutions and coastal trade, though his reign witnessed growing political competition from southern powers seeking to curb Jaffna's autonomy..

He withstood Parakramabahu VI's early military campaigns and preserved northern Tamil independence, maintaining Hindu temples and maritime trade in a fragmented island landscape..

Vira Alakesvara ruled Gampola and parts of the south for 14 years, famously confronting a Chinese Ming expedition in 1411.

His reign stands as the final golden age before European colonialism..

He reasserted autonomy after 1467, revitalizing Hindu institutions and trade.

He sponsored Hindu temples, expanded Tamil scholarship, and managed trade with South India and Arab merchants. His long rule represents Jaffna's last independent golden age before Portuguese intrusion..

He upheld monastic patronage and faced Portuguese merchant-explorers beginning to arrive on the coasts.

Parakramabahu VII's four-year tenure at Kotte saw renewed temple restoration and limited diplomatic ties with neighboring kingdoms. Portuguese traders appeared more frequently at Sri Lankan ports during his reign..

Parakramabahu VIII ruled Kotte for 24 years, a reign marked by Buddhist piety and growing Portuguese commercial influence. He promoted Theravada scholarship and maintained the Tooth Relic, yet could not prevent emerging European entanglements.

Jayavira Bandara ruled Kandy for 41 years during the Portuguese conquest of the lowlands. His reign secured Kandy as the last bastion of Sinhalese kingship against colonial encroachment..

He allowed Portuguese traders limited coastal footholds, a fateful concession.

Cinkaiariyan ruled Jaffna for 42 years amid increasing Portuguese presence on the island. He maintained Hindu traditions and resisted early Portuguese demands, preserving northern autonomy.

Bhuvanaikabahu VII's 30-year reign at Kotte witnessed full-scale Portuguese involvement in island politics. He cultivated alliances with the Portuguese, granting them commercial privileges and a strategic fort at Colombo.

Mayadunne founded the independent Sitawaka kingdom, resisting Portuguese expansion for 60 years. He waged continuous guerrilla warfare against both Kotte's Portuguese-backed rulers and colonial garrisons.

Following the 'Vijayabā Kollaya' in 1521, the Kotte kingdom was divided.

Dharmapala, the last king of Kotte, ruled for 46 years under Portuguese suzerainty. Converted to Catholicism and renamed Dom João, he officially bequeathed the kingdom to Portugal before his death.

Karaliyadde Bandara's 29-year reign witnessed increasing Portuguese pressure on Kandy and the rise of Sitawaka.

Puviraja Pandaram II's brief four-year reign saw escalating Portuguese military intervention. He attempted to defend Jaffna's sovereignty, but Portuguese forces captured and deposed him in 1565, installing his rival.

Kasi Nayinar Cinkaiariyan was installed by the Portuguese after his predecessor's overthrow, ruling Jaffna as a client for five years. He maintained Hindu ceremonies under Portuguese supervision, but his reign represented a sharp loss of autonomy for the northern kingdom..

Periyapillai ruled Jaffna for 12 years under Portuguese suzerainty, managing a precarious autonomy. He paid tribute and allowed Portuguese garrisons, yet preserved Hindu worship and local Tamil administration.

Rajasinha I of Sitawaka waged relentless war against the Portuguese for 12 years, nearly driving them from the island. He besieged Colombo and forced Kotte into submission, but internal strife and Portuguese naval superiority prevented total victory.

He collaborated with Sitawaka's Rajasinha against Portuguese forces, though tensions with his namesake led to instability.

Puviraja Pandaram III ruled Jaffna for nine years under tight Portuguese control. He navigated growing colonial demands while attempting to preserve Hindu religious institutions.

Ethirimana Cinkam ruled Jaffna for 26 years amid intensifying Portuguese demands. He attempted to balance loyalty to the Portuguese with the preservation of Tamil Hindu culture.

He repulsed Portuguese invasions, restored Buddhist monasticism, and invited Siamese monks to revitalize higher ordination. His reign inaugurated Kandy's enduring resistance to European colonialism..

He resisted Portuguese encirclement, cultivated alliances with Jaffna and regional powers, and enshrined the Tooth Relic. His policies laid the groundwork for Kandy's survival through centuries of colonial warfare..

Cankili II, the last independent king of Jaffna, resisted Portuguese conquest for just two years before being captured and executed in 1619. His defiant stand against colonial annexation ended over four centuries of Tamil Hindu kingship in northern Sri Lanka, marking the kingdom's absorption into Portuguese Ceylon..

Rajasinha II's monumental 52-year reign expelled the Portuguese from the island with Dutch help, though he inadvertently exchanged one colonial overlord for another.

He navigated increasingly strained relations with the Dutch East India Company, preserved Buddhist traditions, and continued monastic patronage.

Vira Narendra Sinha's 32-year reign saw intensified Dutch encroachment on Kandy's sovereignty. His death ended the old Sinhalese dynasty, leading to the accession of a Nayakkar line from South India..

He continued Buddhist patronage and faced Dutch territorial ambitions. His South Indian lineage initially raised concerns, yet he embraced Theravada Buddhism and secured the dynasty's legitimacy through temple building and ritual sponsorship..

Kirti Sri Rajasinha's 35-year reign witnessed a Buddhist renaissance; he invited Siamese monks to re-establish higher ordination and sponsored extensive temple construction. Despite Dutch coastal dominance, he preserved Kandy's cultural vibrancy and independence, making his era one of remarkable religious and artistic flourishing..

Rajadhi Rajasinha ruled Kandy for 16 years during the transition from Dutch to British colonial power. He maintained Buddhist rituals, faced internal court intrigue, and witnessed the British annexation of the Dutch territories.

Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Kandy, ruled for 17 years before British annexation in 1815. His autocratic style alienated the nobility, who collaborated with the British to depose him.