Battle of Vijithapura

Dutthagamani's campaign against Elara is given in detail in the ancient chronicles of Sri Lanka; Mahavamsa, Dipavamsa, Rajavaliya and Thupavamsa. All of them describe the battle in detail, and apply a high importance to it. Dutthagamani is a hero in these chronicles, and his campaign is depicted as a "holy war" aimed at restoring Buddhism in the country. Therefore, these accounts are favourably biased to him, and the description of the Battle of Vijithapura, along with the rest of the campaign, is a mix of fact and legend. However, historians agree that the basic facts from these chronicles are accurate. The one sided accounts given in the chronicles mean that there is very little information to be obtained on Elara and his armies. According to Orientalist Wilhelm Geiger, who translated the Mahavamsa, the problem is "not what is said but what is left unsaid".[2]

At the time of the battle, Ellalan was the king of Anuradhapura. He was a Chola prince from South India, who had defeated the Sinhalese ruler Asela in an invasion. Although an invader, Elara is described as a just ruler who had even patronized Buddhism.[3] Most of the country came under this Tamil king's rule, while his rival Kavan Tissa, a Sinhalese king from Ruhunu in the south of the country, organized a resistance against him. Kavan Tissa's son, Dutthagamani, ascended to the throne after the death of his father.[4]

Soon after he became the king in Ruhuna, Dutthagamani launched a campaign against Elara with the intention of "restoring and glorifying Buddhism" in the country.[5] After setting out from Magama and crossing the Mahaweli river, Dutthagamani captured a number of forts and cities that were under Elara, and killed several of his generals.[6] The ancient chronicles refer to all of the chieftains or generals defeated by Dutthagamani as Demalas (Tamils). However, it is unlikely that all of them were indeed Tamils, and it is possible that one of them—whose name is given as Dighabaya—may even have been a stepbrother of Dutthagamani himself who had later joined Elara.[7]

Surviving troops of Elara's forces from previous battles retreated to Vijithapura, further strengthening its defenses.[13] Dutthagamani's army also arrived and pitched camp close to the fortress. The open stretch of land where they camped later came to be known as Khandavara Pitthi or Kandavurupitiya.[11] They carried out regular assaults against the fortress while the defenders also made occasional sorties, but none of them were able to sway the battle in favour of either side. After laying siege on the city for four months, plans were laid to launch an assault using the entire army. Dutthagamani's army was led by his ten champions or generals, known as the "Ten Giant Warriors", who were to play a significant part in the battle to come.[14]

Testing the warriors

Dutthagamani's flag.

The ancient chronicles mention two tests that Dutthagamani planned to find out these warriors' skill before the battle. For the first test, Dutthagamani asked the warriors to drink a large cauldron of toddy, intending to test their strength. When all others refused, Suranimala stepped forward and drank the entire cauldron without any effort.[15] The second test was to test Nandimithra, the commander of the army. Dutthagamani had his royal elephant, Kandula, infuriated and set on Nandimithra. However, the warrior stood his ground and taking the elephant by its tusks, pushed it to the ground.[11][16] Thus clearing all doubts as to the abilities and skill of his warriors, Dutthagamani sounded the war drums and raising his flags, started the assault to take Vijithapura.[10]

Dutthagamani's army attacked all four gates of the city simultaneously. He led the main assault on the southern gate with Nandimithra, Suranimala and the elephant Kandula, while the attacks on the northern and western gates were led by Bharana, Khanjadeva, Phussadeva and Labhiyavasabha. The eastern gate was attacked by Mahasona, Gothaimbara, Theraputthabhaya and Velusumana.[14] The defenders of the eastern gates were routed by Velusumana after a cavalry attack, and Elara's forces withdrew into the city.[10]

Elara's archers, shooting from the walls, inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers, while soldiers on top of the walls prevented any attempt to breach the wall by pouring down molten metal on them.[10] The elephant Kandula, attempting to break the southern gate, was injured in such an attack. After tending to his injuries and protecting him using thick animal hides, Dutthagamani encouraged Kandula and drove him against the wall. The wall was breached and Dutthagamani's army entered the city.[9] The ten champions, unwilling to enter through an opening made by another, destroyed the wall themselves in different places and broke into the city.[17] Led by them, Dutthagamani's army destroyed the defenders and took control of the fortress city of Vijithapura.[18] The survivors retreated to Anuradhapura.[19]

The capture of Vijithapura paved the way for Dutthagamani's army to advance on to Anuradhapura, and they proceeded immediately afterwards, capturing two more of Elara's strongholds on the way.[20] In the battle for Anuradhapura, Dutthagamani killed Elara in single combat and became the king of Anuradhapura, bringing the entire country under his rule.[3]

Kadu Ga Gala, Anuradhapura:
The stone which may have been used by Dutthagamani's soldiers to sharpen their swords

The battle of Vijithapura is a legendary battle in Sri Lankan history and a significant milestone in Dutthagamani's campaign to restore Buddhism in the country. It is often referred to as Vijithapura maha satana (the great battle of Vijithapura). After the ending of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, General Sarath Fonseka, the then commander of the Sri Lanka Army, compared several battles they fought to that of Vijithapura.[21]

The exact location of the Vijithapura fortress is uncertain. A village with the same name near the ancient Kalawewa reservoir may have been the place where the battle took place. There is an ancient temple here as well as a granite stone that locals believe to have been used by Dutthagamani's soldiers to sharpen their swords[22] However, other historians and archaeologists believe that the location is close to Kaduruwela near Polonnaruwa, where the ruins of an ancient fortress have been found.[23][24]