Page 37 - Peoples_Journal_Sri_Lanka

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ISSN 3121-3049
People's Journal Sri Lanka Volume 01, Issue 01

Suḷu Vaṃsaya (Suḷu Rājavaṃsaya / Suḷu Rājāvaliya): A
Complete Chronicle of Sri Lankan Monarchs – A
Comparative Study with Traditional Historical Texts

Ven. Welivita Saraṇankara
welivitasaranankara1@gmail.com
Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Peradeniya

Abstract

Suḷu Vaṃsaya—also known as Suḷu Rājavaṃsaya or Suḷu Rājavaliya (abbreviated as
SUV)—is a Sinhalese historical treatise that presents the genealogy of Sri Lankan monarchs,
tracing the royal lineage from King Vijaya, the first recorded ruler, to Śrī Vikrama
Rājasiṃha, the last ruler of the country. The composition of royal genealogies is an ancient
tradition of historiography in Sri Lanka, with earlier works such as Mahāvaṃsa (MV) and
Rājāvaliya (RV). Among these, the SUV is particularly significant due to its complete and
uninterrupted account of Sri Lankan monarchs. Unlike earlier chronicles that were left
incomplete due to their composition during the existence of the monarchy, the SUV was
composed shortly after its abolition, thus offering the full royal lineage. This research
confirms that Suḷu Rājavaṃsaya, Suḷu Rājavaliya, and Suḷu Vaṃsaya are variant titles of the
same text. It also establishes that the author of the SUV was Venerable Vælivita Saranaṅkara
II, also known as Vælivita Saranaṅkara Kudā Unnānse, based on the analysis of a palm leaf
manuscript preserved at the Sangharājārāmaya, Malvatu Mahā Vihāraya in Kandy, the
place where the author resided. This study also conducts a comprehensive analysis of the
genealogical content of SUV, comparing Mahāvaṃsa, Dīpavaṃsa, and Rājāvaliya,
providing knowledge into the historiographical development and continuity of royal
chronicles of Sri Lanka.

Keywords: authorship, Genealogy, monarchs, Suḷu Rājavaliya, Sri Lanka, traditional texts

Article History: Received: 29.04.2025 Accepted: 05.29.2025