House of Moriya
The House of Moriya(Also known as the Moriyan or Mauryan Dynasty) was the third recorded Sinhalese Dynasty that ruled the island of Sri Lanka. According to the Culavamsa, the first recorded ruler of this dynasty was Dhatusena, who liberated the island of Dravidian invaders. There were 26 Moriyan monarchs that ruled over a span of 236 years. The dynasty came to an end when Manavanna of House Lambakanna II defeated the last Moriyan ruler, Unhangara Hatthadatha in a civil war.
Origins In 455 AD, a descendant of the Vijayan Monarchs, named Dhatusena defeated and killed the last of six Dravidian invaders named Pithiya. Dhatusena re-established Sinhalese rule over Sri Lanka and built many tanks and canals that enhanced the agricultural sector of the kingdom.
Reign The Moriya Dynasty was established by Dhatusena who ruled for approximately 22 years before the throne was usurped by his son, Kasyapa, in 475 AD. Kasyapa moved the capital to Sigiriya, the ruins of which can still be seen today. Kasyapa was defeated by his brother Moggallana in battle; Moggallana moved the capital back to Anuradhapura and became king around 495 AD. After Moggallana, there weren't many significant rulers in the history of Sri Lanka. However, in 623 AD, there was a succession crisis between the king of Anuradhapura(Aggabodhi III) and Jettha Tissa III. This resulted in Aggabodhi III eventually being driven to Ruhuna and Jettha Tissa III's general, Dathopa Tissa gaining the regime.
Fall Around the middle of the 7th century AD, after the death of Kasyapa II of Anuradhapura, a conflict had started between the current Moriya Dynasty and the Lambakarna Dynasty, which had ruled the country before the Moriyan Dynasty. (The Lambakarna Dynasty had been dethroned due to the Dravidian invaders). In the late 7th century AD (684 AD), a Lambakarnan leader, by the name of Manavanna, eventually defeated the last Moriyan king, Unhanagara Hatthadatha. When Manavanna ascended to the throne of Anuradhapura, the House of Moriya fell, and the Second Lambakarna Dynasty rose.
References
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