Monday, September 7, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Deadly earthquake hits Indonesia
A powerful earthquake has struck off the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 32 people, officials say.
Scores more were wounded and it is feared the death toll will rise as many homes have reportedly been buried under a landslide triggered by the quake.
More than 700 houses were badly damaged by the magnitude 7.0 quake, a social affairs ministry official told AP.
The quake struck around 1500 (0800 GMT). Its epicentre was offshore, 115km (70 miles) south-west of Tasikmalaya.
Medical teams have been dispatched to the city, where damaged properties included the mayor's home and a mosque.
The tremors were felt in the capital, Jakarta, 200km to the north, where hundreds fled into the streets from offices and shops.
A local tsunami alert was issued but revoked shortly afterwards.
Swaying and shaking
About 30 people are still trapped under rocks and dirt in one village after the landslide on Java's southern coast, Indonesia's official Antara news agency reported.
 |   |
Some people were killed when buildings collapsed in the district of Cianjur, in Tasikmalaya and in the town of Sukabumi.
In Jakarta, one eyewitness, who gave his name as Jonathan, told the BBC News website he was on the 28th floor of an office block when the quake struck.
"I went into the meeting room and took shelter under the table," he said. "It went on for about a minute I think - scary.
"It was like being in a boat on rough water, the building swaying from side to side. The doors were flapping, books fell off piles," he said.
At least 27 people were injured in the capital, officials said.
 |
The quake was also felt 500km away from its epicentre in Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, and on the resort island of Bali.
Seismologists recorded a slight rise in the sea level at Pelabuhan Ratu off the west of the island following the quake, indicating there had been a small tsunami.
In December 2004, an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people around Asia.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the most active areas for earthquakes and volcanic activity in the world.
Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8233344.stm
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Orchidaceae
Orchid" redirects here. For other uses, see Orchid (disambiguation).
| Orchidaceae Fossil range: 80 Ma Late Cretaceous - Recent | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Color plate from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur | ||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
 Distribution range of family Orchidaceae | ||||||||||
| Subfamilies | ||||||||||
Orchidaceae, the Orchid family, is the largest family of the flowering plants (Angiospermae).[1][2] Its name is derived from the genus Orchis.
The Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew list 880 genera and nearly 22,000 accepted species, but the exact number is unknown (perhaps as many as 25,000)[3] because of taxonomic disputes. The number of orchid species equals about four times the number of mammal species, or more than twice the number of bird species. It also encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants.[4] About 800 new orchid species are added each year. The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). The family also includes the Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus) and many commonly cultivated plants like some Phalaenopsis or Cattleya.
Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have produced more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars.
The complex mechanisms which orchids evolve to achieve cross-pollination were investigated by Charles Darwin and described in his 1862 book On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing.
Hans Christian Ørsted
ans Christian Ørsted (14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851) was a Danish physicist and chemist who is best known for discovering that electric currents can create magnetic fields, which is an important part of Electromagnetism. He shaped post-Kantian philosophy and advances in science throughout the late nineteenth century.[1] He was also the first modern thinker to explicitly describe and name the thought experiment.
| Hans Christian Ørsted | |
 | |
| Born | 14 August 1777 Rudkøbing, Denmark |
|---|---|
| Died | 9 March 1851 (aged 73) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Fields | physics chemistry |
| Known for | electromagnetism |
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wellawahum (Sri Lankan Pancakes with coconut) recipe
Although called Pancakes in Sri Lanka, these are Crepes filled with a coconut mixture. Usually served with afternoon tea.
For the pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Pinch of turmeric (optional)
Pinch salt
1 cup milk, or as needed
Combine flour, eggs and salt in a food processor or blender. Add enough milk to make a fluid batter. Cover and refrigerated the batter for about 30 mins.
Now make the filling.
For the filling:
1 1/2 cups freshly grated coconut.
1/2 cup of Kitul Treacle (Or substitute 2/3 cup of brown sugar, dissolved in 1/4 cup water)
3 cloves crushed.
Pinch salt.
Pinch pepper.
Bring the treacle to boil under medium heat. Add the rest of the filling ingredients. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly. Set aside.
Now make the pancakes.
Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Coat the surface of the pan with piece of cloth soaked in vegetable oil. After it gets sizzling hot, ladle some batter onto the middle of the crepe pan and immediately start swirling the pan to distribute the batter over the surface. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds or until lightly golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Remove to a plate.
Spread about 2 tbsp of the filling over a diameter of the pancake evenly and roll. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Heir apparent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the fantasy novel, see Heir Apparent (novel).
An heir apparent is an heir who (short of a fundamental change in the situation) cannot be displaced from inheriting; the term is used in contrast to heir presumptive, the term for a conditional heir who is currently in line to inherit but could be displaced at any time in the future. Today these terms are most commonly used for heirs to hereditary titles, particularly monarchies. It is also used metaphorically to indicate someone who is the apparent "anointed" successor to any position of power, e.g., a political or corporate leader.
The phrase is only occasionally found used as a title, but as such it is usually capitalized ("Heir Apparent"). Most monarchies give the heir apparent the title of "Crown Prince" or have or had a more specific version, such as Prince of Orange in the Netherlands, Prince of Asturias in Spain or Prince of Wales in the United Kingdom. See crown prince for more examples.
This article is concerned primarily with heirs apparent in a hereditary system regulated by laws of primogeniture; it does not consider cases where a monarch has a say in naming his or her own heir.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Heir apparent versus heir presumptive
In a hereditary system governed by some form of primogeniture, an heir apparent is easy to identify: he or she is somebody whose place as first in the line of succession to the title or throne is secure irrespective of future births that may occur. An heir presumptive, by contrast, can always be "bumped down" in the succession by the birth of somebody more closely related in a legal sense (according to that form of primogeniture) to the current title-holder.
The clearest example occurs in the case of a title-holder with no children. If at any time he or she produces children, they will rank ahead of whatever more "distant" relative (the title-holder's sibling, perhaps, or a nephew or cousin) was previously heir presumptive.
For the purposes of many legal systems, it is assumed that childbirth is always possible, irrespective of age or health status. The possibility of a fertile octogenarian, although nonexistent in reality, is never ruled out. In such circumstances a person may be, in a practical sense, the heir apparent but still, legally speaking, heir presumptive.
[edit] Daughters in male-preference primogeniture
The United Kingdom uses male-preference primogeniture: that is to say, daughters (and their lines) may inherit but only in default of sons (and theirs). That is, a female has just as much right to a place in the order of succession as a male would, but she ranks behind all her brothers, regardless of age.
Thus in the normal run of things even an only daughter will not be her father's (or mother's) heiress apparent, since at any time a brother might be born who, although younger, would become heir apparent. Hence she is only an heiress presumptive.
For example, Queen Elizabeth II was heiress presumptive during the reign of her father, King George VI, because at any stage up to his death, George could have fathered a legitimate son. Indeed, when Queen Victoria succeeded her uncle King William IV, the wording of the proclamation even gave as a caveat:
- "saving the rights of any issue of his late Majesty King William IV, which may be born of his late Majesty's consort."
Here, provision was made in case William's wife Queen Adelaide was pregnant at the moment of his death — since such a child, when born, would have displaced Victoria from her uncle's throne.[1]
[edit] Women as heirs apparent
Obviously, in a system of absolute primogeniture which does not take sex into account, a female heir apparent is not surprising; several European monarchies have within the last few decades adopted such a system and furnish practical examples: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is the oldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and is his heir apparent; Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess Elisabeth of Belgium and Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway are all heirs apparent to their fathers (who are in each case heir apparent to their respective countries' thrones). However, Crown Princess Victoria was not heiress apparent from birth (in 1977), but was given the status in 1980, following a change in the Swedish Act of Succession. Her younger brother, Carl Philip (born 1979) was thus heir apparent for a few months.
But even in legal systems (such as the UK's) that apply male-preference primogeniture female heirs apparent are by no means impossible: if a male heir apparent dies leaving no sons but at least one daughter, then the daughter (the eldest daughter) would replace her father as heir apparent to whatever throne or title is concerned, but only when it has become clear that the widow of the deceased isn't pregnant. Then, as the representative of her father's line she would place ahead of any more distant relatives. Such a situation has not to date occurred with the English or British throne; several times an heir apparent has died, but each example has either been childless or left a son or sons.
In one special case, however, England and Scotland had a female heir apparent. The Revolution settlement that established William and Mary as joint monarchs in 1689 only gave the power of continuing the succession through issue to Mary II, the eldest daughter of the previous king, James II. William, by contrast, was to reign for life only, and his children, if he had any (as he did not) by a wife other than Mary would be placed in his original place (as Mary's first cousin) in the line of succession -- after Mary's younger sister Anne. Thus, although after Mary's death William continued to reign, he had no power to beget direct heirs,[2] and Anne became the heir apparent for the remainder of William's reign. She eventually succeeded him as Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland.
Not everybody, furthermore, is a complete stickler for avoiding the term "heir apparent" in cases where an heir presumptive has no practical prospect of being unseated; for instance, Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, Isabel of Brazil and the future Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg were each declared heirs-apparent (though the former renounced her succession rights in favor of her son).
[edit] Displacement of heirs apparent
The position of an heir apparent is normally unshakable: it can be assumed they will inherit. Sometimes, however, extraordinary events intervene, the obvious example being an untimely death.
[edit] Some notable examples of heirs apparent who lost that status
- James Francis Edward Stuart, the infant son of King James II & VII (of England and Scotland respectively), who was deposed as the King's legal heir apparent when parliament, after it declared that James had de facto abdicated, offered the throne not to the Prince James, whom his father was raising as a Roman Catholic, but to James's oldest daughter, the young prince's much older half-sister, the Protestant Mary (along with her husband, Prince William of Orange). When the exiled King James died in 1701, his Jacobite supporters proclaimed the exiled Prince James Francis Edward as King James III of England and James VIII of Scotland; but neither he nor his descendents were ever successful in their bids for the throne.
- Crown Prince Gustav (later known as Gustav, Prince of Vasa), son of Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, who lost his place when his father was deposed and replaced by his aged uncle, the Duke Carl, who became Charles XIII of Sweden in 1809. The aged King Charles XIII did not have surviving sons, and Prince Gustav was the only living male of the whole dynasty (besides his deposed father), but the prince was never regarded as heir of Charles XIII, although there were groups in the Riksdag and elsewhere in Sweden who desired to preserve him, and, in the subsequent constitutional elections, supported his election as his great-uncle's successor. Instead, the government proceeded to have a new crown prince elected (which was the proper constitutional action, if no male heir was left in the dynasty), and the Riksdag elected first August, Prince of Augustenborg, and then, after the death of the latter, the Prince of Ponte Corvo (Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte).
- Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, who at his birth in 1979 was heir apparent to the throne of Sweden. A year later a change in that country's succession laws instituted absolute primogeniture, whereupon Carl Philip was supplanted as heir apparent by his elder sister Victoria.
[edit] Breaching of the legal qualifications of heirs apparent
In some jurisdictions, an heir apparent can automatically lose that status by breaching certain constitutional rules. Today, for example:
- a British Prince of Wales would lose his status as heir apparent if he
- became a Catholic, or
- married a Catholic
- a Crown Prince/Princess of Sweden would lose his/her status if he/she
- married without the approval of the monarch
- married the heir to another throne, which is always contrary to Swedish law
- a Dutch Prince/Princess of Orange would lose his/her status as heir to the throne if he/she
- married without the approval of the Dutch parliament
- should decide to renounce it
- a Spanish Prince of Asturias would lose his status if he married against the express prohibition of the monarch or the Cortes.
[edit] Heirs Apparent who never inherited the throne
- William Adelin (1103-1120) — the only legitimate son of King Henry I of England who was drowned in the White Ship disaster off the coast of Barfleur in the English Channel in 1120. His cousin Stephen allegedly left the ship at the last minute before it sailed. As a direct result of William's death, Stephen later usurped the English throne from William's sister Matilda, resulting in the period known as the Anarchy.
- Edward, the Black Prince (1330-1376) - eldest son of King Edward III of England; victor of the Battle of Poitiers; he died before his father, who was instead succeeded by the Black Prince's son Richard II
- Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (1453-1471) - only son of King Henry VI of England; his father was deposed in 1461 and restored to the throne in 1470. Edward was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.
- Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486-1502) — eldest son of King Henry VII of England and first husband of Catherine of Aragon. His sudden death within four months of his marriage led to the succession to the throne of his younger brother, as Henry VIII, who also married his widow. The question of whether Catherine had lost her virginity to Arthur was central to Henry's later demand for a marriage annulment, and in turn the entire Protestant Reformation in England.
- Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) - eldest son of King
- Louis, le grand Dauphin (1661-1711) - Son of Louis XIV, King of France and of Navarre. He died before his father, and the throne was eventually inherited by the Grand Dauphin's grandson who became Louis XV
- Yinreng (1674-1725) — Yinreng was an heir apparent to the imperial throne of Qing Dynasty of China. During the course of his life, Yinreng was deprived of his position twice by the Kangxi Emperor.
- Louis, Dauphin and Duke of Burgundy (1682-1712) - eldest son of Louis, le grand dauphin, and grandson of Louis XIV, he died of measles less than a year after his father. It would be his son, Louis XV who would ultimately succeed Louis XIV
- Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-1751) — the Prince of Wales and heir apparent of George II of Great Britain. He died in 1751, nine years before his father.
- Louis, Dauphin of France (1729-1765) - Son of Louis XV, King of France and Navarre. He died before his father, and the throne was eventually inherited by his son, who became Louis XVI
- Crown Prince Sado of Joseon (Korea) (1735-1762) — Sado was heir apparent to King Yeongjo of Joseon (Korea). His lifelong erratic behavior caused his father to force him to commit suicide by locking him in a rice chest, where he died in a span of 8 days; Sado's son succeeded his grandfather as King Jeongjo of Joseon.
- Louis-Antoine, Dauphin and Duke of Angouleme (1775-1844) — eldest son and heir apparent of King Charles X of France. Charles however abdicated, together with Louis himself, in favour of Louis' nephew the young Henri, only for the throne to be seized by a cousin, King Louis-Philippe of France in 1830.
- Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans (1810-1842), eldest son of Louis-Philippe of France; a popular young liberal, died in a carriage accident six years before his father's overthrow
- Philippe, comte de Paris (1838-1894), eldest son of Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans; heir apparent to his grandfather Louis-Philippe after his father's death. Attempts to put him on the throne after Louis Philippe's abdication were unsuccessful, and he became the Orléanist pretender
- William, Prince of Orange (1843-1879), eldest son of William III of the the Netherlands by his first wife; forbidden by his father to marry his chosen bride, he lived a life of debauchery in Paris and predeceased his father
- Alexander, Prince of Orange (1851-1884), third son of William III of the Netherlands by his first wife; died of typhus before his father
- Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (1858-1889) — only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. He committed suicide with his mistress in 1889.
- Crown Prince Luís Filipe of Portugal (1887-1908) — Heir apparent to King Carlos. The joint assassination of the king and his heir apparent in 1908 left the throne to the teenage Manuel II of Portugal and Portugal eventually became a republic in 1910.
- Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia (1904-1918) — youngest child and only son of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and heir apparent to the Russian throne. When Nicholas abdicated in March 1917, he also abdicated in the name of his son, which was, in effect, against the law in Russia. However the monarchy was abolished only days later, so it made little difference. Alexei was murdered in 1918 along with the rest of his family. Many people continued to believe he escaped his killers, since his body (along with that of one his sisters) was not found with the rest of his family's and servant's remains until 2007.[3]
- Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples (b. 1937) who become the crown prince of Italy after the accession to the throne of his father Umberto II who lost the throne one month later.
- Leka, Crown Prince of Albania (b.1939) — The son of Zog I who was expelled by the Italians two days after Leka's birth
- Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia (b.1945) - the son of Peter II, who was deposed by the Communists when Alexander was only a few months old.
[edit] Heirs Apparent as of 2009
- HRH Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is the heir apparent to the throne of Bahrain.
- HRH Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant is the heir apparent to the throne of Belgium.
- HRH Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah is the heir apparent to the throne of Brunei.
- HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark.
- Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum is the heir apparent to the throne of Dubai.
- HIH Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan is the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan.
- HRH Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the heir apparent to the throne of Kuwait. (He was nominated as such.)
- HRH Prince Lerotholi Seeiso is the heir apparent to the throne of Lesotho.
- HSH Prince Alois of Liechtenstein is the heir apparent to the throne of Liechtenstein.
- HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg is the heir apparent to the throne of Luxembourg.
- HRH Crown Prince Moulay Hassan is the heir apparent to the throne of Morocco.
- HRH Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange is the heir apparent to the throne of the Netherlands.
- HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is the heir apparent to the throne of Norway.
- HRH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani is the heir apparent to the throne of Qatar.
- HRH Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud is the heir apparent to the throne of Saudi Arabia.
- HRH the Prince Felipe, Prince of Asturias is the heir apparent to the throne of Spain.
- HRH Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland is the heiress apparent to the throne of Sweden.
- HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is the heir apparent to the throne of Thailand.
- HRH The Prince of Wales is equally the heir apparent to the United Kingdom and the fifteen other Commonwealth realms.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Proclamations of Accessions of British Sovereigns (1547-1952)
- ^ “King James’ Parliament: The succession of William and Mary - begins 13/2/1689”, The History and Proceedings of the House of Commons: volume 2: 1680-1695 (1742), pp. 255-77. [1] Accessed: 16 February 2007.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Europe | Tsar's lost children identified
Kashyapa I of Sri Lanka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Kassapa I)
| Kashyapa I (Kassapa I) | |
| King of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
| Reign | 473-495 |
| Predecessor | Dhatusena |
| Successor | Moggallana I |
| Royal House | Anuradhapura Kingdom |
| Father | Dhatusena |
Kashyapa I, also known as Kassapa I, was a king of Sri Lanka, who ruled the country from 473 to 495 AD. He was the second king of the royal Moriyan dynasty of Sri Lanka. Kashyapa is credited with the construction of the Sigiriya citadel and the surrounding city.[1][2] He acquired the throne by overthrowing his father, King Dhatusena, and usurping his brother and rightful heir to the throne, Moggallana, in a palace coup. He imprisoned and later executed his father. Kashyapa was also known as Pithru Ghathaka Kashyapa (Kashyapa the Patricide), after this incident. He was later defeated by Moggallana, who had fled to South India and returned with an army to regain the throne. Kashyapa was killed in the battle that ensued.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Acquiring the throne
Though Kashyapa was the son of the king, he was not the heir to the throne. Moggallana was the son of the royal consort and the rightful heir to the throne, while Kassapa was born to a non-royal concubine. However, Kashyapa sought to acquire the throne by usurping Moggallana. He was assisted by the general of the king’s army, Migara, who sought vengeance for a disagreement between him and the king. Assisted and encouraged by Migara, Kashyapa carried out a palace coup and overthrew Dhatusena.[3]
Dhatusena was imprisoned, and Kashyapa became the king of the country in 473, as the second king in the Moriyan dynasty of Sri Lanka. However, Moggallana managed to escape and fled to South India, fearing that his brother would assassinate him. Migara led Kashyapa to believe that Dhatusena had treasures of large wealth hidden away, and Kashyapa demanded these treasures from the imprisoned king. Dhatusena took Kashyapa to the Kalaweva, a large irrigation tank he had constructed, and told him that it was the only treasure he had. Enraged at this, Kashyapa had Dhatusena executed by burying him alive in the bund wall of the Kalaweva.[3]
[edit] Construction of the city and citadel at Sigiriya
Kashyapa was disgraced among the public and the bikkhus, and he received the name Pithru Ghathaka Kashyapa, meaning Kashyapa the Patricide. Because of this, and fearing an attack from Moggallana, Kashyapa moved his capital and residence from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the more secure location of Sigiriya. At Sigiriya, he constructed a large citadel and elaborate city. His palace was built on top of the Sigiriya rock.[4]
Sigiriya was a large rock rising above the surrounding plain, offering a wide view in all directions. It was chosen as the capital because of the strategic advantage this would give the defenders during an attack. Large ramparts and moats were built around the city. An elaborate and large garden was built around the rock.[5] These gardens consisted a number of pools, fountains and other structures. A complex underground irrigation system supplied water to these pools and fountains, and the fountains are functional to this day.[1]
The constructions on top of the Sigiriya rock include the king’s palace among several other buildings and pools. The Sigiriya frescoes, which depict maidens carrying flowers, were also created during Kashyapa’s reign at Sigiriya.[1]
[edit] Defeat and death
Moggallana organised an army in South India and returned to Sri Lanka to claim his right to the throne. In the battle that ensued in the plains surrounding Sigiriya, Kashyapa’s army was defeated,[3] and he killed himself with his own sword. Kashyapa’s reign as king of Sri Lanka ended with this defeat in 495, and Moggallana became the king as Moggallana I.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Bandaranayake, Senake. Sigiriya. Central Cultural Fund of Sri Lanka. pp. 5,6. ISBN 955-613-111-6.
- ^ Mihindukulasuroya Susantha Fernando (2005-10-29). "Mysteries of Sigiriya and its landscape garden". Daily News. http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/10/29/fea04.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-26.
- ^ a b c "Sigiriya". Discover Sri Lanka. http://discover.lankanest.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=104&Itemid=77. Retrieved on 2008-10-26.
- ^ Hansima Vitharanage (2007-01-09). "Sigiriya frescos? the surviving verdict for the marvel of human creativity". The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka. http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1469&Itemid=52. Retrieved on 2008-10-26.
- ^ "Major Cultural Assets in Sri Lanka". Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka. http://www.archaeology.gov.lk/arch_assets.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-26.
| Kashyapa I of Sri Lanka | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dhatusena | Kings of Rajarata 473 AD–495 AD | Succeeded by Moggallana I |
Dhatusena of Sri Lanka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Dhatusena)
| Dhatusena (Dasenkeli) | |
| King of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
| Reign | 455-473 |
| Predecessor | Pithiya |
| Successor | Kassapa I |
| Royal House | Anuradhapura Kingdom |
| Mother | Sangha |
Dhatusena was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled from 455 to 473. He was the first king of the royal Moriyan dynasty of Sri Lanka. In some records, he is also identified as Dasenkeli. Dhatusena reunited the country under his rule after twenty six years, defeating the South Indian invaders that were ruling the country at that time. Dhatusena made eighteen irrigation tanks, a large irrigation canal known as Yodha Ela, and the Avukana statue, a large statue of Lord Buddha.[1][2][3]
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Early life and becoming king
Dhatusena was the son of Sangha, the daughter of King Mahanama who ruled from 410 to 432.[4] The country was invaded in 433 by six Tamil leaders from South India, known as the six Dravidians. They overthrew the Sri Lankan monarch and ruled the country for twenty six years, from 433 to 459. During this time, Sinhalese leaders abandoned Rajarata and fled to the Ruhuna municipality in the south of the country. Ruhuna was used as the base for resistance against the invading rulers.
Dhatusena was raised by his uncle, a Buddhist monk named Mahanama. The Tamil rulers were searching for Dhatusena, and his uncle ordained him as a Buddhist monk to disguise him. Dhatusena later organised a resistance movement against the Tamil rulers and led a rebellion against them. Dhatusena claimed the kingship of the country in 455. By the time Dhatusena started the rebellion, three of the six Tamil rulers were already dead, and in the battles that occurred during the rebellion, two more were killed. The final battle took place in 459, where the last king, Pithiya, was killed.[4] Having successfully defeated the Pandyan invaders, Dhatusena was crowned as the king of Sri Lanka in 459, taking Anuradhapura as his capital.
[edit] Services as king
Dhatusena built eighteen irrigation tanks in order to develop agriculture in the country.[1] Among these tanks are the Kalavewa and Balaluwewa, which are interconnected and cover an area of 6,380 acres (2,580 ha).[5]
He also constructed the Yodha Ela, also known as Jayaganga, an irrigation canal carrying water from Kalawewa to Tissawewa tank in Aunuradhapura.[3][6]
The Avukana statue, a 13-metre (43 ft) high statue of Lord Buddha, is also a creation of Dhatusena.[2]
[edit] Death
Dhatusena had two sons, Moggallana and Kassapa. Moggallana was the son of the royal consort and the rightful heir to the throne, while Kassapa was born to a non-royal concubine. Dhatusena’s daughter was married to his sister’s son and the general of his army, Migara. Following an argument between his daughter and sister, Dhatusena ordered his sister to be killed. In reprisal, Migara encouraged and assisted Kassapa to overthrow the king and take the throne. Kassapa eventually rebelled against Dhatusena and overthrew him. Dhatusena was imprisoned and Kassapa became the king of the country in 473.
Migara led Kassapa to believe that Dhatusena had hidden treasures of great wealth and persuaded him to find these. When asked to lead Kassapa to where these treasures were hidden, Dhatusena led him to the Kalavewa and taking water into his hands, claimed that this was the only treasure he had. Enraged at this, Kassapa had him killed by burying him alive in the bund of the Kalaweva.[1][5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Mahasena and Dhatusena". sri-lanka.50webs.com. http://sri-lanka.50webs.com/documents/word/sri-lanka-history-007-mahasena.doc. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ^ a b "Aukana Buddha History". aukanabuddha.info. http://www.aukanabuddha.info/history.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ^ a b Gamini Jayasinghe (2007-10-15). "A museum for Sigiriya Rock fortress". Daily Mirror. http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/10/15/feat/01.asp. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ^ a b "The latter Anuradhapura Period". Rootsweb. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/slm-kings.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ^ a b "King Dhatusena". sigiriya.gq.nu. http://sigiriya.gq.nu/kingd.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ^ D. G. A. Perera. "Redeploying the armed forces". The Island. http://www.island.lk/2008/05/01/opinion1.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
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