Ancient Ruhuna as a base for the resistance movements and as a place of refuge.

Every action has a counter reaction which is equally strong and opposite. Similarly, in ancient Sri Lanka especially during the Anuradhapura kingdom Ruhuna remained to be the area from where counter reactions against the occupation of foreign invaders were much heard. Magama is known to be the capital of Ruhuna encompassing the present Thissamaharama territory. Ruhuna holds its importance not for a single reason. Conversely, Ruhuna took on different roles in the history of Sri Lanka which is marked by constant conquests, mostly South Indian. Ruhuna still carries its significance as a place which provided refuge for the ancient Sinhala kings, mostly as a defensive territory to organize the army in hiding, and occasionally as a place from where even the resistance against the ruling native kings had taken place.

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A fair appreciation to the contribution of king Kavanthissa in the rescue mission of king Dutugamunu.

History holds true both the successes and the failures of various attempts made by the rulers either to gain more power or to save the limited territory from the subordination to an external invader. By the very sense of the word, the war undertaken by Dutugamunu against the south Indian invader Elara can be fairly introduced as a rescue mission. More importantly this is due to two significant reasons which made Dutugamunu’s reign unforgettable. Firstly, this war brought back the long-lost sovereignty of the state. Secondly it established Buddha Sasana which culminated in making Dutugamunu’s reign the golden age of Buddha Sasana. Therefore, it is worthwhile to throw some light on the important figures who lent a hand to the success of Dutugamunu’s effort to achieve the said objectives. In fact, anyone who took part in the mission should not be deprived of a proper appreciation for their contribution of any form. Here the main focus is on the assistance rendered by Kavanthissa, the father of Dutugamunu who was also  the former king of Ruhuna.

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