| Sri Vijaya Rajasinha | |
|---|---|
| Thrisinhaladheeshwara[1] Lankeshwara Bhupathi | |
 | |
| King of Kandy | |
| Reign | 13 May 1739 – 11 August 1747 |
| Coronation | 1739 |
| Predecessor | Vira Narendra Sinha |
| Successor | Kirti Sri Rajasinha |
| Regent ofKandy[2] | |
| Monarch | Vira Narendra Sinha |
| Born | Madurai,India |
| Died | 11 August 1747 Sri Lanka |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Queen Consort of Madurai |
| House | Nayaks of Kandy |
| Father | Lord Pitti Nayakkar |
| Mother | Lady Abhirami Devi |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Vijaya Rajasinha (Sinhala: ශ්රී විජය රාජසිංහ,Tamil: விஜய ராஜசின்ஹா; reigned 1739–1747) was a member of theMadurai Nayak Dynasty and succeeded his brother-in-lawVira Narendra Sinha as the King ofKandy. He was raised in Kandy and was familiar with the politics and culture of the court and society at large, including those of hisTelugu kinfolk.
He contracted marriages with an influential royal family from Madurai, and his father-in-law Narenappa Nayaka later became one of the most powerful persons in the court. Sri Vijaya's queens soon became “good Buddhists”. According to theCulavamsa, “they gave up the false faiths to which they had long been attached and adopted in the best manner possible the true (Buddhist) faith’, worshipping the Tooth Relic day by day with many offerings.[3]
Sri Vijaya Rajasimha attempted to reintroduce theupasampada ordination that KingNarendra Sinha had neglected. While the king’s first attempt was to restore the ordination throughPegu inBurma, failure on this front forced him to contactAyutthaya inThailand with Dutch help. Although the death of King Sri Vijaya Rajasinha in 1747 resulted in the cancellation of this endeavor, the dynamic was not broken, and the ordination went ahead in the reign ofKirti Sri Rajasinha (r. 1747-82). On the other hand, and more disturbingly, he persecuted the Catholics. Sri Vijaya's persecution of the Portuguese and other Catholics may have had to do with his growing power and confidence as well as the Dutch factor.[3]
OratorianpriestJacome Gonsalves tried to influence Sri Vijaya Rajasinha while he was still a "crown prince" (Prince Asthana), presenting him in 1737 a copy of the Budumula (The Root of Buddhism),[5] a refutation of Buddhism. However, Sri Vijaya remained a devout Buddhist under the influence ofSaranankara Thero, even as he became the de facto ruler owing to the serious illness ofKing Naréndrasinha.[3]
In his reign, the ministers fulfilled the requests of the Dutch and acted according to their own desires. As a result, thedissava (Kandyan Chiefs) instructed their provinces where Christians resided to capture the missionaries and bring them to the capital. They were also ordered to confiscate any property belonging to the missionaries and destroy the churches. In one instance, anAdigar gave orders to surround the church of Candia and had Father Mathias Rodrigues captured. Additionally, all church property was confiscated on March 17, 1744.[3]
Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe's reign was complex, marked by his attempts to reintroduce theupasampada ordination while persecuting Catholics. His queens became good Buddhists. His reign also demonstrated the growing power and confidence of the Nayakas in Kandy and their sustained power struggle against established interests.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under theCC BY 4.0 license. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under theCC BY 4.0 license.Sri Vijaya Rajasinha Born: ? ? Died: 11 August 1747 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Kandy 13 May 1739 – 11 August 1747 | Succeeded by |
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