Territorial Expansion during the reign of King Nissankamalla (1187-1196A.D)

Abstract

The reign of Nissankamalla is limited to a few verses in Mahawamsa. But his numerous vainglorious inscriptions which he has inscribed give many informative details about his administration. Nissankamalla?s inscriptions inculcate the fiction that he is descended of king Vijaya of Sinhapura in Kalinga. Nissankamalla toured his kingdom accompanied by his fourfold army. This is testimony to the political instability inside the country. Katugahagalge inscription too discloses the same fact. Through this inscription king ordered the people of Ruhuna to be law abiding and to conduct themselves submissively like the people in the Mayarata. His Rameshvaram inscription discloses the invasion and submission of Pandya Desha. It is also and ostentatious claim. He established friendly relations with Kannta, Bengal, Orissa, Gandhara, Gujarat, Burma and Cambodia. Even though his inscriptions are found in three principalities, this alone is not enough to prove that the whole Island was under this administration.