Lankan heritage:

The ancient city of Jayawardena Kotte

Prof. W. I. Siriweera

The city of Kotte originated from a fortress constructed by Nissanka Alagakkonara who was the Chief Minister and Counsellor of Vikramabahu III (1357-74) of Gampola. He later held the same position for several years under Bhuvanekabahu V (1374-1408) and administered the area around Rayigama without royal interference.

Alagakkonara caused the construction of the fortress at a place then known as Darugrama to thwart the territorial expansion of the Aryacakravarti or King of Jaffna in to the areas of the Sinhala kingdom.

Kotte was also ideal to enhance trade relations with foreign countries through nearby ports such as Colombo, Chilaw and Negombo. Cinnamon and other spices which were in demand in export trade were grown around Kotte and routes to the interior where another important export commodity; gems, were produced could be controlled from the fortress at Kotte.

Darugrama was impassable by marshes and the meandering Diyawanna Oya on the North, West and East.

The site was just over two and a half kilometres at its widest point from East to West. Nissanka Alagakkonara caused a great moat to be dug around Darugrama, and as a solid defence a rampart to be erected bordering the moat. Thus, only access to the fortress was through the narrow corridor of land in the South which was also protected by a broad wall.

The existing remains of the rampart reveal that it had been built on two tiers; the lower portion up to about the water line with an assortment of cabook stones of varying size and shape and the upper section in large laterite blocks neatly joined. A terrace, about three metres in width; which was used as a soldiers’ parade ran between the two embankments.

On top of the great ramparts, Alagakkonara constructed four shrines facing four directions, dedicatd to the guardian deities of the island; Upulvan, Saman, Vibhisana and Skandha Kumara. The fortress thus built, was named ‘fortress of the ever victorius city’ or ‘Jayawardenapura Kotte’.

Having built the fortress at Kotte, Nissanka Alagakkonara stationed a substantial number of troops there, provided them with necessities such as paddy, rice, salt and coconut sufficient to withstand a long siege and chased away the tax collectors of the Aryacakravarti stationed in Sinhala territories and attacked his military outposts. The enraged Aryacakravarti sent a large army both by sea and land but they were routed by Alagakkonara’s forces around 1373 AD.

Thereafter, Kotte remained a frontier fort for several years. It became a royal residence and administrative capital only when Bhuvanekabahu V left Gampola and moved his residence to Kotte around 1396 AD.

The transformation of the fortress into a royal city ushered in an era of the development of the urban complex. The ramparts and other defence bulwarks which were meant to keep the enemies away began to serve other functions such as regulating the activities of merchants and visitors to the city.

The zenith of the development of the city of Kotte was during the long reign of Parakramabahu VI (1412-67). According to the Rajavaliya, Parakramabahu VI having resided at Rayigama for three years shifted the capital to Jayawardenapura. He caused to be built a range of monasteries for the Buddhist priesthood, a new Temple of the Tooth Relic besides palaces, streets and every other requisite. He also improved the fort and its ramparts.

The dignitaries of the king’s court as well as key officials in the army normally resided at the capital. The rudimentary nature of communications and the prestige factor required them to live closer to the king’s palace. It also gave them maximum protection from outside attack and propinquity enhanced interaction among them.

The prosperity of the city residential complex has frequently attracted the attention of contemporary poets. They refer to large mansions with elaborate entrances and surrounding gardens and ponds. Food, clothing, perfumes, jewellery and such other requirements of the city elite were catered for by a group of merchants, the prestigious among them living in the city.

A few of the Buddhist monks lived within the city walls, many of them in monasteries constructed by Parakramabahu VI. These monasteries also functioned as educational establishments. Undoubtedly the capital was the focus of religious ceremonies and religion pervaded all facets of life in the city.

The periphery of Kotte was an area of bustling activity. Minor functionaries such as city cleaners, petty service personnel involved in guard duties, lower rank people who performed various functions in administrative offices as well as religious institutions lived outside the city.

The area outside the city walls also had centres of ritual, educational institutions like Sunethradevi Parivena, trading stations such as Kongas Sevana, watch posts as well as areas of manufacture and agricultural activity.

The Veherakanda monastery complex at Baddegana situated some distance to the South of the limits of the ancient city was one of the many centres of ritual constructed by Parakramabahu VI outside the inner city.

Parakramabahu VI's successors were weak and from the time the Portuguese landed in Colombo, the fate of Kotte hung on their military strength and on the threads of Indian Oceanic trade.

The palace rebellion of 1521 or the 'spoliation of Vijayabahu', accelerated the decline of Kotte and the city entered a gloomy period of its history.

The rebellion put the eldest of the rebels, Bhuvanekabahu on the throne of the capital while the other two Mayadunne and Madduma Bandara ruled small territories from Sitavaka and Rayigama respectively.

After the death of Bhuvanekabahu VII in 1551, his grand son who was later baptized as Don Juan Dharmapala became king of Kotte in 1551. Dharmapala, though in theory was on the throne and ruled the Kotte kingdom, he was virtually a puppet of the Portuguese.

The court life in Kotte changed after his accession. According to the Alakesvara Yuddhaya, in order to enthrone Dharmapala, the Viceroy, his nephew, several captains and many soldiers arrived in the port of Colombo from Goa bringing along with them cannon, hand guns, spears, helmets, gun powder and cartridges and proceeded to Jayawardena Kotte.

Dharmapala's rival Mayadunne and his son Rajasingha of Sitavaka championed the cause of the Sinhala Buddhists and expanded the territories of the Sitavaka kingdom. They virtually maintained a state of siege on Kotte for five years from 1560 to 1565.

Due to this siege the Portuguese finally abandoned the fortress of Kotte in 1565, withdrew their garrisons and friars and took Dharmapala along with them to Colombo. Immediately after 1565, the city of Kotte and its territories fell in to the hands of the Sitavaka ruler.

Thereafter, for about three decades, combined authority of Dharmapala and the Portuguese rarely extended beyond the walls of Colombo. The city of Kotte was no more a capital, a centre of royal authority and a fortress of defence.