Devanampiya Tissa

Long ago, a king named Tissa ruled a land.

He was very smart and kind.

He was friends with a great leader in India. This leader sent his son to visit. The son met the king near a mountain.

The king learned about a new way to live. He and his people began to follow it.

He also got a gift from India. It was a branch from a special tree.

They planted it in a park.

King Tissa built many things for his land. He even made a huge pool for water. It is still used by farmers today.

King Devanampiya Tissa was an early ruler of Sri Lanka.

He ruled from the city of Anuradhapura. Some say he ruled from 307 BC to 267 BC. Others believe his reign was from 247 BC to 207 BC. He was known for being smart and kind.

Tissa was friends with a great leader in India named Ashoka. One day, a man named Mahinda came to visit. Mahinda was the son of Ashoka. He met the king near a mountain called Mihintale. After they met, the king began to follow Buddhism. This was a new way of life for his people.

Ashoka also sent his daughter, Sanghamitta, to visit. She brought a branch from a special Bo tree. The people planted it in a park. This tree is one of the oldest planted trees in the world.

The king built many things for his land. He built the Thuparamaya, which is a large dome called a stupa. He also built a huge water tank called Tissa Wewa. This tank is still used by farmers today.

Devanampiya Tissa was a very important king in the early history of Sri Lanka.

He ruled from the ancient capital city of Anuradhapura. Some history books say he ruled from 307 BC to 267 BC. Other scholars believe his reign was from 247 BC to 207 BC. He was the second son of a man named Mutasiva. The king was known for being very smart and kind to others.

His rule changed the island because of a new religion called Buddhism. Tissa had a long friendship with a great leader in India named Ashoka. They had never met in person, but they sent gifts to each other. Ashoka became a Buddhist and asked Tissa to join the faith. Tissa did not change his ways right away. He chose a new name, Devānaṃpiya, which means "Beloved of the Gods."

A famous meeting happened near a mountain called Mihintale. Tissa was out hunting with 40,000 soldiers when he met a man named Mahinda. Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka. At first, the king was very startled by this visitor. Mahinda asked the king several riddles to test his mind. After these questions, the king decided to follow Buddhism. This event is one of the most important stories in Sri Lankan history.

More gifts arrived from India to help the new religion grow. Ashoka sent his daughter, Sanghamitta, to visit the island. She brought a branch from a special Bo tree with her. This branch was planted in a place called Mahamegha park. It is known as the Sri Maha Bodhi tree. This is considered the oldest human-planted tree in the whole world.

The king built many large things that people still use today. He built the Thuparamaya, which was a large dome called a stupa. He also built a huge water tank named Tissa Wewa. This tank covers 550 acres of land. The wall of the tank is 2 miles long and 25 feet high. Farmers in Anuradhapura still use this water for their crops today.

Devanampiya Tissa was a significant early monarch of Sri Lanka. He ruled from the ancient capital city of Anuradhapura. Historical records offer different timelines for his reign. Traditional chronology places his rule from 307 BC to 267 BC. However, modern scholars like Wilhelm Geiger suggest a modified timeline. They assign his reign from 247 BC to 207 BC.

He was the second son of Mutasiva. The Mahavamsa, an ancient chronicle, describes him as highly intelligent and virtuous. His reign is most famous for introducing Buddhism to the island.

The king maintained a diplomatic relationship with the Mauryan Empire in India. He was friends with the great Emperor Ashoka, also known as Dharmasoka. Interestingly, the two leaders had never actually met in person. They communicated by sending gifts to one another. Ashoka eventually sent news that he had converted to Buddhism. He also invited Tissa to adopt the faith. Tissa did not convert immediately. Instead, he adopted the title Devānaṃpiya, which means "Beloved of the Gods."

A pivotal moment in history occurred near the mountain of Mihintale. The king was out hunting with 40,000 soldiers. During the hunt, he encountered a man named Mahinda. Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka and a Buddhist missionary. The Mahavamsa states the king was initially terrified by the encounter. He even thought Mahinda might be a "yakka," or a demon.

Mahinda explained that he was a disciple of the Buddha. He had traveled from Jambudipa to show compassion to the king.

To confirm the king's suitability for the faith, Mahinda used a test. He asked the king a series of riddles to check his intelligence. This interaction led to the king's formal conversion to Buddhism. Following this, the king requested more support from Ashoka. The Emperor sent his daughter, Sanghamitta, to visit Sri Lanka. She arrived carrying a sacred branch from the original Bo tree.

This branch was planted in the Mahamegha park. It is known today as the Sri Maha Bodhi. It is considered the oldest human-planted tree in the world.

Devanampiya Tissa was a prolific builder of religious and civic structures. He constructed the Thuparamaya, which was the first historical stupa on the island. A stupa is a dome-shaped monument used to enshrine sacred relics. This specific stupa held the right collar bone of the Buddha. He also built the Maha viharaya, a large monastery. Other structures included the Cetiya Viharaya and the Hatthalhaka Viharaya. Some of these buildings served specific groups, such as monks or nuns.

Beyond religious buildings, the king improved the island's infrastructure through irrigation. He constructed a massive reservoir known as Tissa Wewa. This tank covers an area of 550 acres. The embankment of the reservoir is 2 miles long. It also reaches a height of 25 feet. This reservoir remains a vital resource for farmers in Anuradhapura today. His ability to manage water helped support the growing population in the region.

The legacy of Devanampiya Tissa is preserved in several sacred locations. Mihintale remains one of Sri Lanka's most important religious sites. It contains the Ambasthala, or the "Mango tree stupa." It also holds the cave where Mahinda lived for forty years. The Maha Seya is another site containing a relic of the Buddha. These places connect the modern island to its ancient Buddhist roots. His reign established the cultural and religious foundations that shaped Sri Lankan society for centuries.