Lilavati of Polonnaruwa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Queen Lilavati
Copper massa coin of Lilavati
Queen Consort of Polonnaruwa
Reign	1153–1186
Queen Regnant of Polonnaruwa
Reign	1197–1200 1209–1210 1211–1212
Predecessor	Chodaganga Anikanga Mahadipada Lokissara
Successor	Sahassamalla Lokissara Parakrama Pandya
Spouse	Parakramabahu I
Father	King Srivallabha
Mother	Queen Sugala

Queen Lilavati was a powerful queen in Sri Lanka's history. She was one of only four women to rule the country as a queen in her own right. Lilavati became well-known as the wife of Parakramabahu I, who was a king of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.

She came from a royal family herself. After her husband, King Parakramabahu, passed away, the country faced a time of great confusion and many changes in rulers. During this period, Queen Lilavati ruled as queen three separate times. She had the support of different generals each time. Most of what we know about her comes from an old book called the Culavamsa.

Lilavati was the daughter of King Sirivallabha and Queen Sugala. She also had a brother named Manabharana. She likely met her future husband, Parakramabahu, when they were young. This is because he was her cousin, the son of her uncle Manabharana.

After her uncle passed away, his family moved to live with Lilavati's family. We don't know exactly when she married Parakramabahu. Lilavati's family, especially her brother Manabharana and her mother Queen Sugala, had a difficult relationship with Parakramabahu. Her brother fought against Parakramabahu many times. It's not clear what role Lilavati played in these family disagreements.

Queen Lilavati's Reigns

We don't know much about what Lilavati did while her husband, King Parakramabahu, was ruling. As the main queen, she would have been the most important woman in the royal court. If she had children, they would have been first in line for the throne. However, the old records don't mention if she had any children with Parakramabahu.

Lilavati became important again after King Parakramabahu's death. The country entered a period of instability. King Vijayabahu II, who was known as a poet, ruled for only a year before he was removed from power. Then, a prince named Kittinissanka took the throne and ruled for many years as Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa.

After Nissanka Malla passed away, his younger brother Vikramabahu became king. But he was removed from power after only a few months by his nephew Chodaganga. Chodaganga was then removed by a strong general named Kitti. Instead of becoming king himself, General Kitti helped Lilavati become queen.

First Time as Queen (1197–1200)

Lilavati's first time as queen lasted "three years without mishap," according to the old records. As the first queen of Parakramabahu, she had a special kind of authority that other people wanting the throne didn't have. Also, her family background was much older and more respected than that of General Kitti or Nissanka Malla's family. This respect might explain why she was not harmed when she was removed from power by Sahassamalla on August 23, 1200.

Between Reigns

After Sahassamalla, several other rulers came and went. Sahassamalla was removed from power in 1202 by General Ayasmanta. Like General Kitti, Ayasmanta did not take the throne for himself. Instead, he made Kalyanavathi, who was Nissanka Malla's main queen, the new queen. However, Ayasmanta kept the real power for himself.

Kalyanavathi was followed by a child king named Dhammasoka, who was also under Ayasmanta's control. But in 1209, armies from the Chola kingdom in South India invaded. Their leader, Anikanga Mahadipada, removed both Ayasmanta and Dhammasoka from power.

Second Time as Queen (1209–1210)

Lilavati was brought back to power just seventeen days later. Anikanga was removed from power by General Vikkantacamunakka. The old records say this general was a "villain" but that he helped Lilavati rule again for a year. It's not clear why the respected queen would be associated with someone described as a villain.

Third Time as Queen (1211–1212)

Another invasion from South India removed Lilavati from power in 1210. The leader of this army, Lokissara, took control of all of Sri Lanka and ruled for nine months. He was then removed by General Parakrama, who was described as a very strong and brave leader. General Parakrama helped Lilavati become queen for her final time in 1211. This time, the old records speak highly of her, calling her "of the dynasty of the Sun and Moon" and saying she "shone in royal splendour."

This last time as queen lasted only seven months. She was removed from power by Parakrama of Pandya, who became king in Rajarata. After this invasion, Lilavati is no longer mentioned in historical records. It is unlikely that Parakrama of Pandya would have harmed her. However, the next ruler, Magha, who ruled very strictly, might have done so after his invasion in 1215.

Why Queen Lilavati Was Important

Queen Lilavati's life and her times as queen happened during the final decline of the Sinhalese kingdom in medieval Sri Lanka. The twenty-six years after her husband's death were very unstable. There were nine different rulers and at least three invasions from South India. These invasions were a big blow to the pride of Lilavati's family, who were proud of having driven out previous invaders and establishing local rule.

It is also hard to understand all the different groups and their conflicts in Sri Lanka at that time. Lilavati clearly belonged to one royal family, while other rulers like Nissanka Malla and Kalyanavathi seemed to belong to a different family from Kalinga. To make things more confusing, there were also invaders like Anikanga, and even within the same families, there were fights for power.

During this period, some kings like Parakramabahu I and Nissanka Malla were said to rule all of Sri Lanka. But after the invasion by Kalinga Magha and his strict rule from 1215 to 1236, the island broke into many separate kingdoms that fought with each other. Sri Lanka would not be united again until 1450.

In Zoology

A type of armored spider found only in Sri Lanka was named Shearella lilawati after Queen Lilavati.