The following is a list of rulers of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) since 505 BC. The main source for many of these monarchs are the chronicles of the
from Anuradhapura
Kings of Rajarata from Anuradhapura
The Two Tamil Kings
Anuradhapuran monarchs
Chola invasion
Ruhuna monarchs
- Dutugemunu 161 BC-137 BC
- Saddha Tissa 137 BC-119 BC
- Thulatthana 119 BC
- Lanja Tissa 119 BC-109 BC
- Khallata Naga 109 BC-104 BC
- Vattagamani Abhaya 104 BC
The Pancha Dravida (the 'Five Dravidans')
- Pulahatta 104 BC - 100 BC (?)
- Bahiya 100 BC - 98 BC (?)
- Panya Mara 98 BC - 91 BC
- Pilaya Mara 91 BC
- Dathika 91 BC - 88 BC
Anuradhapura monarchs
- Vattagamani Abhaya or Valagambahu I (restored)88 BC-76 BC
- Mahakuli Mahatissa 76 BC-62 BC
- Chore Naga 62 BC-50 BC
- Kuda Tissa 50 BC-47 BC
- Siva I 47 BC
- Vatuka 47 BC
- Darubhatika Tissa 47 BC
- Niliya 47 BC
- Queen Anula 47 BC-42 BC
- Kutakanna Tissa 42 BC-20 BC
- Bhatikabhaya Abhaya 20 BC-9 BC
- Mahadathika Mahanaga 9 BC-21 AD
- Amandagamani Abhaya 21- 30
- Kanirajanu Tissa 30-33
- Chulabhaya 33-35
- Queen Sivali 35
- Ilanaga 34- 44
- Chandamukha 44-52
- Yassalalaka Tissa 52-60
- Subha 60-66
Lambakanna monarchs
- Vasabha 66-110
- Vankanasika Tissa 110-113
- Gajabâhu I 113-134
- Mahallaka Naga 134-140
- Bhatika Tissa 140-164
- Kanittha Tissa 164-183 or 164-192 (?)
- Khujjanaga 183-185 or 194-195 (?)
- Kunchanaga 185-186 or 195 (?)
- Sirinaga I 186-205 or 195-214 (?)
- Voharika Tissa 205-227 or 214-236 (?)
- Abhayanaga 227-235 or 236-244 (?)
- Sirinaga II 235-237 or 244-246 (?)
- Vijaya Kumara 237 or 246-247 (?)
- Sangha Tissa I 238-242 or 247-251 (?)
- Sirisamghabodhi 242-244 or 251-253 (?)
- Gathabhaya 244-257 or 253-266 (?)
- interregnum 257-267 (?)
- Jettha Tissa I 266-276
- Mahasena 276-303
- Sirimeghavanna 304-331
- Jettha Tissa II 331-340
- Buddhadasa 341-368
- Upatissa 368-410
- Mahanama 410-432
- Chattagahaka Jantu 432 (?)
- Mittasena 432
Shad Dravida (the 'Six Dravidians')
Moriya monarchs
- Dhatusena 459-477
- Kassapa I 'the Usurper' 477-495. Ruled from Sigiriya
- Moggallana I 495-512
- Kumara Dhatusena 512-520
- Kittisena 520-521
- Siva II 521
- Upatissa II 521-522
- Silakala Ambosamanera 522-535
- Dathappabhuti 535
- Moggallana II 535-555
- Kittisirimegha 555-573
- Mahanaga 573-575
- Aggabodhi I 575-608
- Aggabodhi II 608-618
- Sangha Tissa 618
- Moggallana III 618-623
- Silameghavanna 623-632
- Aggabodhi III Sirisanghabodhi 632
- Jettha Tissa III 632-633
- Aggabodhi III (restored) 633-643
- Dathopa Tissa I Hatthadpatha 643
- Aggabodhi III (restored) 643
- Dathopa Tissa I Hatthadpatha (restored) 643-650
- Kassapa II 650-659
- Dappula I 659
- Dathopa Tissa II 659-667
- Aggabodhi IV 667-683
- Datta 683-684
- Hatthadpatha II 684
Lambakanna monarchs (Pallava clients)
Kings of Rajarata from Anuradhapura and other capitals
Lambakanna monarchs
- Mahinda II Silamegha 777-797
- Dappula II (or Udaya I) 797-801
- Mahinda III 801-804
- Aggabodhi VIII 804-815
- Dappula III 815-831
- Aggabodhi IX 831-833
- Sena I 833-853
- Sena II 853-887
- Udaya II 887-898
- Kassapa IV 898-914
- Kassapa V 914-923
- Dappula IV 923 -924
- Dappula V 924-935
- Udaya II 935-938
- Sena III 938-946
- Udaya III 946 -954
- Sena IV 954-956
- Mahinda IV 956-972
- Sena V 972-982
- Mahinda V 982-993; king of Ruhuna only 993-c.1007.
Chola emperors
titular kings of Rajarata
Kings of Rajarata from Polonnaruwa
- Vijayabâhu I 1055-1110
- Jayabâhu I 1110-1111
- Vikramabâhu I 1111-1132
- Gajabâhu II 1132-
- Parâkramabâhu I 'the Great' 1153-1186
- Vijayabâhu II 1186-1187
- Mahinda VI 1187
Kalinga monarchs
- Nissanka Malla 1187-1196
- Vikramabâhu II 1196
- Chodaganga 1196
- Queen Lilavati 1197-1200
- Sahassamalla 1200-1202
- Queen Kalyanavati 1202-1208
- Dharmashoka 1208-1209
- Anikanga Mahadipada 1209
- Queen Lilavati (restored) 1209-1210
- Lokissara 1210-1211
- Queen Lilavati (restored ) 1211-1212
Pandya monarchs
Kalinga monarchs
Kingdom of Dambadeniya
from Dambadeniya
from Yapahuwa
from Polonnaruwa
from Kurunagala
Kingdom of Gampola
from Dedigama
from Gampola
Kings of Raigama
Kingdom of Jaffna
Arya Chakravarti kings
- Kangasuriya Singai Aryan (restored) 1467-1478
- Pararajesekaran VI 1478-1519
- Sankili Segarajasekaran VI 1519-1560
- Puviraja Pandaram Pararajesekaran VII 1561-1565
- Kurunchi Waniyyar (usurper) 1565-1570
- Periya Pillai Segarajasekaran VIII 1570-1572
- Puviraja Pandaram Pararajesekaran VIII 1572-1591
- Ethirmanna Singam Pararajasekaran IX 1591-1615
- Arakesari (regent) 1615-1617
- Sankili Kumaran 1617-1620
Kingdom of Kotte
- Parakramabâhu VI 1412-1467
- Jayabâhu II 1467-1470
- Bhuvanaikabâhu VI 1470-1480
- Parâkkamabâhu VII 1480-1484
- Parâkkamabâhu VIII 1484-1489
- Dharma Parãkramabãhu IX 1489-1513
- Vijavabãhu VI 1513-1521, (November 15, 1505 a Portuguese fleet commanded by Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Portuguese viceroy in India, Francisco de Almeida, having been driven by a storm to the shores of Lanka, landed in Colombo)
- Assassination of Vijavabãhu VI, 1521, by his three sons, and tripartite partition of his kingdom; 1. Bhuvanekabãhu, Kingdom of Kotte; 2. Madduma Bandãra, Kingdom of Rayigama & the 2 Korales; 3. Mãyãdunnë, Kingdom of Sitawaka and the Four Korales.
- Bhuvanekabãhu VII 1521-1551 made himself & his heir (grandson, Dom Joao) a Portuguese client to seek protection from Mayadunne of Sitawake
- Vidiyë Bandãra, son of Bhuvanekabãhu VII and father of & regent for Dom Joaõ Dharmapala (Regent 1521-1555)
- Dom Joaõ Dharmapala 1551-1597, grandson and heir of Bhuvanekabãhu VII, submitted to baptism as a Christian in late 1556, ceded his kingdom and all rights and claims, including to 'subordinate kingdoms' of Sitawake & Kandy, etc. to the King of Portugal on his death.
- Refences — W.L.A. Don Peter's The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka
Kingdom of Sitawaka
Kingdom of Kandy
- Dom Phillipe (successor of earlier dynasty) 1590-1591
Bhandara Dynasty
- Vimala Dharma Surya I (Konnapu Bhandara) 1591-1604
- Senarat (Nephew of Konnapu Bhandara) 1604-1629
- Râjasimha II 1629-1687
- Vimala Dharma Surya II 1687-1707
- Vira Narendra Sinha 1707-1739
Kandy Nayakar Dynasty
(a.k.a Madurai Nayak Dynasty)
.svg)
- Vijaya Rajasinha (aka Rajasimha III) 1739-1747
- Kirtisri 1747-1781
- Rajadhirarajasinha 1781-1798
- Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (aka Rajasimha IV) 1798-1815
- Reference — The various lives of St. Jose Vas, both online (Codrington, etc) and hard copy (e.g., Fr. Cosme Jose Costa S.F.X.'s Life of Blessed Joseph Vaz, Apostle of Kanara & Sri Lanka). He lived in Kandy during Vimala Dharma Suriya II's reign, and died in 1711, in the early years of Vira Narendra Simha, who had ascended 1707, and had faced a rebellion in 1709. The Nayaggar Dynasty, which converted from Hinduism to Buddhism, expelled Vas' successors, and they took refuge in the Kingdom of Vanni until 1815, when England annexed the Kingdom of Kandy.
Kings of Portugal and General Captains
- Philippe I 1580-1598
- Philippe II 1598-1621
- Pedro Lopos de Sousa 1594
- D. Jeronimo de Azevedo 1594-1613
- D. Francisco de Meneses 1613-1614
- Manuel Mascarenhas Homem 1614-1616
- Nuno Alvares Pereira 1616-1618
- Constantino de Sa e Noronha 1618-1622
- Philippe III 1621-1640
- Jorge do Albuquerque 1622-1623
- Constantino de Sa e Noronha 1623-1630
- D. Philippe Mascarenhas 1630-1631
- D. Jorge de Almeida 1631-1633
- Diego de Mello de Castro 1633-1635
- D. Jorge de Almeida 1635-1636
- Diogo de Mello de Castro 1636-1638
- D. Antonio Mascarenhas 1638-1640
- John IV of Braganza 1640-1645
- D. Philippe Mascarenhas 1640-1645
- Manuel Mascarenhas Homem 1645-1653
- Francisco de Mello de Castro 1653-1655
- Antonio de Sousa Coutinho 1655-1656
- Antonio de Amaral de Menezes 1656-1658, Jaffna
Dutch governors of Zeylan
- William J. Coster 1640
- Jan Thyszoon Payart 1640-1646
- Joan Maatzuyker 1646-1650
- Jacob van Kittensteyn 1650-1653
- Adriaan van der Meyden 1653-1660 and 1661-1663
- Ryklof van Goens 1660-1661 and 1663
- Jacob Hustaart 1663-1664
- Ryklof van Goons 1664-1675
- Ryklof van Goens Jr 1675-1679
- Laurens Pyl 1679-1692
- Thomas van Rhee 1692-1697
- Gerrit de Heere 1697-1702
- Cornelis Jan Simons 1702-1706
- Hendrik Becker 1706-1716
- Isaac Augustin Rumpf 1716-1723
- Johannes Hertenberg 1723-1726
- Petrus Vuyst 1726-1729
- Stephanus Versluys 1729-1732
- Jacob Christian Pielat 1732-1734
- Diederik van Domburg 1734-1736
- Gustaaf Willem baron van Imhoff 1736-1739
- Willem Maurits Bruyninck 1739-1742
- Daniel Overbeek 1742-1743
- Julius V.S. van Gollenesse 1743-1751
- Gerard Joan Vreeland 1751-1752
- Johan Gideon Loten 1752-1757
- Jan Schreuder 1757-1762
- L.J. Baron van Eck 1762-1765
- Iman Willem Falck 1765-1785
- Willem J. van de Graaff 1785-1794
- J.G. van Angelbeek 1794-1796
British governors of Ceylon
- Governor of Madras 1796
- Frederick North 1798
- Sir Thomas Maitland 1805
- Sir Robert Brownrigg, Bart 1812
- Sir Edward Paget 1822
- Sir Edward Barnes 1824
- Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, Bt 1831
- James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie 1837
- Major-General Sir Colin Campbell (politician) 1841
- Viscount Torrington 1847
- Sir G.W. Anderson 1850
- Sir Henry G. Ward 1855
- Sir Charles Justin MacCarthy 1860
- Sir Hercules G.R. Robinson 1st Baron Rosmead 1865
- Sir William H. Gregory 1872
- Sir James R. Longdon 1877
- Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore 1883
- Sir Arthur B. Havelock 1890
- Sir J. West Ridgeway 1896
- Sir Henry Arthur Blake 1903
- Sir Henry B. McCallum 1907
- Sir Robert Chalmers 1913-1916
- Sir John Anderson 1916
- Sir William H. Manning 1918
- Sir Hugh Clifford 1925
- Sir H.J. Stanley 1927
- Sir Grame Thompson 1931
- Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs 1933
- Sir Andrew Caldecott 1937
Governors General
- Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (Governor/Governor General)1948
- Viscount Soulbury (Governor General) 1949
- Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke (Governor General) 1954
- William Gopallawa (Governor General) 1962