c. 1123–1186
Parākramabāhu I, Sinhala: මහා පරාක්රමබාහු
Parākramabāhu I · 斯里兰卡
12th-century king of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom (reigned 1153–1186), the monarch who unified the whole island of Sri Lanka and a builder of irrigation works.
Born c. 1123 in Punkhagama, he inherited the southern region of Dakhinadesa around 1140 and, after civil war, unified the whole island in 1153. He reformed the monastic order, built temples and hospitals, implemented an administrative system centred on governors of 12 provinces, expanded the capital Polonnaruwa, and built canals and large reservoirs, the most famous being Parakrama Samudra. His saying "not even a drop of rainwater should flow into the sea without benefiting people" is still quoted today. Abroad he campaigned to South India and Myanmar and maintained trade with China, Angkor, and elsewhere. He died in Polonnaruwa in 1186.
People & stories
Places in their life
Birthplace Punkhagama; place of activity and burial Polonnaruwa (now North Central Province, Sri Lanka, a World Heritage ancient city).
People
Cultural significance
The "Great King" in Sri Lankan hearts, a symbol of irrigation civilisation and Buddhist revival; the Quadrangle and the Gal Vihara rock carvings at Polonnaruwa mostly survive from his era.