The Rise of the Kandyan–Nayak Dynasty: My Reflections on a Turning Point in Sri Lankan History

By Nimesha Thiwankara Senevipala

The period between 1739 and 1815 is one of the most fascinating and controversial chapters in Sri Lankan history. This was the era of the Kandyan–Nayak Dynasty, when the throne of Kandy passed from the Sinhalese royal line to rulers of Nayak descent.

I personally see this transition not as a mere accident of succession but as a strategic and well-calculated political move, one that reflected the ambitions of the Nayak chieftains who were already influential in the Kandyan court. It also intersected with the religious mission of Weliwita Saranankara Thera, who — in my opinion — played a key but largely unconscious role in making this transformation possible.

The Decision to Bypass the Local Heir

When King Vira Narendra Sinha passed away in 1739, there was indeed a male heir — his own brother, born to the same father but of local maternal lineage. He was considered unsuitable for the throne, and the Kandyan chiefs and Buddhist clergy decided instead to offer kingship to Sri Vijaya Rajasinha, the brother of Narendra Sinha’s Nayak queen.

I believe this was not simply a religious or moral choice but a political decision that allowed the Nayak faction to secure the Kandyan throne at a time when the Madurai Nayak kingdom had just fallen.

A Survival Strategy for the Nayak Lineage

Looking at the wider South Indian context, 1739 was the very year that Madurai fell to its enemies. To me, this cannot be a coincidence. It seems likely that the Kandyan court became a new safe haven for the Nayak royal tradition, ensuring that it would not disappear entirely.

This was, in my view, a clever survival strategy. The Nayak chieftains living in Kandy, the local elites, and the Dutch administration all found common ground in enthroning Vijaya Rajasinha — each for their own reasons.

Weliwita Saranankara Thera: An Unwitting Catalyst

Where I find this episode especially intriguing is in the role of Weliwita Saranankara Thera. His great ambition was to revive Buddhism by restoring the Siamese Upasampadā — the higher ordination of monks that had lapsed in Sri Lanka.

In my opinion, Saranankara Thera was not a conspirator, nor was he fully aware of the political maneuvering happening around him. He was simply focused on his religious mission. I believe he was used as a moral and spiritual legitimizer of the new king, perhaps with promises that if Vijaya Rajasinha ascended the throne, the royal court would support his efforts to re-establish the Upasampadā.

If this was indeed the case, then Saranankara Thera’s dream and the Nayak chieftains’ political strategy came together in a way that changed the course of Kandyan history forever.

Religion, Politics, and Unintended Consequences

This event fascinates me because it shows how religion, politics, and survival instincts all intersected:

The Nayak chieftains sought to preserve their royal lineage after Madurai’s collapse.

The Kandyan chiefs wanted a king they could control, and one who owed his throne to their choice.

Saranankara Thera saw the chance to fulfil his religious mission and restore discipline to the Sangha.

Together, these forces gave birth to the Kandyan–Nayak Dynasty — a dynasty that produced some of the most pious and culturally active kings, including Kirti Sri Rajasinha, who rebuilt temples and patronized Buddhism.

But this also raises a difficult question: Did this decision weaken the Kandyan monarchy’s local legitimacy? By sidelining a Sinhalese prince, did the chiefs and clergy unintentionally make the throne more vulnerable to internal factionalism and, later, colonial manipulation?

My Closing Thoughts

I want to emphasize that these are my personal reflections, not a formal research article. I plan to write a more detailed, referenced piece in the future, citing historical sources and scholarly debates.

For now, I see this episode as a turning point: a moment when Kandyan political strategy, Nayak ambition, and Buddhist revivalism converged —with lasting consequences for the fate of the kingdom.

I would love to hear from historians, researchers, and anyone interested in this topic. Was this the right choice for the kingdom at that time? Did it save Kandy — or plant the seeds of its eventual fall?