Gothabhaya

Gothabhaya, also known as Meghavannabhaya, Gothakabhaya and Goluaba, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka whose reign lasted from 254 to 267. During his reign, Gothabhaya renovated several temples and monasteries and also built a new temple. He is the last of three friends who seized the throne from King Vijaya Kumara and ruled the country. He is known for banishing 60 Buddhist monks who followed teaching contradictory to Theravada, and also for rebelling against his friend Samghabodhi to seize the throne himself.

Legacy

Gothabhaya had two sons named Jettha tissa and Mahasena. He entrusted the education of his sons to a South Indian monk named Sanghamitta who had befriended him. This turned out to be a key point in Sri Lankan history since Mahasena, who had embraced Vaitulya doctrines taught by Sanghamitta, constructed the Jetavana temple which became one of the country's three main schools of Buddhism of the Anuradhapura period despite Gothabhaya's efforts to arrest the spread of Vaitulyavada.

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