Another Sinhalese king praised in the Mahavamsa is Dhatusena (459-77), who, in the fifth century CE, liberates Anuradhapura from a quarter-century of Pandyan rule.
The king is also honored as a generous patron of Buddhism and as a builder of water storage tanks.
Dhatusena is killed by his son, Kasyapa (477-95), who is regarded as a great villain in Sri Lankan history.
In fear of retribution from his exiled brother, the parricide moves the capital from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya, a fortress and palace perched on a monolithic rock one hundred and eighty meters high.
Although the capital is returned to Anuradhapura after Kasyapa is dethroned, Sigiriya is an architectural and engineering feat displayed in an inaccessible redoubt.
The rock fortress eventually falls to Kasyapa' s brother, who receives help from an army of Indian mercenaries.
