A note on the Sinhala King Manawamma...

 Reading P.B. Rambukwelle's Commentary on Sinhala Kingship ( Vijaya to Kalnga Magha ); The author reserves a special position for Manawamma ( AC 689-698), who once and for all rid the country of the mercenary menace that had been plaguing the country for over fifty years. However this was at the tail end of a dynastic strife that had been going on for over 200 years. Migara, the Senapati of Dhatusena,  is thought to be the starting point  of  the army's intervention in king making became significant.

"Of the 35 kings who ascended the throne during this period of 260 years ( Mahanama to Manavamma ) 18 came to violent ends, of whom 10 counted one or less than an year's rule, only 5 were ruled enthroned peacfully in succession to their respective predecessors, the rest, all 30 of them forcing their way to the throne." ( pages 57-58; P.B. Rambukwelle)

With Manavamma came a period of peace and good government for a period of three centuries. The period saw 26 kings, the 100th to the 125th in an unbroken line of Sinhala dynasty. After Manavamma, succession to the throne was peaceful, with each legitimate heir awaiting his turn on the natural demise of his predecessor. Manawamma is mentioned in Nilakanta Sastri's seminal work, "A History of South India", thus :

"... Narasimhavarman  defeated the Chalukyas in several battles including one  at Manimangala about 20 miles to the east of Kanchipuram. In these battles Narasimha was ably assisted by a Ceylonese prince , Manavarma, whom he afterwards helped to gain the throne of Ceylon" (page 136)

Manavamma, assisted by the Pallavas, became the king ridding the country of the mercenaries who had been marauding the country, since the locals had by then stopped getting involved in the centuries lasting battle for the throne. Manavamma, fresh with 20 years of battle experience, is thus recognized as instrumental in bringing upon a period of peace for three centuries. These three centuries saw long reigns - Aggabodhi IV ( 40 years), Sena II (35 years ), Mahinda V ( 35 years ) and Sena I (20 years ).

Another important observation that Rambukwelle makes is that there were stages in the development of the Sinhala monarchy - gamani ( derived from the ideal of mahasammata), to sanghabodhi, to senasammata, to sena, to chakravarti - Parakramabahu I considered to be of this last stage ). Manavamma is considered the first Sena king - in contrast to Senasammata, head of the army by consent, to become the actual essence of power of the army - Sena ).

This note was made because the contribution by Manavamma is usually not given the due recognition, among the other kings who won against invaders and those who did a yeomen service in irrigation and the uplifting of the Sasana,