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Rakkha

1. Rakkha.– A general of Parakkamabāhu I. He was originally the Daṇḍādhināyaka (? general) of Gajabāhu, but Parakkamabāhu won him over and put him in charge of the conquest of the Malaya country. He accomplished this with the help of his younger brother, after fighting many battles and subduing the chiefs of the various districts (Cv.lxx.5 ff). The king thereupon conferred on him the rank of Kesadhātu. Later, he subdued the district of Merukandara and was sent against the Mahālekha Mahinda, whom he defeated at Sarogāmatittha. He was associated with Nagaragiri Nātha in the fight against Mānābharaṇa near Badaravallī. After this he is referred to as Adhikārī Rakkha, and the war against Mānābharaṇa seems to have been chiefly in his charge. He was in command of the army at Maṅgalabegāma and Mihiranabibbila, and decisively defeated Mānābharaṇa’s general, Buddhanāyaka at Rajatakedāra. Later, when Queen Sugalā raised a revolt in Rohaṇa, it was Rakkha who was sent to crush it. He was by now commander-in-chief, and was helped in the subjugation of Rohaṇa by the general Bhūta. They fought a battle at Lokagalla and advanced to Majjhimagāma and occupied Uddhanadvāra, where Rakkha was helped by the two Kittis, the Adhikāri and the Jīvapotthakī. From there they marched to Mahārīvara, and at Badaguṇa crushed Sugalā’s forces, thus gaining possession of the Sacred Bowl and the Sacred Tooth which these forces were carrying. In a last onslaught at Dematavala, Rakkha put the enemy to flight and marched on to Sappanārukokilla, where he died of an attack of dysentery. Cv.lxx. 5, 15, 19, 282, 295; lxxii.2 ff., 107, 160, 207, 232, 265 ff; lxxiv. 41 ff. 55, 72 ff., 111 ff., 136 ff.

2. Rakkha.– Called Laṅkādhinātha. A general of Parakkamabāhu I. He helped Lokajitvāna to defeat Hukitti, and was later sent to Janapada to fight against Gajabāhu’s forces. He was successful, and occupied Yagālla and Talātthala. Gajabāhu tried to win him over with bribes, but Rakkha mutilated the envoys and sent the presents to Parakkamabāhu. He fought at Aligāma against Gajabāhu’s general, Sīka, and, proving victorious, held a great celebration. Later he was in charge of the successful attack on Pulatthipura, when the city was captured and Gajabāhu taken prisoner. He was then sent to Maṅgalabegāma against Mānābharaṇa, and fought so fiercely that the latter was forced to flee to Rohaṇa. Rakkha was placed in charge of the ford at Niguṇḍivālukā. He was, however, greatly offended by the favour shown by Parakkamabāhu to his rival, the senāpati Deva, and no longer showed himself zealous in war. An officer of Gajabāhu who was with Rakkha, noticing this, sent word to Mānābharaṇa to come at once and take advantage of Rakkha’s lethargy. Mānābharaṇa followed this advice and advanced against Rakkha, whom he killed in the course of a fierce battle. Cv.lxx. 24, 98 ff., 115 ff., 174, 232, 283, 297, 306; lxxii.37, 75 ff.

3. Rakkha.– Also called Mahālekha. He was an officer of Parakkamabāhu I and took part in the campaigns against Mānābharaṇa, being stationed at Maṅgalabegāma, at Pillaviṭṭhi. At this place he fought a battle, which lasted for eight days, against Buddhanāyaka and Mahāmāladeva, and brought the district of Kālavāpi under his power. Cv.lxxii.161, 170 ff., 182, 206.

4. Rakkha.– called Damiḷādhikāri. He was an officer of Parakkamabāhu I, and was one of those chiefly responsible for the subjugation of Rohana. He fought battles at Doṇivagga, Guralaṭṭhakalañcha, Pūgadaṇḍakāvāta, Bodhi-āvāṭa, Bhinnālavanāgāma and several other places, and inflicted severe defeats on the rebel forces, dealing them a severe blow at Mahāsenagāma, where Laṅkāpura Rakkha was killed. This enabled him to take possession of Mahānāgahula. In order to bring the province completely under his control he had to fight further at Bakagalla Uddhavāpi, Saṅghabhedakagāma, Kuravakagalla and Mahāpabbata, and he thus won full possession of Dvādasasahassaka, where he seems to have spent the rest of his days. Cv.lxxv.20, 69 ff., 74 ff., 87‑159.

5. Rakkha Kañcukīnāyaka.– An officer of Parakkamabāhu I, associated with Damiḷādhikārī Rakkha. He fought victorious battles at Mahāvālukagāma, Devanagara, Kammāragāma, Mahāpanālagāma, Mānakapitthi, Nīlavalā Ford and Kadalīpatta, and marching then through Mārāvaratthali, he assisted Damiḷādhikārī Rakkha in the capture of Mahānāgahula. Cv.lxxv. 20 ff., 35 ff., 52 ff., 116.

6. Rakkha Laṅkāpura.– One of the leaders of the rebels in Rohaṇa in the time of Parakkamabāhu I. He was later made their commander-in-chief. He advanced with his forces to Nadībhaṇḍagāma, and was killed in the battle at Mahāsenagāma, fighting against Damiḷādhikārī Rakkha. His place in the army was taken by his elder brother. Cv.lxxv.70, 103, 112, 134.