The Fate ofAngampora

Dutugemunu’s father, King Kavantissa of Ruhuna, had recruited a number of highly skilled combatants and created a formidable army in anticipation of the war to oust the Chola usurper. According to the Mahavamsa, this army was led by ten generals – the legendary Dasa Maha Yodhayo (ten great giants). Depicted as men of unusually large stature, these generals possessed immense strength and tactical prowess.

The Dasa Maha Yodhayo, namely Nandimithra, Suranimala, Gotaimbara, Theraputthabhya, Mahabharana, Velusumana, Khanjadeva, Phussadeva, Labhiyavasabha, and Mahasona are believed to have been masters of the uniquely local martial art Angampora, which gave them an advantage over the enemy. From hand-to-hand to combat to armed combat to cavalry charges, each general tactically planned out the attack on Elara’s Vijithapura fortress.

Charging towards all four gates of the fortress, the generals of the Ruhuna army led their cavalry with great distinction even though a number of soldiers fell at the hands of Elara’s archers. With Dutugemunu leading from the front, the Ruhuna army finally broke into the fortress.

Velusumana, was so skilled in combat that he was able to knock down Elara’s soldiers with ease while on horseback. He led a cavalry charge to the eastern gate of the fortress, a heroic action which ultimately forced the army of the Indian king into the fortress.
With the withdrawal of Elara’s army, and the capture of the Vijithapura fortress, Dutugemunu’s army drove further into the heart of Anuradhapura and defeated King Elara in single combat. The island was finally united under King Dutugemunu.
To this day, the gallant efforts of King Dutugemunu, along with the Dasa Maha Yodhayo are spoken of as a great example of how the magnificent warriors of old protected the sovereignty of the land.

The Uva-Wellasa Uprising of 1817-18

Considered to be the first fight for independence from the British, the Uva-Wellassa Rebellion of 1817-18 is also possibly the last time that Angampora was used as a combat technique in battle.
It all began with the appointment of a British puppet Muhandiram Haji Marikkar to administrate the Wellassa region. The reason for such an appointment was to undermine the local leader Millewa Dissawa, and to assert the authority of the British. The appointment led to uproars from the people of the Uva-Wellassa area, which eventually translated into small skirmishes against British authority.
The British, in an attempt to silence the uprising and assert their dominance over the people of Uva and Wellassa, sent local noble Keppetipola Disawe to quell the uprising. In a surprising turn of events, the man who was sent to silence the uprising became the very man to lead the rebels. Although a quick replacement was dispatched, the British faced many casualties and setbacks due to the unpredictable guerrilla attacks employed by the rebels. The rebellion, which lasted from 1817 to 1818 eventually failed and the leaders were executed or exiled.
British Governor Robert Brownrigg realized the threat posed by Angam combat techniques, and issued a decree to ban Angampora. Those who defied the ban were punished, with some practitioners being shot in the knees to prevent them from passing on Angampora to younger generations.
For almost 200 years, Angampora remained in the shadows, being taught in secret and being incorporated into certain traditional dance forms to ensure its survival. The ban was finally lifted by the Sri Lankan Government in 2018/19, and what remains of the ancient art form was brought into the spotlight.
Today, apart from being taught to a select group of individuals as a martial art, Angampora techniques are also taught to segments of the Sri Lankan security forces in combat training. The people of the island have a sense of pride in the fact that this ancient martial art and combat technique, which is unique to Sri Lanka, was preserved throughout the centuries so that it can now be shared with the world.