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Anula: THE SERPENT QUEEN OF SRI LANKA-A Historical Biography
Paperback
Biographies GeneralHistorical Figures
Publisher: Silverback Books
Published: Nov 25 2025
Pages: 422
Weight: 1.07
Height: 0.94 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
Queen Anula ruled ancient Sri Lanka from 47-42 BCE, becoming the island's first and only Queen Regnant through a remarkable-and ruthless-seizure of power. After King Valagambahu's troubled reign left the monarchy weakened, Anula, a queen consort, systematically poisoned her way through six rulers: two legitimate kings and four commoner puppet consorts whom she elevated to maintain the facade of male sovereignty. For five years, she wielded effective power behind this succession of figureheads before finally claiming direct rule in her own name-an unprecedented violation of gender norms in Buddhist Sri Lankan society.
This biography reclaims Anula from centuries of historiographical demonization, recognizing her as a capable leader whose achievements were systematically obscured by patriarchal sources while acknowledging the ethical complexities her violent methods present.
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