Ancient history of Sri Lanka
The Ancient history of Sri
Lanka begins with the gradual onset of historical records in the final
centuries BC, ending the prehistoric period. A traditional date
is the landing
of Vijaya, a semi-legendary king who arrived in Sri Lanka with 700
followers, dated to 543 BC, the earliest historical event mentioned in the Mahavamsa chronicle and the founding
myth of the Sinhalese
people of Sri Lanka.The account of the Mahavamsa becomes historical from the 3rd century BC, with
the arrival of Buddhism under Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka.
Epigraphic sources also appear with the presence of Buddhism, from about the 3rd
century BC. The earliest historiographic litearature, such as the Mahavamsa,
dates to the 6th century AD.The entire ancient period of Sri Lankan history is dominated by the Anuradhapura
Kingdom. The medieval period in Sri Lanka is taken to begin with the fall of
the Anuradhapura Kingdom in AD 1017.Contents [hide]1Pali Chronicl2Landing of Vijaya2.1Mahavamsa
tradition2.2Place-names3Anuradhapura Kingdom3.1Arrival of Buddhism and the
Sacred Tooth Relic3.2Invasions3.3Lambakanna3.4Demise4Technology4.1Kaboja or
Kambojas4.2Dameda (=Damela) or Tamils
(Dravidian group from southern India)4.3Mileka, Muridi, Merya and Jhavaka5See also6References7External
links
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[edit]Pali Chronicles
Main articles: Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, and Culavamsa
The Pali chronicles, the Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Thupavamsa[1] and the Culavamsa as well as a large
collection of stone inscriptions,[2] the Indian
Epigraphical records, the Burmese versions of the chronicles etc., provide an
exceptional record for the history of Sri Lanka from about the 6th century
B.C.The Mahavamsa, written around 400 AD by the monk Nagasena,[citation needed] using the
Deepavamsa, the Attakatha and other written sources available to him, correlates
well with Indian histories of the period. Emperor Asoka's reign is recorded in the Mahavamsa.
The Mahavamsa account of the period prior to Asoka's coronation, (218 years
after the Buddha's death) seems to be part legend.[edit]Landing of Vijaya
Main article: Vijaya of Sri
Lanka
Sri Lankan written history begins with the arrival of Vijaya and his
700 followers. Vijaya is a semi-legendary figure. He is the first recorded king
of Sri Lanka but is also a figure in medieval Sri Lankan Tamil literature. His
reign is traditionally dated to 543 BC - 505 BC. The primary source for his
life-story is the Mahavamsa. It is
inevitably difficult, given the dearth of sources, to separate fact from legend
in Vijaya's life, and as H. W.
Codrington puts it, 'It is possible and even probable that Vijaya (`The
Conqueror') himself is a composite character combining in his person...two
conquests' of ancient Sri Lanka.
Vijaya is a Kalinga (ancient Orissa) prince, the eldest son of King Sinhabahu ("Man with Lion arms") and
his sister Queen Sinhasivali.
Both these Sinhala leaders were born of a mythical union
between a lion and a human princess. The Mahavamsa states that Vijaya landed on
the same day as the death of the Buddha (See Geiger's preface to Mahavamsa). The story of
Vijaya and Kuveni (the local reigning
queen) is reminiscent of Greek legend, and may have a common source in ancient
Proto-Indo-European folk tales.[3][edit]Mahavamsa traditionMahavamsa[4]
attests that the ancestors of the
Sinhalese came from Sihapura (Sinhapura) located in Lala Rattha (=Lata
Rashtra). Prince Sihabahu had left
his maternal grand father's kingdom in Vanga and founded a Sihapura in
Lata Rashtra. He married Sihasivali and there were born Vijaya and Sumitta and
thirty more sons to her. With time, Sihabahu consecrated Vijaya as
prince-regent, but due to some misdemeanor of prince Vijaya, the king had to
banish him and his 700 followers from Sinhapura. Story says that the king had
caused their heads to be shaved (aradh-mundak) before putting them on a
ship and driving them away into the sea. The exiles sailed past Bharukachcha and
Soparaka and finally landed at Tambapanni (Ceylon) near Puttalam.[5] on the day of
Parinibhana (decease) of the Buddha (542 BCE or 486 BCE). The exiles
permanently settled on the island, married local wives and established their
kingdom which, in succeeding generations, assumed the name as Sinhala, said
to have been named after Sinhapura, the ancestral city of the exiles.
The authorities such as Wilhelm Geiger, H. W.
Codrington, Chatterji, Mendis, A. L. Bhasham, S. Parnavitana, K. M. De
Silva, J. L. Kamboj etc assert that the early settlers of Sri Lanka came from
the north-west part of India, while others like Muller, Majumdar, Siddhartha,
Sabidullah etc hold that north-eastern India was the home of the earliest
colonists.[6]
The Encyclopedia Britannica asserts on
Vijaya's arrival in Sri Lanka as follows: "Their landing in Sri Lanka at
Tambapanni, near Puttalam, would indicate their arrival from western India. Some
early tribal names occurring in Sri Lanka also suggest connections with
north-western India and the Indus region. While considerable evidence points to
western India as the home of the first immigrants, it seems probable that a
subsequent wave arrived from the east around Bengal and Orissa" .[7][8][edit]Place-names
Main article: Sri Lankan place name
etymology
According to the Mahavamsa, Vijaya landed on Sri Lanka near Mahathitha
(Manthota or Mannar[9]), and named the
Island "Thambaparni"
('copper-colored palms). This name is attested in Ptolemy's map of the ancient world.Tamirabharani
is the old name for the second longest river in Sri Lanka (known as Malwatu
Oya in Sinhala and Aruvi Aru in Tamil). This river was a main supply
route connecting the capital, Anuradhapura to Mahathitha (Mannar). The waterway
was used by Greek and by Chinese ships travelling the southern Silk Route.
Mahathitha was an ancient port linking Sri Lanka to India and the Persian
gulf,[10].
The present day Sihalese (and many modern Tamils) are a mixture of the
indegenous people and of other peoples who came to the island from various parts
of India. The Sinhalese recognize the Vijayan Indo-Aryan culture and Buddism
(already in existence prior to the arrival of Vijaya), as distinct from other
groups in neighbouring south India.[edit]Anuradhapura Kingdom
Main articles: Anuradhapura
Kingdom and Anuradhapura[edit]Arrival of Buddhism and the Sacred Tooth RelicDevanampiya Tissa (250-210 BC),
a Sinhalese King of the Mauriya
clan. His links with Emperor Asoka led to the introduction of Buddhism by Mahinda (son of Asoka) in 247 BC. Sangamitta, (sister of Mahinda) brought a Bodhi sapling via Jambukola (Sambiliturei).
There is no evidence in the history of King Ashoka about his having had a son by
the name of Mahinda (or by any other name) or a daughter by the name of
Sangamitta (or by any other name). This king's reign was crucial to Theravada Buddhism, and for Sri Lanka.[edit]InvasionsElara (205-161
BC), a South
IndianTamil King who ruled "Pihiti Rata", i.e., Sri
Lanka north of the mahaweli, after killing King Asela. During Elara's time, Kelani
Tissa was a sub-king of Maya
Rata (south-west) and Kavan Tissa was a regional sub-king of Ruhuna (south-east). Kavan Tissa built Tissa
Maha Vihara, Dighavapi
Tank and many shrines in Seruvila. Dutugemunu (161-137 BC) – Eldest son
of King Kavan Tissa, who was a young man 25 years of age, defeated the South
Indian Tamil Invader Elara (over 64 years of age) in single combat, described in
the Mahavamsa. Dutugemunu is
depicted as a Sinhala "Asoka". The Ruwanwelisaya, built by this king is a dagaba of
pyramid-like proportions. It was an engineering marvel.Pulahatta
(or Pulahatha) deposed by Bahiya, was
deposed by Panaya
Mara, deposed by Pilaya
Mara, murdered by Dathiya 88
BC – deposed by Valagambahu, ending Tamil rule.
Valagambahu I (89-77) BC – restored the Dutugamunu
dynasty. The Mahavihara Theravada - Abhayagiri (pro-Mahayana) doctrinal disputes arose at this time. The
Tripitaka was
written in Pali at Aluvihara,
Matale. Chora
Naga (Mahanaga) (63-51) BC; poisoned by his consort Anula. Queen Anula
(48-44 BC) – Widow of Chora Naga and Kuda
Tissa, was the first Queen of Lanka. She had many lovers who were poisoned
by her. She was finally killed by: Kuttakanna Tissa. Vasabha (67-111 AD) – Vallipuram gold plate; he fortified
Anuradhapura and built
eleven tanks; many edicts. Gajabahu I (114-136) – invaded the Chola
kingdom and brought back captives. He recovered the tooth relic of the Buddha.Mahasena (274-301) – The Theravada (Maha Vihara) was
persecuted and Mahayana surfaced.
Later the King returned to the Maha Vihara. Pandu (429) - first of seven
Pandiyan rulers, ending with Pithya, 455; Dhatusena (459-477), his uncle, Mahanama
wrote the Mahavamsa, he built "Kalaweva". His son Kashyapa (477-495), built the famous sigiriya rock palace. Some 700 rock
graffiti give a glimpse of ancient Sinhala.[edit]LambakannaManavamma
(684-718) – seized the throne with Pallava help. Manavamma introduced Pallava patronage
for three centuries. By the 9th century, with the Pandyan ascendancy in southern India,
Anuradhapura was sacked. However, the Sinhalese invaded Pandya
using a rival prince, and Madurai
itself was sacked. Mahinda V (982-1029) – was the last
Sinhala monarch of Anuradhapura. He fled to Ruhuna, where, in 1017, the Chola took him to prison and
he died in India.[edit]Demise
In 993, the Chola Emperor Rajaraja I invaded Sri Lanka, forcing the then Sri
Lankan ruler Mahinda V to flee to the southern part of the country.[11]
The Mahavamsa describes the rule of Mahinda V as weak, and the country was
suffering from poverty by this time. It further mentions that his army rose
against him due to lack of wages.[12]
Taking advantage of this situation, Rajendra I son of Rajaraja I, launched a large
invasion in 1017. Mahinda V was captured and taken to India, and the Cholas
sacked the city of Anuradhapura.[11]
They moved the capital to Polonnaruwa and subsequent Sri Lankan rulers who
came into power after the Chola reign continued to use Polonnaruwa as the
capital, thus ending the Anuradhapura Kingdom.[13]