Ancient[edit]
According to the
Mahāvamsa, a chronicle written in the
Pāli language, the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka are the
Yakshas and
Nagas. but Sinhalese history traditionally starts in 543 B.C with the
landing of Vijaya, a semi-legendary prince who sailed with 700 followers on eight ships 860 nautical miles to Sri Lanka from the southwest coast of what is now the
Rarh region of
West Bengal.
[32] He established the
Kingdom of Tambapanni, near modern day
Mannar. Vijaya is the first of the approximately 189 native
monarchs of Sri Lanka described in chronicles such as the
Dipavamsa, Mahāvamsa,
Chulavamsa, and Rājāvaliya (
see List of Sri Lankan monarchs). Sri Lankan dynastic history spanned a period of 2,359 years from 543 BC to AD 1815, when the land became part of the
British Empire.
[33]
The Kingdom of Sri Lanka moved to
Anuradhapura in 380 BC, during the reign of
Pandukabhaya. Thereafter, Anuradhapura served as the
capital of the country for nearly 1,400 years.
[34] Ancient Sri Lankans excelled at building certain types of structures (
constructions) such as
tanks,
dagobas and palaces.
[35] The society underwent a major transformation during the reign of
Devanampiya Tissa, with the arrival of
Buddhism from India. In 250 BC,
[36] Bhikkhu Mahinda (
Sanskrit:
महेन्द्र;
Mahendra), the son of the
Mauryan Emperor
Ashoka arrived in
Mihintale, carrying the message of Buddhism.
[37] His mission won over the monarch, who embraced the faith and propagated it throughout the
Sinhalese population.
[38] Succeeding kingdoms of Sri Lanka would maintain a large number of
Buddhist schools and monasteries and support the propagation of Buddhism into other countries in
Southeast Asia. Sri Lankan Bhikkhus studied in India's famous ancient Buddhist University of
Nalanda which was destroyed by Mohammed Kilji. It is probable that many of the scriptures from Nalanda are preserved in Sri Lanka's many monasteries.
[39] In 245 BC,
bhikkhuni Sangamitta arrived with the
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree, which is considered to be a sapling from the historical
Bodhi tree under which
Gautama Buddha became enlightened.
[40] It is considered the oldest human-planted tree (with a continuous historical record) in the world. (
Bodhivamsa)
[41]
Sri Lanka first experienced a foreign invasion during the reign of
Suratissa, who was defeated by two horse traders named
Sena and Guttika from
South India.
[38] The next invasion came immediately in 205 BC by a
Chola king named
Elara, who overthrew
Asela and ruled the country for 44 years.
Dutugemunu, the eldest son of the southern regional sub-king,
Kavan Tissa, defeated Elara in the
Battle of Vijithapura. He built
Ruwanwelisaya, the second stupa in ancient Sri Lanka, and the
Lovamahapaya.
[42] During its two and a half millennia of existence, the Kingdom of Sri Lanka was invaded at least eight times by neighbouring South Asian dynasties such as the
Chola,
Pandya,
Chera, and
Pallava. These invaders were all subsequently driven back.
[43] There also were incursions by the kingdoms of
Kalinga (modern
Odisha) and from the
Malay Peninsula as well.
Kala Wewa and the
Avukana Buddha statue were built during the reign of
Dhatusena.
[44]
Sri Lanka was the first Asian country known to have a female ruler:
Queen Anula, who reigned during 47–42 BC.
[45] Sri Lankan monarchs undertook some remarkable construction projects such as
Sigiriya, the so-called "Fortress in the Sky", built during the reign of
Kashyapa I who ruled between 477 and 495AD. The Sigiriya rock fortress is surrounded by an extensive network of ramparts and moats. Inside this protective enclosure were gardens, ponds, pavilions, palaces and other structures. The 1,600-year-old Sigiriya frescoes are an example of ancient Sri Lankan art at its finest.
[46][47] It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning in the world.
[48] It has been declared by
UNESCO as one of the seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.
[49] Among other structures, large
reservoirs, important for conserving water in a climate with rainy and dry seasons, and elaborate
aqueducts, some with a slope as finely calibrated as one inch to the mile, are most notable. Biso Kotuwa, a peculiar construction inside a
dam, is a technological marvel based on precise
mathematics that allows water to flow outside the dam, keeping pressure on the dam to a minimum.
[50] Ancient Sri Lanka was the first country in the world to establish a dedicated hospital, in
Mihintale in the 4th century.
[51] It was also the leading exporter of
cinnamon in the ancient world. It maintained close ties with European civilisations including the
Roman Empire. For example, King Bhatikabhaya (22 BC—AD 7) sent an envoy to Rome who brought back red
coral which was used to make an elaborate netlike adornment for the
Ruwanwelisaya. In addition, Sri Lankan male dancers witnessed the assassination of Caligula. When Queen Cleopatra sent her son
Caesarion into hiding, he was headed to Sri Lanka.
[52][53] Bhikkhuni Devasāra and ten other fully ordained bhikkhunis from Sri Lanka went to China and established the bhikkhuni sāsana there in AD 429.
[54]
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