Anuradhapura period

Anuradhapura period
Anuradhapura period
377 BCE – 1017
	Gilded bronze statue of the Bodhisattva Tara, dated to the 8th century, found in the eastern coast of Sri Lanka
Including	Early Anuradhapura period; Middle Anuradhapura period; Late Anuradhapura period;
Monarch(s)	House of Vijaya; The Five Dravidians; House of Lambakanna I; The Six Dravidians; House of Moriya; House of Lambakanna II;
Pre Anuradhapura period	Polonnaruwa period

The Anuradhapura period was a period in the history of Sri Lanka of the

King of Upatissa Nuwara moved the administration to Anuradhapura

, becoming the kingdom's first monarch. Anuradhapura is heralded as an ancient cosmopolitan citadel with diverse populations.

Overview

Periodization of Sri Lanka history:

Dates	Period	Period	Span (years)	Subperiod	Span (years)	Main government
300,000 BP–~1000 BC	Prehistoric Sri Lanka	Stone Age	–		300,000	Unknown
300,000 BP–~1000 BC		Bronze Age	–		300,000
~1000 BC–543 BC		Iron Age	–		457
543 BC–437 BC	Ancient Sri Lanka	Pre-Anuradhapura	–		106	Monarchy
437 BC–463 AD		Anuradhapura	1454	Early Anuradhapura	900
463–691				Middle Anuradhapura	228
691–1017	Post-classical Sri Lanka			Late Anuradhapura	326
1017–1070		Polonnaruwa	215	Chola conquest	53
1055–1232		Polonnaruwa	215		177
1232–1341		Transitional	365	Dambadeniya	109
1341–1412				Gampola	71
1412–1597	Early Modern Sri Lanka			Kotte	185
1597–1815	Early Modern Sri Lanka	Kandyan	–		218
1815–1948	Modern Sri Lanka	British Ceylon	–		133	Colonial monarchy
1948–1972	Contemporary Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka since 1948	76	Dominion	24	Constitutional monarchy
1972–present	Contemporary Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka since 1948	76	Republic	52	Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic

Political history

Early Anuradhapura period (377 BCE-463 CE)

Vijaya

, he reigned from 437 BC to 367 BCE. According to many historians and philosophers, he is the first truly Sri Lankan king since the Vijayan invasion, and also the king who ended the conflict between the Sinha clan and local community, reorganizing the populace.

Mahavamsa. Dutugemunu is depicted as a Sinhalese "Asoka". The Ruwanwelisaya

, built by this king is a dagaba of pyramid-like proportions. It was an engineering marvel.

tooth relic

of the Buddha.

Kashyapa (477–495), built the famous Sigiriya rock palace. Some 700 rock graffiti give a glimpse of ancient Sinhala

.

Arrival of Buddhism and the sacred tooth relic

Theravada Buddhism

, and for Sri Lanka.

Middle Anuradhapura period (463-691)

Late Anuradhapura period (691-1017)

Lambakanna

Pallava

help. Manavamma introduced Pallava patronage for three centuries. By the 9th century, with the

Ruhuna

, where, in 1017, the Chola took him to prison and he died in India.

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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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. 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.^[1]

Demographics

Arrival of Tamils

Amparai District and one is in Anuradhapura. Mention is made in literary sources of Tamil rulers bringing horses to the island in water craft in the second century BCE, most likely arriving at Kudiramalai. Historical records establish that Tamil kingdoms in modern India were closely involved in the island's affairs from about the 2nd century BCE.^[7]