Rajarata
Rajarata (Sinhala: රජරට, romanized: rajaraṭa (IPA: [rad͡ʒəraʈə]); Tamil: ரஜரட, romanized: rajaraṭa; meaning "King's country") was one of three historical regions of the island of Sri Lanka for about 1,700 years from the 6th century BCE to the early 13th century CE.[1] Several ancient cities, including Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, were established as capitals within the area by successive rulers.[2] Rajarata was under the direct administration of the King (raja/king, rata/country). Two other areas, Mayarata and Ruhunurata, were ruled by the king's brothers "Mapa" and "Epa"[citation needed] . The Magha invasion in the 13th century brought about the end of the Rajarata kingdom.[3][4]
History and kingdoms
The first kingdom in Rajarata was established by Prince Vijaya in 543 BCE.[5] He settled near the delta of the Malvathu River between Chilaw and Mannar. According o a local myth, Prince Vijaya married a local princess, Kuveni, to gain control of Rajarata. With her help, he betrayed and killed all of the regional leaders.[6] After his death, the administrative center was moved to the countryside along the Malvathu Oya. The river was ideal for agriculture. The first three administrative centres Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara, and Anuradhapura, were situated close to the Malvathu Oya. King
Administrative centres in Rajarata:
- Tambapanni - Prince Vijaya - Founded in 543 BCE[5]
- Upatissa in 505 BCE[8]
- Pandukabhaya in 377 BCE[citation needed]
- Sigiriya - Built by King Kashyapa (477 – 495 CE), but after the death of the king center moved to Anuradhapura[citation needed]
- Vijayabahu I[citation needed]
Settlements
Prince Vijaya and his clan settled in Tambapanni, near the Malvatu Oya delta. According to
Initial settlements based near rivers:[citation needed]
- Malvathu oya - Anuradhapura, Upatissa nuwara, Tambapanni[citation needed]
- Mahaweli river - Pollonnaruwa[citation needed]
- Deduru oya - Sigiriya, Yapahuwa[citation needed]
Boundaries
Boundaries of the three divisions (Rata):[11]
- Raja rata - Area between Deduru oya and the Mahaweli river
- Ruhunu rata - Area between the Mahaweli river and Kalu gaga
- Malaya rata - Area between Deduru oya and Kalu gaga
Fall of Rajarata
In 1215,
The Sinhalese tried to re-establish the administrative centre in Rajarata but this never happened because of constant battles with invaders from south India. The administration centre was moved away from Rajarata by the Sinhalese. The defeat of
It leads to following events:
- Military rulers "Aryacakravarti" - who was appointed as minister of Pandyan empire - made the Jaffna administrative center independent from Pandyans and established the Arya Chakrawarthidynasty.
- The Tamil lost power in the Vanni and they withdrew from Vanni to the Jaffna Peninsula.[14] The population was very low in this area until the British started the Tamil Colonization south to Parantan.
- Area below Vanni forest stabilized under Sinhala Kingdom
Also, ancient Rajarata (before the 13th century) was divided into three parts:[citation needed]
- Arya Chakrawarthi dynasty.[citation needed]
- Rajarata - Area below the Vanni. This area was ruled by the Sinhalese kingdoms.[citation needed]
- Vanni Area - Area which covers the Jaffna Kingdom[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ "A series by Gaveshaka in association with Studio Times". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ "Funday Times".
- ^ The Island
- ^ Padaviya: the Eastern Capital of the Rajarata Kingdom Archived 2012-11-28 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Sunday Times
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ A tale of two nation
- ^ The Mahávansi, the Rájá-ratnácari, and the Rájá-vali. Parbury, Allen, and Co. 1833.
- ^ Yoda Wewa - Mannar District amazinglanka.com
- ^ The Sri Lanka Reader History, Culture, Politics by John Clifford Holt, Robin Kirk, Orin Starn page 55
- ^ Short History of Ceylon By Humphrey William Codrington page 2
- ^ A history of Sri Lanka by K. M. De Silva Page 82
- ^ The History of Sri Lanka By Patrick Peebles page 31
- ^ A History of Sri Lanka K.M. De Silva, p. 64.