Pre-Anuradhapura period

Pre Anuradhapura period
Pre Anuradhapura period
543 BC – 437 BC
	A section of the mural from Ajanta Caves 17, depicting the "coming of Sinhala".
Monarch(s)	House of Vijaya Vijaya; Upatissa (regent); Panduvasdeva; Abhaya; Tissa (regent);
Prehistory of Sri Lanka	Anuradhapura period

The Pre-Anuradhapura period of Sri Lankan history begins with the gradual onset of historical records in the final centuries of the prehistoric period and ending in 437 BC. According to the Mahavamsa, the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka are the Yakshas and northern Naga tribes. Sinhalese history traditionally starts in 543 BC at the arrival of Prince Vijaya, a semi-legendary king who was banished from the Indian subcontinent with his 700 followers and is recorded in the Mahavamsa chronicle. This period was succeeded by the Anuradhapura period.

Overview

Periodization of Sri Lanka's 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
1412–1592	Early Modern Sri Lanka			Kotte	180
1592–1739		Kandyan	223		147
1739–1815		Kandyan	223	Nayakkar	76
1815–1833	Modern Sri Lanka	British Ceylon	133	Post-Kandyan	18	Colonial monarchy
1833–1948	Modern Sri Lanka	British Ceylon	133		115	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

Background

According to several sources, the Naga people were one of the groups that lived in coastal regions of Sri Lanka and Tamil country before the arrival of Aryans in Lanka and Dravidians in Tamil country. Some recorded naga settlements in Sri Lanka were Kelaniya and the modern-day Jaffna peninsula. One of the evidence that can be used to prove that point is the Jaffna peninsula being called Nagadeepa in pali or Nakadiva in early Sinhala. The Naga people probably followed a set of beliefs unique to them just like other indigenous communities worldwide. We can speculate that part of their traditions included the veneration of serpents. And they may have started to follow the teachings in the Vedic scriptures and Buddhism (Probably non-denominational Buddhism that existed before the second buddhist council) after they came into contact with Aryans. They were later integrated into the dominant cultures of the areas where they lived, which were Tamil culture in Tamil country and Sinhala culture in Sri Lanka

Political History

The Kingdom of Tambapanni existed from 543 BC to 505 BC. According to Mahavamsa, the legendary Prince Vijaya and seven hundred of his followers came to Sri Lanka after being expelled from Sinhapura in India. Vijaya is said to have landed on the island on the day of Gautama Buddha's death, although it is suspected that the dates have coincided purposefully during writing.^[1] Before Parinirvana, the Buddha had asked the deities to protect the island because Buddhism will flourish and continue to exist in Sri Lanka. Prince Vijaya established the Kingdom of Tambapanni. He married a local Yakkhini named Kuveni, and their children gave rise to the Pulinda race (identified with the Vedda people). Vijaya also married a princess of the Pandu kingdom (identified with Pandyan kingdom) but did not have any children with her. His followers also married maidens sent by the Pandu king, and their descendants gave rise to the Sinhalese race.^[2]^[3]

Historiography

The Pali chronicles, the Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Thupavamsa^[4] and the Culavamsa as well as a large collection of stone inscriptions,^[5] the Indian Epigraphical records, the Burmese versions of the chronicles etc., provide an exceptional record for the history of Sri Lanka from about the sixth century BC.

The Mahavamsa, written around 400 AD, using the Dipavamsa, the Attakatha and other written sources available, it 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. The account of the Mahavamsa, a Pali text written largely from the Sinhalese perspective, has mythological beginnings but becomes historical from the third 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 third century BC. The earliest historiographic literature, such as the Mahavamsa, dates to the sixth century AD. The entire ancient period of history written in the Mahavamsa 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.

Legacy

Within Sri Lanka, the legend of Vijaya is often treated as a factual account of a historical event. However, multiple scholars consider the legend of dubious historicity. Satchi Ponnambalam called it a "pure flight of fantasy".^[6] According to Gavin Thomas, the narration of historical events in Mahavamsa and its continuation Culavamsa is "at best questionably-biased, and at worst totally imaginary", aimed at establishing the royal lineage of the Sinhalese and the Buddhist credentials of the island.^[7] According to H.W. Codrington, Vijaya is probably a composite character, and the legend is aimed at connecting the early history of Sri Lanka with that of Buddha.^[8]

Monarchs

The House of Vijaya produced four monarchs and two regents who ruled during this period.

#	Name	Era	House	Reign		Duration
#	Name	Era	House	From	To	(years, months, days)
1	Vijaya	Tambapanni	Vijaya	543 BC	505 BC	38 Years
-	Upatissa			505 BC	504 BC	1 Year
2	Panduvasdeva			504 BC	474 BC	30 Years
3	Abhaya			474 BC	454 BC	20 Years
-	Tissa			454 BC	437 BC	17 Years