History of Sri Lanka

The history of Sri Lanka covers Sri Lanka and its surrounding regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Prehistoric Sri Lanka goes back 125,000 years. The earliest humans found in Sri Lanka lived there about 35,000 years ago. Little is known about the history before the Indo-Aryan Settlement in the 6th century BC. The earliest documents about the island's early history are found in the national chronicles of the Mahāvamsa, Dipavamsa, and the Culavamsa.

According to the Mahāvamsa, a chronicle written in Pāḷi, the people who lived in Sri Lanka before were called Yakkhas and Nagas. Sinhalese history begins in 543 BC with the arrival of Prince Vijaya, a prince who sailed to the island with 700 followers. He started the Sinhala Kingdom. During the Anuradhapura period (377 BCE–1017) Buddhism came to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE by Mahinda, the son of Indian emperor Ashoka.

Geographical background

See also: Geography of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal. It sits on the Indian Plate, a large piece of Earth's surface that moves. The island is separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.

Sri Lanka has many rivers, with the longest being the Mahaweli River. The island also has tall waterfalls, the tallest being Bambarakanda Falls. Sri Lanka’s coastline is long and includes many types of marine life, such as coral reefs and seagrasses. The island is rich in minerals and plants, and it is home to many unique animals, including Asian elephants and purple-faced langur. Forests cover much of the land.

Overview

The history of Sri Lanka is very long, going back a very long time—up to 125,000 years ago! Some of the earliest humans known to live there were around about 35,000 years ago. Sri Lanka's story includes many important events from prehistoric times through today.

Prehistoric Sri Lanka

Main article: Prehistory of Sri Lanka

The history of Sri Lanka begins over 125,000 years ago. During ancient times called the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and early Iron Ages, people lived in places like Pahiyangala, Batadombalena, and Belilena. These early humans, known as Balangoda Man, lived in caves and may have started farming.

Sri Lanka is mentioned in old stories from India, like the Ramayana. It talks about a place named Lanka. The first big settlements, like Anuradhapura, began around 1000 BCE. The Vedda people, who still live in parts of Sri Lanka today, may be related to these earliest inhabitants. They built big water reservoirs. Early ideas of Buddhism may have also started during this time.

Pre-Anuradhapura period (543–377 BCE)

Main article: Early kingdoms period

Main article: Prince Vijaya

Old stories and records from the 6th century BCE tell us about early Sri Lanka. Important books like the Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Thupavamsa, and the Chulavamsa, along with stone writings, help us learn about this time.

The Mahavamsa, written by a monk named Mahanama around 400 CE, matches up with histories from India. It talks about Emperor Ashoka. The story of a man named Vijaya and his followers is where real history seems to start. Vijaya was said to be a prince from India. According to these tales, Vijaya arrived in Sri Lanka and named the island Tambaparni, meaning "copper-colored sand."

The river called Tamirabharani, now known as Malwatu Oya in Sinhala and Aruvi Aru in Tamil, was very important. It connected the capital city, Anuradhapura, to a port and was used by ships from faraway places.

Anuradhapura period (377 BCE–1017)

Main articles: Anuradhapura period and Anuradhapura Kingdom

In the early days of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, people lived near rivers in the east, north central, and north east where water was available for farming. The king ruled the land, made laws, led the army, and protected people’s beliefs. Devanampiya Tissa (250–210 BCE) was a Sinhalese king who was a friend of the King of the Maurya clan. Because of his friendship with Emperor Asoka, Buddhism came to Sri Lanka by Mahinda around 247 BCE. Sangamitta, Mahinda’s sister, brought a Bodhi sapling through Jambukola, west of Kankasanturai. This king’s rule was very important for Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Ellalan (205–161 BCE) was a Tamil king who ruled the northern part of Sri Lanka after defeating King Asela. During Ellalan’s time, Kelani Tissa was a lesser king in the south-west, and Kavan Tissa was a lesser king in the south-east. Kavan Tissa built Tissa Maha Vihara, Dighavapi Tank, and many shrines in Seruvila. Dutugemunu (161–137 BCE), the eldest son of King Kavan Tissa, defeated a South Indian Tamil invader named Elara when he was 25 years old. The Ruwanwelisaya, built by Dutugemunu, is a large pyramid-shaped structure and was considered a wonderful engineering feat.

There was strong trade between the Roman people and the ancient Tamil country (present day Southern India) and Sri Lanka. Trading settlements were created and lasted long after the Western Roman Empire ended.

It is said that in the first century AD, Saint Thomas the Apostle brought Christianity, Sri Lanka’s first religion that focused on one god, to the island.

During the time of Mahasena (274–301), some problems happened with the Theravada branch of Buddhism, and the Mahayanan branch appeared. Later, the king went back to the Maha Vihara. Dhatusena (459–477) and his son Kashyapa (477–495) built the famous Sigiriya rock palace.

Main article: Chola occupation of Anuradhapura

In 993, a large army from the Chola Empire led by Raja Raja Chola conquered the Anuradhapura Kingdom in the north and made it part of the Chola empire. Later, the whole island became part of the Chola empire during the rule of Rajendra Chola.

Polonnaruwa period (1056–1232)

Main articles: Polonnaruwa period and Kingdom of Polonnaruwa

The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was an important kingdom in Sri Lanka. It began in 1055 under Vijayabahu I and lasted until 1212 when Lilavati ruled. This kingdom started after the Anuradhapura Kingdom was taken over by forces from Chola under Rajaraja I.

Later, Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan I came from India and took control of parts of Sri Lanka. He defeated a ruler named Chandrabanu in the north. But Chandrabanu grew stronger and tried to take back the land. He was stopped by Veera Pandyan I, the brother of Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan I. Finally, the Pandyan Dynasty invaded again and set up the Jaffna kingdom in the north.

Transitional period (1232–1505)

Jaffna Kingdom

Main article: Jaffna kingdom

The Jaffna Kingdom, also called the Aryacakravarti dynasty, was a kingdom in the north. It was centered around the Jaffna Peninsula. In 1247, people from the Tambralinga kingdom, which was part of the larger Srivijaya Empire, tried to take over Sri Lanka. They were stopped by a group from South India called the Pandyan Dynasty. This brought new people from Sumatrans (Indonesia) and Lucoes (Philippines) to live in Sri Lanka.

Kingdom of Dambadeniya

Main article: Kingdom of Dambadeniya

King Vijayabahu III fought a ruler named Kalinga Magha and made his kingdom in Dambadeniya. After King Vijayabahu III passed away, his son King Parakramabahu the II became king. He fought and defeated Kalinga Magha after 40 years and built a temple for a special religious relic in Dambadeniya.

Kingdom Of Yapahuwa

Main article: Yapahuwa

After King Parakramabahu II died, his son became king. But he was killed because of a secret plan in the royal palace. Then his brother, King Buwanekabahu I, became king and made Yapahuwa his new kingdom. He built a palace and fortress there in 1273. After King Buwanekabahu I died in 1284, people from South India called the Pandyans invaded again and took a very important religious relic. After that, Yapahuwa was mostly left empty and became a place for Buddhist monks and holy people.

Kingdom of Gampola

Main article: Kingdom of Gampola

King Buwanekabahu IV, who was said to be the son of Sawulu Vijayabahu, set up the Kingdom of Gampola. During this time, a traveler named Ibn Battuta visited Sri Lanka and wrote a book about it. Important buildings from this time include the Gadaladeniya Viharaya and the Lankatilaka Viharaya.

Kingdom of Kotte

Main article: Kingdom of Kotte

After winning a battle, Parakramabahu VI sent a leader named Alagakkonar to organize the new kingdom of Kotte.

Kingdom of Sitawaka

Main article: Kingdom of Sitawaka

The Kingdom of Sitawaka existed for a short time when the Portuguese came to the area.

Vannimai

Main article: Vanni Nadu

Vannimai, also called Vanni Nadu, were areas ruled by Vanniar chiefs south of the Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka. In 1802, a leader named Pandara Vanniyan joined forces with the Kandy Nayakars to fight against British and Dutch rulers. He freed Mullaitivu and other northern areas from Dutch control. However, in 1803, he was defeated by the British, and the Vanni area came under British rule.

Crisis of the Sixteenth Century (1505–1594)

Portuguese intervention

Main articles: Portuguese Ceylon and Sinhalese–Portuguese War

In the 1500s, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to come to Sri Lanka. They arrived in 1505 and found the island divided into seven kingdoms that were fighting each other. The Portuguese built a fort in the port city of Colombo in 1517 and slowly took over the coastal areas. By 1592, the Sinhalese people moved their capital to the safer inland city of Kandy. Fighting between the Portuguese and the local kingdoms continued throughout the 16th century.

Many people in the lowlands changed their beliefs because of the Portuguese missionaries. The coastal Moors had a hard time and moved to the Central highlands. Most people followed Buddhism and did not like Portuguese rule. They hoped someone would come to help them. When a Dutch captain named Joris van Spilbergen arrived in 1602, the king of Kandy asked him for support.

Dutch intervention

Main article: Dutch Ceylon

The king of Kandy, Rajasinghe II, made an agreement with the Dutch in 1638 to remove the Portuguese from the coastal areas. The Dutch promised to give any land they captured to the king, but they also wanted exclusive trading rights on the island. Both sides did not always follow the agreement. The Dutch took Colombo in 1656 and the last Portuguese areas near Jaffnapatnam in 1658. By 1660, the Dutch controlled all the coastal areas, but the kingdom of Kandy remained independent. The Dutch were harder on taxes and treated some groups differently, but they mostly left Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims alone.

Kandyan period (1594–1815)

Main article: Kingdom of Kandy

After the Portuguese invaded, a leader named Konappu Bandara, also known as King Vimaladharmasuriya, won a battle and became the first king of the Kingdom of Kandy. He built a special temple called The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic to honor important traditions. The kingdom ended many years later when its last king, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, passed away in 1832.

Colonial Sri Lanka (1815–1948)

Main article: British Ceylon

During the Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain took control of parts of Sri Lanka in 1796. By 1802, Britain controlled more of the island, making it a crown colony. In 1815, the British took over the Kingdom of Kandy, ending Sri Lanka’s independence.

The British grew coffee, tea, and rubber in Sri Lanka’s highlands. Ceylon tea became popular in Britain, making some European planters wealthy. They brought in workers from south India, called Tamils, who became part of the island’s people.

The British helped some groups, like certain Sinhalese and Tamils, and started ideas of self-government in 1833. By 1931, everyone could vote, even though not all leaders liked this.

Independence movement

Main article: Sri Lankan independence movement

Groups wanted more freedom from British rule. Some wanted change slowly, while others wanted full independence faster. Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru from India inspired many. Over time, discussions led to plans for a new government.

The Second World War

Main article: Ceylon in World War II

During World War II, Sri Lanka was important to Britain as a base against Japan. The Japanese bombed Colombo in 1942. Despite this, many continued to work for independence.

Independence

The leader Don Stephen Senanayake formed the United National Party in 1946, aiming for independence. In 1947 elections, his party won and formed a government. This included leaders from both Sinhalese and Tamil groups, balancing different hopes for the new nation.

Sri Lanka (1948–present)

Sri Lanka became independent in 1948. At first, it was called the Dominion of Ceylon and had military agreements with Britain. The first Prime Minister was D. S. Senanayake.

In 1956, Sinhala became the main language, which made some people feel left out. There were also conflicts between different groups.

In 1971, a group called the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna tried to take over but were stopped by the government. In 1972, Sri Lanka became a republic. In 1978, the government changed to a presidential system. There were many challenges, including ethnic tensions.

In 1983, riots broke out after an attack on soldiers. Many homes were destroyed and people had to leave the country.

In 2005, Mahinda Rajapaksa became president. Fighting continued until 2009 when the government ended a long conflict. Sadly, many people died during this time.

In 2019, several bombings happened on Easter Sunday, targeting churches and hotels. Many people were killed and injured.

In 2022, protests grew because of economic problems, and the president left the country. In 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake became president after elections.