A bit About The History Of Sri Lanka

A bit about Sri Lanka

 

The per-historic era of Ceylon is mythical and legendary, and yet there can be a few countries in the world having such a long and continuous history and civilization. The journey towards civilization was a long process and it has taken thousands of years. The earliest stage is known as the stone age because only stone implements were used by the ancient man.

Vijaya Legend

Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa two of the oldest chronicles in Sri Lanka mention the coming of Vijaya. Vijaya was the son of king Sinhabahu who reigned from Sinhapura in the country of Latha and was the heir to the throne in India. But Vijaya got into bad company and became a gang leader who looted and plundered the people. They complained to the king about the misdeeds of his son. But still Vijaya was incorrigible and there was no end to the suffering of the people at his hands and finally they demanded that prince Vijaya be executed. The king arrested Vijaya and his seven hundred gangsters, had their heads half shaven, put them on board a ship and deported. Then they eventually landed in Lanka. Here they were so happy and they grasped the earth with their hands which became red by contact with the soil. They therefore named the place Thambapanni (copper-colored hand). This name later extended to the district and to the whole island. It is said that lord Buddha saw that Vijaya would make this land habitable and that Buddhism would flourish here in future. Lord Buddha requested Indra the king of Gods to protect Vijaya and his followeres. Vijaya had the opportunity of meeting a pretty young woman named Kuweni of the Yaksha tribe and took her as his wife. According to legend Kuweni was the daughter of king Bamba and with her help Vijya was able to kill the Yaksha ruler of the region along with his people and become the king. He established his kingdom in Thammanna. Kuweni bore him two children. A son and a daughter. Still Vijaya did not go through his coronation ceremony for he insisted that he should have a royal princess from India. Vijaya was able to marry a princess from India and Kuweni was banished along with her two children. The children grew up and established the hunter gatherer community in Sri Lanka. Thus began the origin of the Sinhalese people.

Sigiriya

Sigiriya

 

Sigiriya, one of the must visit attractions in Sri Lanka was the creation of king Kashyapa I, who apparently killed his father for he refused to give the treasures due to him. According to legend Kashyapa built Sigiriya as a fortress because he was afraid that his brother Mugalan would avenge the killing of their father. Sigiriya is one of the best preserved examples of urban planning in a single phase construction of South Asia. Its royal complex or the citadel extended for 3Km in breadth. It is open to debate whether Sigiriya was built as a fortress against an impending attack from Kashayapa's brother Mugalan. He moved his capital from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya and the designing of the rock abode and the city bears eloquent evidence to the fact that it was more than just a fortress built for his security and defense. After king Kashyapa, Sigiriya was abandoned by the Sinhalesa kings and they reverted the capital to Anuradhapura. The Sigiriya coplex was donated to the Buddhist monks for their habitation. But apparently even the monks did not have any love for the place and abandoned it after sometime. Nevertheless people from all walks of life visited Sigiriya from the seventh to twelfth century to view its marvels and its beautiful paintings and some wrote verses on the mirror wall on the western side of the rock. These frescoes and graffiti of Sigiriya are world famous. This poetry not only suggests that the literacy rate in the country at that time was advanced but also points to a well organized administration to supervise Sigiriya even after it was abandoned.

The Origin Of The Tamil Community In Sri Lanka

The Origin Of The Tamil Community In Sri Lanka

There is little evidence to suggest that there was a separate Tamil kingdom in the North of Sri Lanka till the thirteenth century, though there were Tamil people living in that part of the country. All evidence point to the fact that this area was under the rule of Sinhalese kings up until the time of Parakramabahu the great. In fact the Tamil kingdom came into existence only in the thirteenth century following the the death of king Parakramabahu the great. From then on the north part of the country seemed to have been an independent kingdom under the successors of Magha of Khalinga. Tamil kings reigned from the thirteenth century onwards. The Tamil kingdom originated With Magha of Kalinga. It is established by the fact that the
kings of Jaffna like those of Khalinga's claimed descent from Ganga Vamsa. Their flag like that of Kalinga had on it a recumbent bull with the crescent and the sun. Nevertheless With the coming of the Portuguese the independence of the Jaffna kingdom was to be short lived. They clashed with the Tamil kings over questions of trade and the treatment of their catholic priests. In 1591 the king of Jaffna was defeated by the Portuguese and the Tamil kingdom became a Portuguese fortitude.