Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
jaya the crown, joined him in slaying her own people and had two children with him be-
fore he kicked her out and ordered a princess - and wives for his men - from South India's
Tamil Pandya kingdom. (That, by this account, the forefathers of the Sinhalese race all
married Tamils is overlooked by most Sri Lankans.) His rule formed the basis of the
Anuradhapura kingdom, which developed there in the 4th century BC.
The Anuradhapura kingdom covered the island in the 2nd century BC, but it frequently
fought, and coexisted with, other dynasties on the island over the centuries, especially the
Tamil Cholas. The boundaries between Anuradhapura and various South Indian kingdoms
were frequently shifting, and Anuradhapura was also involved in conflicts in South India.
A number of Sinhalese warriors arose to repel South Indian kingdoms, including Vijaya-
bahu I (11th century AD), who finally abandoned Anuradhapura and made Polonnaruwa,
further southeast, his capital.
For centuries the kingdom was able to rebuild after its battles through rajakariya
,
the
system of free labour for the king. This free labour provided the resources to restore build-
ings, tanks and irrigation systems and to develop agriculture. The system was not banished
from the island until 1832, when the British passed laws banning slavery.
Veddah Place Names
Gal Oya National Park
Nanu Oya
Kelaniya Ganga
Early Anuradhapura Highlights
Mannar
Mihintale
Sri Maha Bodhi
The tooth relic
The Buddha's Teaching Arrives
Buddhism arrived from India in the 3rd century BC, transforming Anuradhapura and pos-
sibly creating what is now known as Sinhalese culture. Today the mountain at Mihintale
marks the spot where King Devanampiya Tissa is said to have first received the Buddha's
