History

King Pandukabhaya, the founder and first ruler of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, fixed village boundaries in the country and established an administration system by appointing village headmen. He constructed houses for the poor, hermitages, and cemeteries in addition to starting the construction of irrigation tanks. He brought a large portion of the country under the control of the Anuradhapura Kingdom. However, it was not until the reign of Dutthagamani that the whole country was unified under the Anuradhapura Kingdom. He defeated 32 rulers in different parts of the country before he killed Elara, the South Indian ruler who was occupying Anuradhapura, and ascended to the throne The chronicle Mahavamsa describes his reign with much praise, and devotes 11 chapters out of 37 for his reign. He is described as both a warrior king and a devout Buddhist. After unifying the country, he helped establish Buddhism on a firm and secure base, and built several monasteries and shrines including the Ruwanweli Seya^] and Lovamahapaya. Another notable king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom is Valagamba (Vatthagamani Abhaya), who was overthrown by five invaders from South India. He regained his throne after defeating these invaders one by one and unified the country again under his rule. Saddha Tissa, Mahaculi Mahatissa, Vasabha, Gajabahu I, Dhatusena, Aggabodhi I and Aggabodhi II were among the rulers who held sway over the entire country after Dutthagamani and Valagamba. Rulers from Kutakanna Tissa to Amandagamani also managed to keep the whole country under the rule of the Anuradhapura Kingdom. Other rulers could not maintain their rule over the whole island, and independent regions often existed in Ruhuna and Malayarata (hill country) for limited periods. During the final years of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, rebellions sprang up and the authority of the kings gradually declined. By the time of Mahinda V, the last king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, the rule of the king had become so weak that he could not even properly organize the collection of taxes. During the times of Vasabha, Mahasena and Dhatusena, the construction of large irrigation tan Mahasen constructed 16 tanks and a large canal, and Dhatusena built 18 tanks Most of the other kings have also built irrigation tanks throughout Rajarata, the area around Anuradhapura. By the end of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, a large and intricate irrigation network was available throughout Rajarata to support the agriculture of the country.

Arrival of Buddhism

One of the most notable events during the Anuradhapura Kingdom was the introduction of Buddhism to the country. A strong alliance and friendship existed between Devanampiya Tissa and Ashoka of India, resulting in Arahat Mahinda, accompanied by four monks and a novice, being sent to Sri Lanka by Ashoka. They encountered Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale. After this meeting, Devanampiya Tissa embraced Buddhism the order of monks was established in the country. Devanampiya Tissa, guided by Arahat Mahinda, took steps to firmly establish Buddhism in the countrySoon afterwards, the theri Sanghamitta arrived from India in order to establish the Bhikkhuni sasana (order of nuns) in the country. She brought along with her a sapling from the Sri Maha Bodhi, which was planted in Anuradhapura. Devanampiya Tissa bestowed on his kingdom the newly planted Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi

Arrival of the Sacred Tooth Relic

During the reign of Kithsirimevan, Sudatta, the sub king of Kalinga, and Hemamala brought the Tooth Relic of the Buddha to Sri Lanka because of unrest in their country. Kithsirimevan placed the relic in a mansion called the datadhatughara and carried it in procession. He ordered this procession to be held annually, and this is still done as a tradition in the country. The Tooth Relic of the Buddha was one of the most sacred objects in the country, and it became a symbol of kingship. The person who was in possession of the Tooth Relic would be the rightful ruler of the country. Therefore it was often enshrined within the royal palace itself

nvasions

Several invasions have been made against the Anuradhapura Kingdom, all of which were launched from South India. The first invasion recorded in the history of the country is during the reign of Suratissa, where he was overthrown by two horse dealers from South India named Sena and Guththika. After ruling the country for 22 years, they were defeated by Asela, who was in turn overthrown by another invasion led by a Chola prince named Elara. Elara ruled for 44 years before being defeated by Dutthagamani However, the Mahavamsa records that these foreign kings ruled the country fairly and lawfully.^[ The country was invaded again in 103 BC by five Dravidian chiefs, Pilahattha, Bahiya, Panayamara, Piliyamara and Dathika, who ruled until 89 BC when they were defeated by Valagamba. Another invasion occurred in 433, and the country fell under the control of six rulers from South India. These were Pandu, Parinda, Khudda Parinda, Tiritara, Dathiya and Pithiya, who were defeated by Dhathusena who regained power in 459. More invasions and raids from South India occurred during the reigns of Sena Iand Udaya III. The final invasion during the Anuradhapura Kingdom, which ended the kingdom and left the country under the rule of the Cholas, took place during the reign of Mahinda V.

However, none of these invaders could extend their rule to Ruhuna, the southern part of the country, and Sri Lankan rulers and their heirs always organized their armies from this area and managed to regain their throne. Throughout the history of Sri Lanka, Ruh

End of the kingdom

In 993, the Chola Emperor Rajaraja I invaded Sri Lanka, forcing the then Sri Lankan ruler Mahinda V to flee to the southern part of the country The Mahavamsa describes the rule of Mahinda V as weak, and the country was suffering from poverty by this time. It further mentions that his army rose against him due to lack of wages. Taking advantage of this situation, Rajendra I son of Rajaraja I, launched a large invasion in 1017. Mahinda V was captured and taken to India, and the Cholas sacked the city of Anuradhapura. They moved the capital to Polonnaruwa and subsequent Sri Lankan rulers who came into power after the Chola reign continued to use Polonnaruwa as the capital, thus ending the Anuradhapura Kingdom