Related Research Articles
Anuradhapura is a major city located in the north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province and the capital of Anuradhapura District. The city lies 205 kilometers (127 mi) north of the current capital of Colombo in the North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malwathu Oya. The city is now a World Heritage Site famous for its well-preserved ruins of the ancient Sinhalese civilisation.
Mahāvaṃsa is the meticulously kept historical chronicle of Sri Lanka until the period of Mahasena of Anuradhapura. It was written in the style of an epic poem written in the Pali language. It relates the history of Sri Lanka from its legendary beginnings up to the reign of Mahasena of Anuradhapura covering the period between the arrival of Prince Vijaya from India in 543 BCE to his reign and later updated by different writers. It was first composed by a Buddhist monk named Mahanama at the Mahavihara temple in Anuradhapura in the 5th or 6th-century CE.
Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa, also known as Devanape Tis, was one of the earliest kings of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. According to the traditional chronology, he ruled from 307 BC to 267 BC, but the modified chronology adopted by modern scholars such as Wilhelm Geiger assigns his reign to 247 BC to 207 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great. The primary source for his reign is the Mahavamsa, which in turn is based on the more ancient Dipavamsa.
Thuparamaya is the earliest documented Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. Its building dates to the arrival of Mahinda Thera (Mahindagamanaya) and the introduction of Buddhism to the island.
The Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Buddhist temple in Tissamaharama, Southern Province of Sri Lanka. It was one of the four major Buddhist monasteries established in Sri Lanka, after the arrival of Arhant Mahinda Thera to the country. Tissamaharama monastery had been recognized as a pre-eminent Buddhist educational center of the southern Sri Lanka from the 3rd century B.C. to the 11th century A.D. The Tissamaharama Dagoba which is situated in the premises of the monastery is one of the largest stupas in Sri Lanka. The present chief incumbent of Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara is Ven. Devalegama Dhammasena Nayaka Thera.
Stupas, also called dagebas and cetiyas, are considered an outstanding type of architectural creation of ancient Sri Lanka. Under the influence of Buddhism, there were several changes in the field of architecture in Sri Lanka. The stupa commands a prominent place among these changes. The Stupa is also known by synonymous names such as Chaithya, Dagaba, Thupa, Seya and Vehera. Stupas designed and constructed in Sri Lanka are the largest brick structures known to the pre-modern world.
The Anuradhapura kingdom, named for its capital city, was the second established kingdom of ancient Sri Lanka. According to the Mahāvaṃsa, it was founded by King Pandukabhaya in 437 BC, whose authority extended throughout the country.
Sri Dalada Maligawa, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the Royal Palace Complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. The relic was historically held by Sinhalese kings. The temple of the tooth is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple and the relic.
The Anuradhapura period was a period in the history of Sri Lanka of the Anuradhapura Kingdom from 377 BCE to 1017 CE. The period begins when Pandukabhaya, King of Upatissa Nuwara moved the administration to Anuradhapura, becoming the kingdom's first monarch. Anuradhapura is heralded as an ancient cosmopolitan citadel with diverse populations.
Mahanama was King of Anuradhapura in the 5th century, whose reign lasted from 412 to 434. He succeeded his brother Upatissa I as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his son Soththisena.
Aggabodhi I was King of Anuradhapura in the 6th century, whose reign lasted from 564 to 598. He succeeded his cousin Maha Naga as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his nephew Aggabodhi II.
Aggabodhi III was King of Anuradhapura in the 7th century, whose reign lasted the year 623 and from 624 to 640. He succeeded his father Silameghavanna as King of Anuradhapura.
Jettha Tissa III was King of Anuradhapura in the 7th century, whose reign lasted from 623 to 624. He succeeded Aggabodhi III by a successful rebellion. He had sent his general Datasiva to the western part of the country to lay waste. The general was defeated by King Aggabodhi's sub-king Mana. Prince Jetta Tissa however withstood the King's forces and defeated him.
Kassapa III was King of Anuradhapura in the 8th century, whose reign lasted from 732 to 738. He succeeded his brother Aggabodhi V as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his younger brother Mahinda I.
Mahinda I, known colloquially as Midel, was King of Anuradhapura in the 8th century, whose reign lasted from 738 to 741. He succeeded his brother Kassapa III as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his nephew Aggabodhi VI.
Aggabodhi VII was King of Anuradhapura in the 8th century, whose reign lasted from 781 to 787. He succeeded his cousin Aggabodhi VI as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by Mahinda II. His father was King Mahinda I.
Mahinda II was King of Anuradhapura in the 9th century, whose reign lasted from 787 to 807. He succeeded Aggabodhi VII as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his son Dappula II. His father was King Aggabodhi VI.
Mahinda III was King of Anuradhapura in the 9th century, whose reign lasted from 812 to 816. He succeeded his father Dappula II as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his brother Aggabodhi VIII.
Aggabodhi VIII was King of Anuradhapura in the 9th century, whose reign lasted from 816 to 827. He succeeded his brother Mahinda III as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his brother Dappula III.
References
- ↑ Obeyesekere, Donald (1911). Outlines of Ceylon history. Colombo, Ceylon : The Times of Ceylon. pp. 109.
