Timeline of Sri Lankan history

Last updated December 29, 2023

This is a timeline of Sri Lankan history, comprising important & territorial changes and political & economic events in Sri Lanka and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Sri Lanka.

Pre-history

Pre 90th century BC

Year	Date	Events
300,000 - 500,000 BP		First human settlements in Sri Lanka^[1]

Pre 6th century BC

Year	Date	Events
543 BC - 437 BC		Arrival of Prince Vijaya and establishment of Pre-Anuradhapura.

6th century BC - 1st century AD

1st century AD - 11th century AD

11th century AD - 13th century AD


Year	Date	Event
1017		Chola conquest and occupation of Anuradhapura: The Cholas under Rajendra I attack and conquer Sri Lanka.
1029		Chola conquest and occupation of Anuradhapura: Mahinda V, the last king of Anuradhapura, dies in Chola captivity.
1029-1041		Vikramabahu, the son of Mahinda V, launches a resistance movement against the Chola rule in Sri Lanka, but suddenly dies after contracting a disease in Rohana.
1049		A Sinhalese chieftain named Lokeshwara, temporarily defeats the Chola forces and establishes a military base in Ruhuna.
1054		Keshadhatu Kasyapa, a pretender to the Sinhalese throne, establishes a dominion in Eastern Ruhuna after driving away Chola forces, which would last until 1055.
1055		A fifteen-year-old prince named Kitti, belonging to a royal bloodline, annexes the domains of Lokeshwara and Keshadathu Kasyapa, uniting Ruhuna under his rule. Cholas are further pushed back from the South.
1070		Prince Kitti, who was given the title Vijayabahu, launches a seventeen-year campaign and successfully drives out the Cholas from Sri Lanka.
1070		Vijayabahu is crowned as the first king of Polonnaruwa.
1084		Velakkara Revolt: Tamil mercenaries named Velakkaras, mutiny against king Vijayabahu as he declared war with the Chola Empire due to arresting a group of Sinhalese ambassadors sent to Western Chalukya.
1110		Vijayabahu I dies at the age of 71, and the instalment of Jayabahu I as his successor without passing the throne to Vijayabahu's son Vikramabahu I causes a power struggle between the two rulers.

19th century AD

Year	Date	Event
1803		First Kandyan War : British forces attack the Kingdom of Kandy after the King's Adigar Pilimatalawe defected.
1815	2 March	Kandyan Convention : The Kingdom of Kandy is ceded to the British in an agreement signed between British Governor Sir Robert Brownrigg and the Kandyan chiefs.
1817		Great Rebellion of 1817–1818 : The Kandyans rebel against British rule.
1833		Colebrooke–Cameron Commission : Legal and economic reforms proposed, first manifestation of constitutional government. Legislative Council of Ceylon established.
1848		Matale rebellion : Peasant revolt against imposition of taxes.
1864		Rāmañña Nikāya established.

20th century AD

Year	Date	Event
1915		1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots
1931		Donoughmore Commission : Established universal franchise in Ceylon, and the State Council of Ceylon was elected.
1948	4 February	Independence is gained as the Dominion of Ceylon.
1958		1958 anti-Tamil pogrom
1971		1971 JVP insurrection : Marxist insurrection conducted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna against the government of Sri Lanka.
1972		Sri Lanka becomes a republic, and country's name Ceylon was changes to Sri Lanka
1983	24–30 July	Black July by the government and Sinhalese mobs; Beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War
1987	29 July	Signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2004	26 December	2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami hits Sri Lanka causing over 35,000 deaths
2009	May	Massacre of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan Armed Forces and LTTE
2009	19 May	Death of Velupillai Prabhakaran; End of the Sri Lankan Civil War
2019	April 21	Bombing of several churches and hotels by Islamic militants causing 269 deaths
2019		Beginning of the Sri Lankan economic crisis (2019–present)
2022	March–November	Protests erupt against the government's mishandling of the economic crisis

Notes

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References

↑ Deraniyagala, Siran U. "Pre and Protohistoric settlement in Sri Lanka". International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences. XIII U. I. S. P. P. Congress Proceedings- Forli, 8–14 September 1996. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

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[pps-1] Deraniyagala, Siran U. "Pre and Protohistoric settlement in Sri Lanka". International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences. XIII U. I. S. P. P. Congress Proceedings- Forli, 8–14 September 1996. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

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