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Sinhalese History
Sri Lanka shane tours (tel 0094771314136 / email -
chefaravinda@gmail.com) presents you with the opportunity to visit
historical & cultural sites of the Sinhalese. During Sri Lanka
shane tours, while you tour ancient kingdoms with its rainwater
reservoirs, temples & stupas it would be of value for you to have
a printed copy of this web page titled Sinhalese History.
Pre-history of Sri Lanka , Garden of Eden & Adam's Bridge of Sri
Lanka, Recorded History of Sri Lanka, Modern History of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a wondrous land whose history runs into 2550 years & legends runs into Adam' Bridge and Adam's Peak.
In
spite of the origin of the Sinhalese & Indian influence on the new
born race with respect of Buddhism, culture, art & historical
connections adverse as well as favourable, island of Sri Lanka has never
been a part of India. Neither historically nor geographically was
the Island ever conquered, except in the narration of mythological
epic Ramayana. The conqueror therein Lord Rama, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu himself, who secured his abducted consort Sita, returned the kingdom of Lanka (of the tribes "Yaksha", "Deva" & "Naga") to righteous Prince Vibishana, brother of the defeated "Yaksha tribe" king of Lanka, Ravana.
While
transiting from mythology to history, it is interesting to note a
quote attributed to a Chola Prince who arrived in Sri Lanka. "Hail
Prosperity in the year Sanbhu Puspa (i.e One thousand One Hundred &
Forty Five) of the Saka Era, when the Sun was in the mansion of Aries,
Hasta being the constellation (in conjugation with the moon) & the
point of the ecliptic at the horizon (lagna) being Aries, the
illustrious Codagama deva having arrived in the unconquerable Lanka,
the forehead ornament of earth to the Lord Siva at Gokarnna
(Trincomalee)". That is a testimony to the belief in the South Indian
kingdoms that despite constant invasions of powerful Dravidian
armies Sri Lanka could not be conquered.
Sri Lanka is
of unbroken recorded history of over 2550 years. Historical
chronicles are found in stone inscriptions (sel lipi), leaf writings
(Hela Atuva) & also in great Indian chronicles as Mahabarata and Ramayana. The main historical evidence is the Mahavamsa of Sri Lanka, also including Dipavamsa and Chulavamsa.
In
this chapter some of the main events of the history of India are
indicated for the purpose of in-depth continuity of history of the
island in as well as in an effort to give due credit to "fons et origo"
(the source & origin of) for the heritage of Buddhism & influence of Indian art, architecture & culture of Sri Lanka. Pre-history of Sri Lanka in an Indo-Aryan perspective
125,000 years ago
Palaeolithic human settlements by 125,000 year old people using quartz tools
34,000 years ago
Balangoda people; Mesolithic hunter gatherers lived in caves
28,000 years ago
According
to some expert archaeologists, humans lived in Lanka. Unexcavated
caves belonging to Pahurakanda temple bear evidence to this.
20,000 years ago
Prehistoric
skeletal remains have been unearthed & there are two sites in
Sigiriya, which have continuous sequence for around 20,000 years
according to archaeologist Dr. Senaka Banadaranayake.
Circa 10,000 BC
The
first Stone Age culture emerges in Sri Lanka, & is related to
early settlers in Australia, the Nicobar Islands & Malaysia, etc.
Stone age factory in Bandarwela, Hill country uses fire to shatter
quartz to make tools (microliths).
According to Sir
James Emerson Tennant Galle was the "Tarshish" referred to in the
Bible as the port where ships trading with King Soloman obtained
their Elephants, Peacocks & Gemstones.
Circa 6000 BC Beginnings
of Neolithic settlements-Sumeria, Egypt & Indus Valley Sun dried
brick houses, domestication of cattle, agriculture, and Copper known
Circa 4000 BC
Invention of the potters' wheel
Circa 300O BC
Epic
mythological war of India's Prince Rama, an incarnation of Hindu god
Vishnu against Lankadipa's demon king Ravana; Ram'a quest to save
his abducted wife Sita, from Ravana. Righteous Vibishana, a brother
of King Ravana, takes the side of Lord Rama & wage war against his
brother. Rama conquers Lanka & returns the throne to Vibhishana
& claims no tribute.
Circa 2500 BC
Beginnings of the astronomical observations takes place in India.
Circa 1500 BC
The emergence of Indian Astrology in India- an Ancient Science
Indian
Astrology is considered to be one of the oldest, most accurate and
consistent form of astrology all over the world. It is a natural
cosmic science based on real astronomy. In India, where Astrology is
taken very seriously, it is one of the most important gifts to the
Indian culture. Indian Astrology is generally regarded to be very
predictive in nature and hence, it can help you to face the future in a
better way, evading any misfortunes or obstacles that might be laid
down in your path to success.
The ancient Vedas which
are said to be the oldest religious literature available has
references to this science. "Jyothisha or Astrology" is one of the
limbs of the "Vedas" which date back to 1500 B.C. Hindus were the
original masters who had the thorough knowledge of astronomy and many
rituals and religious rites were related to the position of planets
and their motions.
Long before Keppler, Copernicus, Brahe, Galilio
and other galaxy of astronomers were born, the Hindu sages had
already gained much knowledge on the stellar or planetary universe.
Indian Astrology has been divided into three main branches of study: Siddanta, Samhita & Hora.
Siddantas
are those who devote to astronomical study of celestial bodies
Samhitas deal with mundane astrology, earth quakes, floods, volcanic
eruptions, rainfall, weather conditions economic conditions and effects
of sunspots.The next and the very important branch is the Phalitha
Jyothisha branch which concentrates on the system of predictions. And
this branch has six sub-divisions, namely, Jathaka, Gola, Prasna, Nimitta, Muhurta and Ganitha.
Apart
from these schools of planetary interpretations, Indians have what
they call Nadi system which gives pen pictures of life and destiny
patterns of people born at 12,24,48 seconds intervals. These have been
written on palm leaves. Only very few experts can read and understand
these, but the results and predictions are found to be amazingly
accurate.
Indian Astrology - In a nut-shell
The Indian astrology study consists of 27 constellations, in 12 lunar mansions. The movements of two luminaries Sun
and Moon, five major planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and
Mercury) and the two nodal points of the Moon i.e., Rahu and Ketu
are considered and their positions are marked. The extra Saturnine
planets like Pluto, Neptune and Uranus are not recognized by the
Indian Astrology Above all, Moon is taken as very important planet
for predictions though it is satellite of earth. The Moon, at the
time of birth is found in a particular position or in a particular
star and it will be taken as the star of the person born. This star
will be used for finding out the major and sub-periods of the person
in his life.
Indian Astrology - Utility
To predict the future events.
To match the birth-charts of the couple at the time of marriage for a successful married life.
To provide a Life reading containing issues of a person's personal life.
To find out the Muhurath (best time) to start any auspicious ceremony.
To determine which stars are affecting one's life.
To provide a remedy for your problems.
To determine the right Gemstone to be used to become successful in life.
Circa 1500 BC
Aryan
immigration into India: Indo-Aryans reaches Assyria in the west
& the Punjab in the east. Iron arrives, Vedic age in India,
composition of the Rig Veda. The bearers of the Vedic civilization, as
sometimes called Vedic Aryans or Indo-Aryans were the precursors to
modern Hinduism. The term derives from the Sanskrit word "Arya". Sanskrit language is described as "the language of the Gods".
Sanskrit has unparalleled depth & unique richness among all
languages of the world. Indo-Aryans are the ethno-linguistic
descendants of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranians.
It is also argued that prior to Indo-European language Sanskrit,
there existed a still older language (Proto-Indo-European) from which
all the Indo-European languages descended.
The spread
of Indo-Aryan languages has been connected with the spread of the
chariot in the first half of the second millennium BC. Most of the
languages of the North India belong to a single language family, the
indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European family of the languages. The
languages of South India belong to a different language family, the
Dravidian languages.
Dr. Max Muller's Indo-Aryan theory is contested, albeit unconvincingly, by Dr. David Frawley
with his"Out of India" theory. It is not claimed that India is the
Urheimat (original homeland) of the Indo-Europeans, but rather that
"the Aryans could just as well have been native to India for several
millennia, deriving their Sanskritic language from earlier
Indo-European dialects. According to Frawleys's faulty theory, the
history of Sri Lanka runs another couple of millenniums into the
past. However the recorded & well substantiated history of Sri Lanka begins in 543 BC.
Circa 1000 BC
Aryan expansion, Gangetic plains, composition of the Brahmans
Circa 900-800 BC
Epic Age, creation of Ramayana & Mahabharata
Circa 877 BC
The twenty third tirthankar
(prophet or founder of the path) was born in a royal family at
Varanasi. Having renounced the world at an early age, he practices
austerities & finally attained the Kaivalya or the supreme
knowledge. His teachings in seventy years had tremendous impact on
the society & he is often viewed as the real founder of Jainism.
Tirthankars
are liberated souls who were once in bondage but became free,
perfect, & blissful through their own efforts: they offer
salvation by way of three jewels, i.e. right path, right knowledge &
right conduct, from the ocean of phenomenal existence & the
cycle of rebirths.
Circa 599 BC
The twenty-fourth & the last among the tirthankaras
of the present age, Mahavira was born in the royal family of
Kundalgrama in 599 B.C. He was given the name of Vardhamana because
with his birth the prosperity, fame & merit of his family
increased. From his childhood, Mahavira was inclined to humanize the
society by wiping out the inequality, exploitation, autocracy &
injustice. To begin with, he renounced the world subsequent to 30
years of aristocratic living & went through the life of an
ascetic. He used to starve his body but his soul feasted through
meditation & spiritual advancement, Following 12 years of
austerity he attained Kaivalya or the supreme knowledge under a Sal tree on the banks of Rijupallika river in Giridih. Thereafter, he became a Kevatin or the repository of supreme knowledge, capable of propagating the truth he knew.
Besides
incorporating the principles laid down by Parsvanath, Mahavira
brought in the doctrines of Brahmacharya (total chastity) by preaching
self-purification, he gave a new & firm direction to the faith
propounded by his predecessors.
Among his well known
teachings are Syadvada, the art of appreciating other's point of
view, & Karmavada, importance of self in shaping one's destiny.
Jainism, in the same tradition as that of Buddhism, dismisses the
interference of so called Supreme Being: it recognizes no supreme
deity.
Running against the grain to Hinduism, Jainaism
upholds the cause of an individual whose status in the society is
determined by his labour & not by his birth. It also recognises
that efforts & dedication could bring about perfection. Yet like
its parent sect, Brahmanism, the Jainism admits in practice the
institution of caste & a group of 16 essential rites, called
samskaras, prescribed for the first three varna (castes) of Hindus
& recognizes some of the minor deities of the Hindu pantheon:
nevertheless, Jainism, like Buddhism, is essentially atheistic.
Jainsim
teaches fourteen stages in the evolution of the soul from impurity
to purity or complete liberation. For Jains, the path towards their
goal consists of adhering to three spiritual jewels- right knowledge,
right faith & right conduct.
The most notable
feature of Jain ethics is its insistence on non-injury to all forms
of life. Jainism find that every kind of thing has a soul; therefore
strict observance of precept of non-violence (ahmisa) requires
extreme caution in all activity to prevent living beings being
killed.
Circa 563-483 Prince
Siddhartha, attained eternal & total enlightenment following a
prolonged meditation by means of middle path (golden means), having
given up means of austerities which failed to achieve the ultimate
objective of end to all suffering. The emergence of Budhism, an
essentially atheistic & profound religion that recognizes no supreme
deity.
Circa 550 BC
Composition of Upanishads in India
Garden of Eden & Adam's Bridge of Sri Lanka
1,750,000 years ago Mythology 30km chain of shoal of limestones between Talaimannar of Sri Lanka & Rameshwaram of India has been called The Adam's Bridge by the British colonial rulers of Ceylon and the name derives from the Christian notion that the biblical Garden of Eden was located in Sri Lanka.
That
the bridge is man-made, as some archaeologists of India claim, yet
to be proven conclusively. While some argue that the bridge is 1,750,000
years old (Hindu treta yuga), others announce it is only 3,500 years
old.
According to the Hindu epic Ramayana of Valmiki, a
bridge was constructed at the request of Rama, by an army of
non-human tribe called Vanara led by Nala, son of the architect-god Visvakarman, & Lord Hanuaman.
The bridge was supported on floating rocks but said to have later
anchored the rocks to the sea bed, thus creating the present chain of
limestone shoals. It was built for Rama's army to cross the Palk
straits between Baratha (India) & Lanka to rescue Sita from King
Ravana, who was then the ruler of Lanka. Lord Krsna's incarnation, Rama,
appeared as a human being because only a human being could kill ten
headed demon king Rawana of Lanka, due to certain benediction that he
had been given. Some Hindu groups citing NASA's digital imagery of
the bridge claim that the bridge's unique curvature & composition
suggests it was man made & that events narrated in the Ramayana
epic were not mythology but factual.
NASA has distanced itself from such claims: "The
images [...] may be ours, but their interpretation is certainly not
ours. [...] Remote sensing images or photographs from orbit cannot
provide direct information about the origin or age of a chain of
islands, and certainly cannot determine whether humans were involved
in producing any of the patterns seen."
To
date, the epic Ramayana is associated & identified with
geographical & historical locations in India & Sri Lanka.
Among these Ritigala Kanda (mountian), Rumassala Rock (Mountain)
Ravana Ella (waterfalls) & Sita Eliya.
The Archaeological park of Champaner - Pavagad (2004) - A World heritage site
Champaner,
47 km north-east of Vadodara, is the ancient capital of Gujarat of
India that was renamed as Muhammadabad after having been conquered by
Sultan Mahmud Begara in 1484. The Jami-Masjid built by him is one of
the finest mosques of the country. The Pavagad hill with the ruins
of an ancient Hindu fort stands in the vicinity of Champaner. Legend
has it that the hill is in fact a one-fourth chunk of an Himalayan mountainside that was brought by Hanuman,
a hero of the epic Ramayana; hence the name pava meaning a quarter.
Presently a vast field of ruins at the Champaner-Pavagad region is a
large treasure-trove of un-excavated archaeological finds, rich with
history & cultural heritage strewn all over a highly scenic
environment.
Recorded History of Sri Lanka
Where must we begin? All would like begin from the beginning. Should we begin with the history of Sinhabahu & Sinhaseevali in Eastern India,
their incestuous marriage, patricide by Sinhabahu (man with a hands
of shape & strength of the lion, the ripper of the Elephant's
rock strong forehead & huge mass of brain) of his father since
these two words, incest, patricide rings a bell: King Arthur of England,
his incest with his sister, adultery by his queen with his first
night Lancelot, patricide by the son of King Arthur? There are more
than two words now. Indeed, more than two sins. Their three
historical sins & crimes verses our historical two.
Let's
begin with the recorded history of arrival of Prince Vijaya & his
700 men from Eastern India. When it comes to historical records, Sri
Lanka's is second to none. The rich & vibrant history of 2550
years was faithfully recorded in the chronically called Mahawamsa
(Great Chronicle) & other historical chronicles. This is an
invaluable contribution to the heritage of the mankind, a national
treasure is the single most important work of Sinhalese origin &
continuance. It narrates the life & times of the people who
forged our nation, from the coming of Vijaya in 543 BC to the final
take over by the British in 1815. The Mahawamsa itself is actually
comprised of three parts, all written at different times in Sri
Lankan history. And it is a history of glorious civilization with
unprecedented irrigation engineering & protection of one of the
greatest heritage of the mankind: Buddhism.
543 BC
Beginning of succession of 168 Kings & 3 queens (543 BC to 1815 AD) in Sri Lanka Year 1 of the Buddhist era in Lanka (ancient name). The first entries in the Mahavamsa (Great History) date from now. Arrival
of Prince Viyaya & 700 other Indo-Aryans from Bengal, East India
on the very day Buddha gave up his mortal body & ceased to exist
achieving Nirvana the perfect annihilation. About
the time that bands of Indo-Aryans were making this island their
home, momentous events were taking place in North India. Many centuries
of religious developments & metaphysical speculation culminated
in the rise of Buddhism, which preached that the man could assure his
welfare here & in hereafter, & attain final beatitude by
their own efforts, without divine help. The earliest record
of cotton weaving (handloom) machine: Mahawamsa narrates that
Princess Kuveni of "Yakka" tribe of Lanka was weaving cotton at the
time of Prince Vijaya's landing. Classical Sanskrit literature refer
the settlers in Lanka as Sinhala. The language of the Sinhalese is
linguistically related to Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati &
other Indo-aryan tongues of Northern India, all in turn given birth by
Sanskrit.
The fact that Sinhala has been the speech of
the people of this land for 2550 years is established by the
thousands of inscriptions on stone, the earliest of which belong to
the 3rd century BC. Sri Lanka goes on & on to be, (for about 2550
years) the southernmost region of the globe where an Aryan language
has been spoken by the mass of the people. Historical actualities
make the Sinhala language, & the Sinhalese people, an endangered
race, who spoke & still speak it, with particular importance in
the study of the world's history & civilization.
Contemporary events in India 500 BC
Existence
of Mahabharata in the form of popular stories of Gods, kings
& seers. The epic was told, retold & improved by priests
living in shrines, ascetics living in retreats or wandering about,
& by travelling bards, minstrels, dance groups etc.
518 BC
Persian conquests & rule in North Western India.
437- 366 BC
Spread of civilization. Reign of King Pandukabaya. The concept of hospitals emerged & put into practice.
In the third century B. C the capital of Sri Lanka was Anuaradhapura.
It was Pandukabhaya (437-366 BC) who developed the original
Anuradhapura in to a city.. From the time Anuradhapura was raised by
Pandukabhaya to the eminence of a city in the latter part of the
fourth century B.C it remained as the capital of Sri Lanka for a
about twelve centuries.
The Mahavamsa -Tika says that the
early Aryans who came to this Island opened up new settlements in
areas where water was easily available. Pandukabhaya built a tank to
supply
water to the city, although there was already a tank built by Anuradha, his grand uncle.
Contemporary events in India
350 BC The epic & the epitome of Eastern Literary cannon in India " Mahabharata
came to be unified, sacred text of 100,000 stanzas written in
Sanskrit, distributed throughout India by kings & wealthy
patrons, & declaimed from temples. Even after it
became a famous Sanskrit writing it continued to exist in various
performance media in many different local genres of dance &
theatre throughout India & then Southeast Asia.
Finally, it came to exist, in numerous literary & popular
transformations in many of the non-Sanskrit vernacular languages
of India & Southeast Asia, which (with the exception of Tamil,
a language that had developed a classical literature in the first
millennium BCE) began developing recorded literatures shortly
after 1000 CE.
Quite simply, the
Mahabharata is a powerful & amazing text that inspires awe
& wonder. It presents sweeping visions of the cosmos &
humanity & intriguing & frightening glimpses of divinity.
The Mahabharata definitely is one of those creations of human
language & spirit that has travelled far beyond the place of
its original creation & will eventually take its rightful
place on the highest shelf of world literature beside Homer's
epics, the Greek tragedies, the Bible, Shakespeare, &
similarly transcendent works." Dr. James L. Fitzgerald
326 BC
Alexander the Great invades India
321 BC
Mauryan Dynasty begins in Pataliputra, composition of Arthashastra by Kautilya, treaties on Governance
341 BC
King Buddhadasa, a reputed Ayurvedic Physician & veterinary surgeon, establishes Animal Hospitals 300 BC Irrigation
engineering on ascendancy: a brilliant invention called bisokotuwa, a
sluice gate was introduced into the manmade rainwater reservoirs
carving many square kilometres. Convalescent homes were established.
300 BC The Greek historian Megasthenes
describes pearls & elephants of Lanka. Onescritus, who was an
Admiral of the fleet of Alexander the Great describes the tamed &
trained elephants of Taprobane (Lanka)
274-232 BC
Reign
of King Asoka the great, golden period, spread of Buddhism across
India, China, Japan, Far East & Lanka, Lanka embraces Buddhism
whole heartedly.
Early Anuradhapura Period
307-267 BC
Reign of Devanam Piya Tissa, a contemporary of Emperor Asoka of India, the one & only Indian emperor to unite whole of India send Buddhist monks to all part of Asia.
Such
was the Emperor's love of Lanka (called Tamraparni in King Asoka's
Rock Edicts), non other than his son bhiksu (monk) Arhath Mahinda was
entrusted with the task of establishing Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The
Aryan Sinhalese embraced Buddhism with such fervour, they began to
believe Buddha had entrusted the care of pure Buddhism to the little
island. Non violent Buddhism & a new born race, Sinhala become
inseparable .
Arrival of the slip of the Bo tree in whose shelter Buddha achieved eternal enlightenment.
Foundation of the Mahavihara & Thuparama monuments
Inscriptions in Brahmi characters on cave shelters show first Buddhist communities.
259 BC
Death of Arhath Mahinda in Lanka
205-161 BC
Defeat of Tamil invader Elara, who ruled dry central plains.
Restoration of Buddhist monuments destroyed by the Elara's Dravidian
invaders by King Dutugamunu of Ruhuna. Religious foundations
at Mihitale & Anurdhapura. Victorious King Dutugamunu, who was
already tormented by the 15 years of bloodshed in his war against the
Dravidian invaders, in spite of the newly gained overwhelming
strength gives up pursuing them at Elephant pass, slim strip of land
leading to Jaffna. The invaders were" allowed to live as they
pleased" (ancient scriptures) Buddhist teachings continued to be held
supreme over the threat of marauding Dravidian invasions.
The
lack of all religious rites in Buddhism was not keenly felt during
the lifetime of Buddha. Personal devotion to him took the place of
religious fervour. But since his cessation from suffering (eternal
relief from bondage of birth & rebirth) this very devotion to him
assumed the form of religious worship. His sacred relics, consisting of
his bones, teeth, alms-bowl, cremation vessel & ashes from his
funeral pyre, were enclosed in dome shaped monuments called Dagobas,
or Stupas, & were honoured with offerings of lights, flowers,
& incense. Pictures & statues of Buddha were multiplied on
every side, & similarly honoured, being carried about in festival
days in solemn procession. The places, too, associated with his
birth, enlightenment, first preaching, & final extinction were
considered especially sacred, & became the objects of veneration
& pilgrimage & the occasion of recurring festivals.
104-75 BC
First reign of King Vathagamani; interrupted by Tamil invaders from Southern India
89-77 BC
Pali scriptures of Budhism were committed to writing.
AD45 Four Lankan envoys visit Rome in the reign of Emperor Claudius Caesar (10BC-54BC); Roman historian & naturalist Pliny chronicles Lanka in his histories. Pliny makes reference to Lanka's relationship with China.
175 AD
Greek historian Ptolemy records export of elephants from Lanka to Kalinga
214-136 AD
Reign of Voharika Tissa; progress of Mahayana Buddhism
276-303 AD
Reign of Mahasena;& the foundation of the Jetavana Dagoba, the largest dagoba or stupa in the world.
305-331 AD
Reign of Sirimeghavana; the arrival of the Sacred Tooth relic of Buddha
410-482 AD
The
reign of King Mahanama. The translation into Pali of the Sinhalese
commentaries of the Tripitaka (three books of Buddhism) was undertaken.
412-413 AD
The Chinese scholar Fa-hsien visits Anuradhapura
428 AD
Embassy to China; nuns sent to Nanking
432-459 AD
South Indian invasion & domination; end of first Anuradhapura period.
500 AD
Buddhist
Monk Mahanama commence writing Mahavamsa (Great History) in Pali
language (language of Buddhism) on palm-leaf tablets. A chronicle of
Sinhalese kings who irrigated, cultivated the island, embraced
Buddhism wholeheartedly & protected island & Buddhism from South
Indian invasions.
Late Anuradhapura Period
459-477 AD Reign of King Dahtusena; end of brief South Indian domination; end of first Anuradhapura period. Patricide by Prince Kasyapa
477-495 AD
Reign of Kasyapa;construction of Sigirya. Suicide of King Kasyapa in the battle against his brother Mogaallan
495-512 AD
Reign
of Mogallan 1; capital returned to Anuradhaopura; arrival of
bikhshunie (Buddhist nun) Sangamiita, daughter of Emporer Asoka of India
& arrival of hair relic.
524-5378BC
King Silakala decrees the "preservation of life of all creatures" throughout the island
575-608 AD
Reign of Aggabodhi1, Irrigation works
608-618 AD
Reign of Aggabodhi 11. Rebuilding of the Thuparama
618-684 AD Internecine
struggles; South Indian invasions. A significant collection of ancient
ceramic ware from the periods of six Chinese dynasties has been
unearthed in Sri Lanka. The earliest ceramics are from the period of
Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D) Ceramics remains from North Sung, South
Sung, Ming, Yuan, & Qing dynasties & ancient Chinese coins
have been discovered. Chinese inscriptions found in some of the
ancient ports of Lanka provide valuable information on ancient
Sino-Lanka relationships & archaeological & historical values of
Chinese ceramics found in Sri Lanka.
684-718 AD
Reign of Manavamma; alliance with the Pallavas.
772-777 AD
Reign of Aggabodhi V11, which brought the temporary abandonment of Anuradhapura in favour of Polonnaruwa
835-853 AD
Reign of Sena 1. Pandyan conquest
840 AD
Anuradhapura plundered
853-887 AD
Reign of Sena11;alliance with Pallavas against Pandyas
898-914 AD
King Kassappa IV granted safety to all creatures on land & water following the footsteps of the ancient kings.
925 AD
Pandyan king asks for aid against the Cholas & takes refuge in Sri Lanka
947 AD
Chola (Tamilnadu) invasion;Anuradhapura is plundered, the king flees to Ruhuna (South of Sri Lanka)
956-972 AD
Reign of Mahinda 1V. Rebuilding takes place at Anuradhapura.
993 AD
Capture & sack of Anuradhapura. Mahinda 1V takes refuge in Ruhuna
1017 AD
Mahinda V captured by Cholas. Collapse of irrigation system & destruction of numerious Buddhist foundations
Polonnaruwa Period (1073-1215)
1055-1110 AD
Defeat of Cholas at the hands of Sinhalse prince Keerthi of Ruhuna. Kingdom was liberated from Cholas.
1070 AD
Prince Kirti was crowned at Anuradhapura by the name king Vijayabahu
1073 AD
Capital transferred to Polonnaruwa. Religious foundations & irrigation works
1153-86 AD
Reign of Parakramabahu the great. Beginning of a period of Buddhist revival & construction of major irrigation networks.
1187-96 AD
Reign of Nissanka Malla
Period of ephemeral capitals (1214-1597)
1214 AD Kalingan invasion
1215-36 AD
Destruction & tyranny of Kalinga Maga of Kerala
1236-70 AD
Reign of Parakramabahu 11
1270-1508 AD
A succession of kings, up to Parakarambahu V111
1254-1324 AD
Marco Polo visits Lanka & call it Seilan
1505 AD Portugese arrive under Lorennco de Almeida; they soon occupy the island's coastal areas The Portuguese found" Kola Amba-thota
(harbour with leafy mango trees), (Colombo) a fine bay for the
ships. The Muslims, who had been trading peacefully in the island by
courtesy of the Sinhalese kings, were expelled by the Portuguese.
Portuguese commence to monopolize the spice & cinnamon trade,
which soon became of enormous importance to Europe
1550-97 AD
Dom Juan Dharmapala set up as puppet king by the Portuguese
1554-93 AD
Reign of King Rajasinha 1
Kandyan Period
1597 AD Capital moved to Kandy
1629-87 AD Reign
of Rajasinghe 11 King Rajasinghe's army inflicted a major defeat on the
Portuguese. But the Sinhalese King was not pleased with the
bloodshed. Having seen the decapitated head of the Portuguese
commander Constance de Sa, the king lamented. "How
often did I ask thee not to make war on men, nor destroy my lands,
but to let me live in peace, the Portuguese remaining absolute lords
of the best part of Ceylon"
1656 AD Dutch
arrive & oust Portuguese after both land & sea battles.
Following an epic siege of Colombo Fort, 73 Portuguese survivors
surrendered to the Dutch. "At three o'clock on the afternoon of
the 12th May, 1656, we came out of the city, 73 very emaciated
soldiers, all hat remained there, including some with broken arms
& minus a, leg, & all looking like dead people... We then
entered the house where we met the Dutch general & major, who
received us very warmly & gave us a toast..." The Dutch officers
said they looked forward to meeting the rest of the brave defenders.
They were told there were no more surviving." At this they changed
colour, a great sadness following the cheerfulness with which they
received us"
1660-80 AD Robert Knox, an English sailor, is captured by the king of Kandy
Modern History of Sri Lanka
Crown
colony Ceylon: Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Coffee, Tea, Rubber,
highways, railways, missionary schools & colonial repression &
exploitation
1796
Dutch surrender to the British, who have become interested in Trincomalees's fine natural harbour
1798-1815
Reign of Sri Wickrama Rajasinha; ultimate betrayal of the nation to the British by Kandyan Ministers
British Colonial Period 1802-1948
1802 Ceylon becomes a Crown Colony
1813 The
American Mission founds the Batticotta Seminary (later Jaffna
College) in Tamil speaking Jaffna. The establishment of these Christian
schools was a means of spreading Christianity in Sri Lanka.
Education & employment in Colonial Sri Lanka was restricted to Christians.
Buddhist Sinhalese & Hindu Tamils had to become Christians to advance themselves within the colonial administration.
This
situation resulted in, at the independence in 1948 ( population then
8 million), 49 out of 103 schools were in the Tamils populated North
& the Tamil populated East servicing an almost exclusively Tamil
population: 12% of the population, the Tamils had access to 50% of the
education institutions which translated into public sector
employment.
At independence in 1948, 42% of the beurocracy Ceylon consisted of minority Tamils.
In
effect successive European Colonial administrators relied heavily on
the Tamil minority, local & immigrant from South India, to
administer the country, since the bulk of the Sinhalese majority were
opposed to European rule. This was compounded by the European
colonial powers encouraging millions from South India to settle in
Sri Lanka as a means of cheap labour to work in the tobacco
plantations (Portuguese) in Jaffna & coffee, tea & rubber
plantations in the central hills. Tea plantations (British) alone had
over a million Indian labourers in the island, which at independence
in 1948 had a population of only 8 million. This was a deliberate
colonial policy to dilute & weaken majority Sinhalese who
resisted colonial rule.
1815 Sinhalese
chieftains in Kandy, who despised king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe,
voluntarily submitted to the British in 1815 by signing a pact with
British at "Magul Maduwa" which stands to date close to "The Holy temple
of Tooth Relic" by the Kandy lakeside.
Last Kandyan king deposed & exiled in Madras.
Soon
the island was dotted with coffee, cinnamon & coconut plantations
& a network of roads & railways was built to handle to new
economic revolution. English became the official language of the
rulers.
1826
Ceylon's
Rosetta stone was found; ola parchment at Mulgirigala that led to
deciphering of classical Pali scripts, & the translation of the
Mahawamsa.
1833 Colebrooke
Report (1831-32) was an important document in the history of the
island. G.C. Mendis, considered by many to be the doyen of modern Sri
Lankan history, considers the Colebrooke-Cameron reforms to be the
dividing line between the past and present in Sri Lanka. Under
Colebrooke-Cameron Reforms, English becomes the language of
administration.
1869 A devastating leaf disease--hemleia vastratrix
struck the coffee plantations and spread quickly throughout the
plantation district, destroying the coffee industry within fifteen
years. Climatic conditions for the cultivation of tea were excellent
in Sri Lanka, especially in the hill country. By the end of the
century, tea production on the Island had risen enormously. The
British were unable to persuade the Sinhalese to work cheaply &
willingly on the plantations, so they imported large number of Dravidian
labourers from India
1871
The first official census conducted by the the Briish rulers: total population 2.8 million
1886
Ruins of Polonnaruwa discovered
1891
Sri Lanka's Anagarika Dharmapala founded the Mahabodhi Society & launch "Save Bodh Gaya"
campaign. Bodh Gaya (Bihar), one of holiest of holy Buddhist sites
in the world was threatened with irrecoverable devastation.
It
was at Uruvela ( modern Maha Bodhi) that Prince Siddhartha, then an
ascetic, attained eternal & total enlightenment following a
prolonged meditation by means of middle path (golden means), having
given up means of austerities which failed to achieve the ultimate
objective of end to all suffering.
Bodh Gaya, today is one of the five most famous Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India. Other four sites are Lumbini, near the Shakyan capital of Kapilavastu in the southern region of Nepal where Buddha was born; Deer Park at Saranath
(Uttar Pradesh), just north of Varanasi the place of his first
sermon; Kushinara, where Buddha left the world & eternal
suffering.
1908 "The
Sinhalese people are not, in my opinion, happier or better than they
were in the eighteenth century. Talk of progress, & the reality,
are not the same. Civilzation is supposed to advance by the creation of
new desires, to gratify which the individual must endeavour to
improve his position. But in reality it is not quantity, but quality
of wants that may be taken as evidence of progress in the Art of
Living. No one acquainted with modern Sinhalese taste will pretend
that it gives evidence of any improvement in the quality of wants.
Indeed, it is sufficiently obvious that quantity, variety, &
novelty are not really compatibale with quality." Mediaeval
Sinhalese Art : Sri Lankan Tamil scholor Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy
comparing the period prior to British rule with the period of British
rule
1918
The Jaffna Association of Jaffna Tamils submits 50-50 representation formula for the Legislative Council in memo.
15th Aug. 1921
Tamil
political party, Tamil Mahajan Sabha, once again takes up call for
50-50 representation. Herein a 12% of Tamil minority in Sri Lanka
demands 50% representation in the legislative council. This would leave
majority Sinhalese -70% of the population- with only 50%
representation in the legislative council.
1922 H. W. Codrington, B. A.(Oxon.) F. R. N. S. of Ceylon Civil Service publishes "Ceylon currency & coins"
1926 H. W. Codrington publishes "Short history of Ceylon" history till year 1833 in about 50,000 words.
A Tamil scholor Mudaliyar C. Rasanayagam's "Ancinet Jaffna" is
published. In the final chapter on page 384 he mentions that the
Sinhalese occupied Jaffna before the Tamils & goes on to give his
reasons.
1931
Universal franchise
granted by the Donoughmore Constitution. No leader of Ceylon had
agitated for it in the legislative Council. At best there were lone
voices of the Lablour leader A. E. Gunasinghe & George E. de
Silva, the Member of Kandy. Nowhere in British Empire was the experiment
carried out in the decade of the nineteen thirtees.
The first
General Election in Ceylon under universal franchise held in 1931 was
boycotted by four electorates of Jaffna peninsula: Jafna,
Kankesanturai, Kayats & Point Pedro giving unmistakable message
Tamil predominant Jaffna peninsula was opposed to universal
franchise.
1935
The Jaffna
Association repeats its demand for 50-50 representation: 50% for the
Sinhalese who consists 70% of the population of the island, 25% for
the Tamils, 25% for the other minorities.
1937
G.
G. Ponnambalam of Ceylon Tamil Community clamours for "fifty-fifty"
representation in the state council with parity status with the
Sinhalese speaking majority & All Tamil speaking minorities.
All
Tamil speaking minorities, The Ceylon Tamils (descendants of
invaders who later became settlers), the Indian Tamil (brought in to the
island by the British colonialists for the tea plantations) &
the Muslims put together accounted for only 30.1% of the population
whereas the Sinhalese accounted for 69.2%. The exact parallel today
is that the Ceylon Tamils demanding for two-thirds of the coastline
of the entire nation & one third of the landmass, while
accounting only one-eighth of the population.
1941
Unlike
India, where nationalists demanded a guarantee of independence as
recompense for their support in the war effort, Sri Lanka committed
itself wholeheartedly to the Allied war effort. Although the island was
put under military jurisdiction during the war, the British and the
Sri Lankans maintained cooperative relations. Sri Lankan pressure for
political reform continued during the war, however, and increased as
the Japanese threat receded and the war neared its end. The British
eventually promised full participatory government after the war.
1946 Soulbery
Commission of the British Colonialist rulers rejects proposal of
fifty-fifty presented by the all powerful All Ceylon Tamil Congress.
Contemporary events in India
1947 In
August India gains political independence from the British.
British India is partitioned into two countries: India &
Pakistan. Pakistan becomes the first country in the world to be
born out of a religion: Islam. Partition –related riots kill
200000 to a million. In October erupts the first Indo-Pakistan war.
1948 Ceylonese led by Sir
James Peiris, George E. De Silva, E. W. Perera, Ramathanan,
Arunchalam, Coreas, Macan Markars,Caders, Razeek Fareed,
Jayawardenes, A. E. Gonnasinghe procure independence from the British solely by means of negotiations without single drop of blood being shed.
Foreign
occupation had a tremendous impact on the nation. Changes of laws
& customs, clothing styles, religions & proper names were
significant results of the colonial era, followed up with plantations of
Tea, Rubber replacing Rice cultivation in numerous areas.
The
population had grown from 800000 in the year 1802 to more than 7
million. Over a relatively short period, the island had developed an
economy capable of supporting the burgeoning population. Roads, railways, schools, hospitals, hydroelectric projects, and large well operated agricultural plantations provided the infrastructure for a viable national economy.
A
highly respected statesman, Mr. Don Stephen Sananayake becomes the
first Prime Minister of Ceylon. Senanayake, the minister of agriculture
in the pre-independent British appointed Ceylonese state council had
devoted himself to the immense task of restoration of the derelict
irrigation networks of ancient capitals of Anuradhapura &
Polonnaruwa. Now, becoming Prime Minister of the independent Ceylon,
Senanayake runs close at the heels of King Parakrabahu the great
in the context of irrigation. The Gal Oya irrigation Project
harnessing the waters of River Mahaweli, the longest river of the
island would create an inland sea four times larger than Parakrama Samudra. It is named Senanayake Samudra.
1949 Mahabodhi society founded by Angarika Dharmapala of Ceylon achieves its objective of rescuing Buddhist sacred site Bodh Gaya of India. Today Bodh Gaya is one of the World Heritage sites with monasteries & meditation centres run by Tibetan, Burmese, Thai & Vietnamese communities.
Bodh
Gaya & its Mahabodhi Temple complex where prince Siddhartha, then
an ascetic, attained supreme enlightenment, today is a vibrant
pilgrimage site. With a 50 meter high pyramidal spire, the grand
magnificent, restored Mahabodi temple stand on the
sacred place & a golden image of the Buddha adorns the shrine.
Built in 3rd century by BC by Mauryan emperor Ashoka, the temple had
to be restored several times to overcome the ravages of time. Emperor Asoka's daughter Sangamitta
had carried a sapling of the holy Bo (Peepal) tree to Sri Lanka
where she went propagating Buddhism. Later, when the original Bodhi
tree at Bodh Gaya died, a cutting of the tree
planted at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, was brought back &
transplanted at Bodh Gaya, which is presently flourishing. Under the
holy Bo tree is a lotus shaped red sandstone seat-the vajrasana- on
which sat the Buddha while in meditation. On a rounded stone slab
near the Bo tree the footprints of the Buddha are preserved. Ever
year on Buddha Purnima, the birthday of Buddha, a large congregation
is held here participated by Buddhists from all over the world.
1956 Silver
bell of Asia, Oxford educated S.W.R.D Bandaranaike, storms into
office of Prime Minister promising administration in Sinhala. Sinhalese
had been disappointed that in spite of the independence, in spite of
being relieved from the suffering under the jack boot of colonialist
masters, still being administrated in English language by the English
educated Ceylonese elite. Leonard Wolfe, a British civil servant of
Ceylon (husband of Virgina Wolf) vividly depicted the suffering of
natives under English language administration in his famous book "A village in the Jungle" True to his promises, Sinhala, language of 72% of population was made the official language of Ceylon, by Bandaranaike.
1959
S.
W. R. D. Bandaranaike was assassinated. Courts of Law finds Buddhist
monk Somarama guilty; but the nation wasn't convinced at all. There was
a notorious local name & name of a foreign Intelligence Agency
in the winds of conspiracy. Those were the days of the assassination
of another nationalist, Patrick Lulumba. Ceylon's Warren
commission + John Kennedy + Edgar Hoover + FBI + CIA + Mob + Marylyn
Monroe + Lee Harvey Oswald + second gunman + Oliver Stone maze
1960
Mrs Bandaranike, widow of slain Prime Minister, on the wave of sympathy, becomes world's first women Prime Minister.
Contemporary events in India 1962 First Sino-Indian war erupts
1963 In
an attempt to suppress militancy in Tamil State of Tamil Nadu in
India, Prime Minister Nehru introduces the Sixteenth Amendment to
the constitution of India, making it mandatory for those running
for office to take an oath stating that "I will uphold the
sovereinighty & integrity of India". Since then, Tamil
politicians holding office could not campaign for a separate Tamil
State openly, but those in the Opposition continued to harbour a
Tamil State dream.
1965
Second Indo-Pakistan war erupts in September.
1971
Third Indo-Pakistan war erupts in December.
1971 April Insurrection by Sinhalese.
1972
Ceylon becomes a republic: Sri Lanka
2005
Mahinda Rajapakse from Ruhuna (which gave birth to the hero of the nation King Dutugamunu, King Vijayabahu & an array of heroes) becomes executive president of Sri Lanka
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