Vijaya
Encyclopedia
Prince Vijaya was the first recorded King of Sri Lanka
mentioned in the ancient Sri Lanka
n Pali
chronicles. His reign is traditionally dated to 543 BC - 505 BC.
The primary source for his life-story is the Mahavamsa
. It is inevitably difficult, given the dearth of sources, to separate fact from legend in Vijaya's life, and as H. W. Codrington puts it, 'It is possible and even probable that Vijaya (`The Conqueror') himself is a composite character combining in his person...two conquests' of ancient Sri Lanka
.
As per Sri Lanka
history Mahavamsa
, written around 400 AD by the monk Nagasena
, using the Dipavamsa
and Sinhala Attakatha as sources, correlates well with Indian histories of the period. Ceylon before colonization by Prince Vijaya was earlier inhabited by the ancient tribe Veddas. With the arrival of Prince Vijay and his 700 followers history of the Sinhalese
started. Vijaya was eldest son of King Sinhabahu ("Man with Lion arms") and his Queen Sinhasivali of Bhurishrestha Kingdom.
Vijaya married Kuveni (local Yaksha princess) like his army marrying off local women. Later this given rise to modern Sinhala race. Vijaya landed on Sri Lanka near Mahathitha (Manthota or Mannar
), and named the island "Thambaparni" ('copper-colored palms). These are attested in Ptolemy
's map of the ancient world. Mahavamsa also claims, Lord Buddha visiting Sri Lanka three times. Firstly, to stop a war between a Naga (Vedda) king and his son-in-law who were fighting over a ruby chair. It is said that on his last visit, he left his foot mark on Sripada (Adam's Peak). Tamirabharani was the old name for second longest river in Sri Lanka (known as Malwatu Oya in Sinhala & Aruvi Aru in Tamil). This river was main supply route connecting the capital, Anuradhapura
to Mahathitha (Mannar). The waterway was used by Greek and Chinese ships traveling the southern Silk Route. Mahathitha was an ancient port linking Sri Lanka to Bengal
and Persian Gulf
.
At the beginning of the chronicle (see History of Sri Lanka
) the King of Banga
(Bengal) is married to the daughter of the King of Kalinga
. Their daughter, Suppadevi, was not only 'very fair and very amorous', but was also prophesied to consummate a 'union with the King of beasts' - in the Mahavamsa, a lion. When this duly happened, she gave birth to two children - Sinhabahu and Sinhasivali. 'Sinhabahu' means 'lion-armed' and the young prince himself is described as having 'hands and feet...formed like a lion's'. The family lived together in the lion's cave, blocked in by a large rock the lion had placed to prevent their exit. Eventually, however, Suppadevi and her two children flee the cave. Later Sinhabahu kills his father with an arrow. Then, marrying his sister, he establishes a kingdom based on a city called Singhapur. Sinhasivali bears him a series of twins; their eldest child is named Vijaya, and his younger twin brother Sumitta. However, a critical twist and serious study by scholars and researchers with further references suggest that the King of Sinhpur/Sinhapura ( Sihor
), region's very ancient telltales and references about Prince Vijaya, his exile, his route, are the ones which connect strongly to the History of Sri Lanka
and Sinhala
/Sinhalese people and culture.
Vijaya is described as indulging in 'evil conduct, and his followers were...(like himself), and many intolerable deeds of violence were done by them'. So antisocial were his activities that the people of the kingdom eventually demanded that the (now aging) King Sinhabahu have him executed. Instead Sinhabhu had half their heads shaved (a sign of disgrace) and exiled Vijaya with his followers, their wives and children, from the kingdom - traditionally said to number a total of 700 souls. After resting in several places they are found to be hostile, and the wayward prince and his associates eventually 'landed in Lanka, in the region called 'Tambapanni.
Later research by Sinhala linguist W.S. Karunatillake supports the hypothesis that the Sinhalese originated in the Eastern India and that many words (over 50%) resemble Bengali language
. At the same time, the fact can not be denied for it was rise and origin of sub languages from Sanskrit in the times of Middle India where a great volume of syntax and material were common to all the newly emerging Indian Languages. And yet they were few at that time. This is to ask for a serious comparison and conclusion for Prince Vijaya's origin, whether it was from Singhpur, Kalinga
or it was from Sihor, Gujarat, despite references weigh more in favor of Vijaya's origin to lower Indus, and Sihor
, which was officially known as Sinhapur in Kathiawar peninsula in ancient times. Another critical point of observation is that, the last and, now only home to Asiatic Lion
s (locally referred as 'Sinh' or 'Sinha') is Gir Forest falls under Kathiawar peninsula in Gujarat and approach to core Gir territory is just some miles away from Sihor. In fact, till date as in year 2011, Lions are sighted in rural areas adjoining Sihor.
Interestingly, some dialects, words and punches between Bengali and Gujarati language
s are strikingly common so the researchers and scholars may have to stress more on other viable aspects too while any Indian sub language during Middle India was not prominent and dominant, where Sanskrit was being widely used in majority of Indian sub-continent. This is where esteemed scholars and researchers have to stress more while they strive to bring out their valuable observations and opinion.
A second geographical issue is the location of Tambapanni
, the landing-site of the Vijaya expedition. The Rajaveliya states that the group saw Adam's Peak
from their boats and thus landed in Southern Sri Lanka
, in an area that eventually became part of the Kingdom of Ruhuna
. British historian H. Parker narrowed this down to the mouth of Kirindi Oya. This is now thought to be a far too Southerly location. The more favored region currently is between the cities of Mannar
and Negombo
, and Puttalam
, where the copper-colored beaches may have given rise to the name Tambapanni
, which means 'copper-palmed'.
), in the Lala Rattha (Lata Rashtra). The country is identified with the modern Rarh region
of West Bengal, India still called Lala/Larh or Rarh/Larika of Ptolemy
. Lala is referred to as Lata-desa in Sanskrit
texts. Al Biruni calls it Lardesh to the extreme hilly west of Bengal
where Hooghly district
and modern Singur
is located. There is however an epic
reference to one Sinhapura kingdom with little historical proof, located on the upper Indus
which shared borders with Ursa, Abhisara, Bahlika, Darada and Kamboja
. Seventh century Chinese
pilgrim
Hiun Tsang also refers to this Simhapura (Sang-ho-pu-lo) and locates it on upper Indus, in Gandhara (north—west Punjab) which might be a namesake like there were many Koshala or Ganga
kingdoms in various parts of India. Scholars have identified it above Salt Range
. Yet another Sinhapura is referred to in Gujarat and has been attested to in the Charter of the Maitraka
King Dhruvasena I (525 AD-545 AD). Its modern name is 'Sihore' (Sinhore)/Sihor
of Kathiawad. There is also an ancient place name 'Hingur' located 40 miles east from the apex of Indus Delta but any of these have little evidences to be a relic of the ancient Sinhapura of the Sinhalese traditions (Hingur < Singur < Singhpur < Sinhapur).
It was thought by some early historians that the Republic
an Gramaneyas of Sabhaparva of Mahabharata
may have been the ancestors of the Sinhalese. The original home of the Gramaneyas seems to have been the Sinhapura of Gandhara
/Kamboja
, but the people shifted to lower Indus and then, after defeat by Pandava
Nakula
, to Saurashtra Peninsula
, centuries prior to common era. There they seem to have founded a principality
in Saurashtra Peninsula
, centuries prior to common era which they named Sinhapura probably to commemorate their past connections with Sinhapura of Gandhara/Kamboja. In all probability, Vijaya and his 700 followers, the earliest known Aryan
speakers of the island either belonged to the 'Sihore' (Sinhapura)/Sihor
of Kathiawad (in Bhavnagar
district) or else to Hingur (Sinhapura) east off the Indus delta from where they had sailed to Sri Lanka
and settled there as colonists suggesting ancient links of Northwest Kambojas with Sri Lanka.
Oriya scholars claimed Simhapura was the same as the ancient capital of Kalinga
in modern-day Orissa
. Nissanka Malla's inscriptions mention Simhapura as the capital of Kalinga. The Yalpanavaipavamalai, a Jaffna
Tamil
text written in the 18th century by Mayilvakanapulavar mentions a King Ukkirasingan, whom Oriyas identify with Kalinga Magha of the Culavamsa
as being a descendant of Vijaya's brother who remained in India
though concrete evidences not found. And major drawbacks of all the hypotheses except east Indian town of Singur
was they all lacked ancient developed ports like Tamralipta
through which voyages to Sri Lanka would have been possible.
. Indeed the very first 'person' that Vijaya supposedly encounters on the island is the 'Lord of the Gods', Lord Vishnu, who is charged by the ailing Buddha
with looking after Vijaya and his descendants.
The second encounter is far less auspicious - a Yakkinni, or demoness, who 'appeared in the form of a dog'. Vijaya's men, surmising that 'Only where there is a village are dogs to be found', followed the creature, only to come upon the Queen of the demons, Kuveni (also known as Kuvanna). Though the protection of Vishnu
prevented Kuveni from devouring the hapless man, it did not prevent her from hurling him - and all of Vijaya's other companions - into a chasm.
Vijaya eventually comes upon Kuveni
and threatens her with death unless she releases his men. When this is done, Kuveni
supplies them with food and clothing, and, 'assuming the lovely form of a sixteen year old maiden' seduces Vijaya. Then, in a complete reversal of her allegiances, she states that she 'will bestow Kingship on my Lord (Vijaya)' and thus 'all the Yakkhas must be slain, for (else) the Yakkhas will slay me, for it was through me that men have taken up their dwelling (in Lanka)'. This Vijaya goes on to do, vanquishing the demons and driving them from the island, all the time with Kuveni at his side.
Though Kuveni
bears him two children, a son and a daughter, Vijaya eventually rejects her with the words 'Go now, dear one, leaving the two children behind; men are ever in fear of superhuman beings'. Despite begging Vijaya not to send her away, a broken-hearted Kuveni
eventually leaves the palace, taking the two children despite being ordered not to. Arriving in one of the few surviving Yakka cities she is killed by her own people for her betrayal. One of her uncles takes pity on her children and tells them to flee before they, too, are killed. They eventually flee to Malaya rata where they settle and become the ancestors of the Pulindas. And alternative tale is that Kuveni flung herself from Yakdessa Gala, imploring the Gods to curse Vijaya for his cruelty - which they do by preventing any of Vijaya's children from ever sitting on the throne of Rajarata. Interestingly 'Vijaya's curse' is held by some to still hold sway over Sri Lanka's troubled politics.
The Kuveni-Vijaya story evokes some similarities with the encounter of Odysseus
with Circe
. Circe
is also an enchantress and a witch. The Kuveni myth is also remarkable for being so violent and tragic. Both the demon Queen and Vijaya are portrayed as being deeply treacherous and unfeeling - the former in betraying her entire people, the latter in betraying her in turn so callously. Indeed Vijaya's reason for rejecting Kuveni is his desire for a 'a maiden of a noble house' to be consecrated Queen with him. This desire could have had a political aspect - in marrying a princess of an established noble house he would essentially have established himself as a legitimate monarch in his own right, on a par with the other rulers of the subcontinent's kingdoms.
Kuveni
, on the other hand, is regarded as a descendant of the demons of the Ramayana
and of Ravana
, who also dwelled in Lanka. A common folk tale was that her children did not, in fact, flee to Malaysia, but instead remained in Sri Lanka
's jungles and became the Veddas - Sri Lanka's aboriginal population. This may indeed be the explanation for Kuveni and her people, as early Indian settlers would almost certainly have come into contact and conflict with indigenous Sri Lankans. The Yakkas are referred to occasionally as 'invisible', and indeed would have appeared so to the newcomers unused to Sri Lanka's jungles, through which the Veddas even today can move in near-silence and with barely a trace.
Interestingly the Dipavamsa
, on which the Mahavamsa is based, makes no mention of Kuveni whatsoever.
King of Madurai
in Southern India
. Not only did the King dispatch his daughter, but he also decreed that 'Those men here who are willing to let a daughter depart for Lanka shall provide their daughters with a double store of clothing and place them at the doors of their houses. By this sign shall we (know that we may) take them to ourselves'. Thus every male in Vijaya's crew received a wife (their original wives had been separated from them on their voyage to Sri Lanka, and according to legend they were sent to the Maldivian Islands
).
The ministers also appear to have been quite intrepid in founding their own towns and cities around Tambapanni - Ujjeni, Uruvela, Upatissagama, Vijita, and Anuradhagama. Anuradhagama ('Anuradha's village') in particular was a significant foundation - under the name Anuradhapura
(Anuradha's city) it was to become capital of Rajarata
for over a thousand years.
Following the arrival of the princess of the Pandyan Kingdom
, 'the ministers in full assembly consecrated Vijaya king and appointed a great festival'. Age and marriage appear to have had a profound impact on Vijaya, who changed his way of life and ruled 'in peace and righteousness' for thirty-eight years.
The Mahavamsa describes the Pandyan
ladies as originating from "Dakshina Madura" or "Southern Madura", which most Sinhala
scholars have interpreted as modern-day Madurai
in the state of Tamil Nadu
, "Northern Madura" being the city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh
. This is a solid evidence of the relationship that Sri Lanka
and South India
have shared for long. There are several such recorded instances of intermarriage between ruling families of Sri Lanka
and the major royal South India
n Dynasties, in particular, the Pandyas
and the Cheras
.
The events surrounding Vijaya's death provide an interesting insight into the standards of government - or at least the ideals of government - during this period. As seen before it was the ministers of Vijaya who took the initiative in finding a bride for the King and in founding cities, indicating a considerable amount of independence and authority. Similarly when Vijaya dies, 'the ministers ruled, dwelling in Upatissagama...for a year' whilst Vijaya's chosen successor, Sumitta, was summoned from Sinhapura. In the event it is not Sumitta but his son Panduvasdeva who arrives and takes up the reins of government, thus ensuring that the direct line of Vijaya's house is broken.
, though he is not Buddhist himself, foreshadows the kingdom's conversion in Devanampiyatissa's time. Vijaya's relationship with Kuveni explains the presence of the Veddas, and his marriage to the Pandyan
princess establishes a precedent for the often cordial relations between the Sinhalese and the various kingdoms of South India
.
Vijaya himself, however, is fascinating for being wayward, and on occasion even cruel and callous. Though he is consistently shown deference as leader of the embryonic Sinhalese polity, the Mahavamsa does not shy away from his more immoral acts. As such he is not held in the kind of awe and respect afforded to Devanampiyatissa
, Dutugemunu, or Parakramabahu the Great.
The Modern Sri Lankan Navy, for a considerable amount of time, consisted of only one battle ship, named the 'Vijaya'.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
mentioned in the ancient Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
chronicles. His reign is traditionally dated to 543 BC - 505 BC.
The primary source for his life-story is the Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
. It is inevitably difficult, given the dearth of sources, to separate fact from legend in Vijaya's life, and as H. W. Codrington puts it, 'It is possible and even probable that Vijaya (`The Conqueror') himself is a composite character combining in his person...two conquests' of ancient Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Ancestry and arrival in Lanka
Vijaya Singha (this surname gave rise to name Singhal or Ceylone) the ousted prince of Singhapur/Sinhpur went with his daredevil comrades to Sri Lanka.As per Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
history Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
, written around 400 AD by the monk Nagasena
Nagasena
Nāgasena was a Brahmin who became a Buddhist sage lived about 150 BCE. His answers to questions about Buddhism posed by Menander I , the Indo-Greek king of northwestern India , are recorded in the Milinda Pañha....
, using the Dipavamsa
Dipavamsa
The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa", is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka.It means Chronicle of the Island. The chronicle is believe to be compiled from Atthakatha and other sources around the 3-4th century. Together with Mahavamsa, it is the source of many accounts of ancient history of Sri...
and Sinhala Attakatha as sources, correlates well with Indian histories of the period. Ceylon before colonization by Prince Vijaya was earlier inhabited by the ancient tribe Veddas. With the arrival of Prince Vijay and his 700 followers history of the Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
started. Vijaya was eldest son of King Sinhabahu ("Man with Lion arms") and his Queen Sinhasivali of Bhurishrestha Kingdom.
Vijaya married Kuveni (local Yaksha princess) like his army marrying off local women. Later this given rise to modern Sinhala race. Vijaya landed on Sri Lanka near Mahathitha (Manthota or Mannar
Mannar
Mannar may refer to:* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Alappuzha district, Kerala, India* Mannar, Kaduthuruthy,a town in Kottayam district, Kerala, India* Mannar, Sri Lanka, a town in northern Sri Lanka* Mannar District, a district in Sri Lanka...
), and named the island "Thambaparni" ('copper-colored palms). These are attested in Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
's map of the ancient world. Mahavamsa also claims, Lord Buddha visiting Sri Lanka three times. Firstly, to stop a war between a Naga (Vedda) king and his son-in-law who were fighting over a ruby chair. It is said that on his last visit, he left his foot mark on Sripada (Adam's Peak). Tamirabharani was the old name for second longest river in Sri Lanka (known as Malwatu Oya in Sinhala & Aruvi Aru in Tamil). This river was main supply route connecting the capital, Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
to Mahathitha (Mannar). The waterway was used by Greek and Chinese ships traveling the southern Silk Route. Mahathitha was an ancient port linking Sri Lanka to Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
At the beginning of the chronicle (see History of Sri Lanka
History of Sri Lanka
The History of Sri Lanka begins around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. Chronicles, including the Mahawansa, the Dipavamsa, the Culavamsa and the Rajaveliya, record events from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC; through the arrival of European...
) the King of Banga
Banga
Banga may refer to:* Places** Banga, Aklan in the Philippines** Banga, Angola, municipality in Angola** Banga, Burkina Faso, a town in Burkina Faso** Banga, Pakistan, a town in Punjab, Pakistan** Banga, India, a town and nagar panchayat in India...
(Bengal) is married to the daughter of the King of Kalinga
Kalinga (India)
Kalinga was an early state in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa/Utkal , as well as the Andhra region of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a rich and fertile land that extended from the river Damodar/Ganges to Godavari and from Bay of Bengal to...
. Their daughter, Suppadevi, was not only 'very fair and very amorous', but was also prophesied to consummate a 'union with the King of beasts' - in the Mahavamsa, a lion. When this duly happened, she gave birth to two children - Sinhabahu and Sinhasivali. 'Sinhabahu' means 'lion-armed' and the young prince himself is described as having 'hands and feet...formed like a lion's'. The family lived together in the lion's cave, blocked in by a large rock the lion had placed to prevent their exit. Eventually, however, Suppadevi and her two children flee the cave. Later Sinhabahu kills his father with an arrow. Then, marrying his sister, he establishes a kingdom based on a city called Singhapur. Sinhasivali bears him a series of twins; their eldest child is named Vijaya, and his younger twin brother Sumitta. However, a critical twist and serious study by scholars and researchers with further references suggest that the King of Sinhpur/Sinhapura ( Sihor
Sihor
Sihor is an ancient, historical medium sized town, a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Placed along the river Gautami, this erstwhile capital of the Gohil Rajputs, surrounded by hills is situated about 20 km from Bhavnagar...
), region's very ancient telltales and references about Prince Vijaya, his exile, his route, are the ones which connect strongly to the History of Sri Lanka
History of Sri Lanka
The History of Sri Lanka begins around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. Chronicles, including the Mahawansa, the Dipavamsa, the Culavamsa and the Rajaveliya, record events from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC; through the arrival of European...
and Sinhala
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
/Sinhalese people and culture.
Vijaya is described as indulging in 'evil conduct, and his followers were...(like himself), and many intolerable deeds of violence were done by them'. So antisocial were his activities that the people of the kingdom eventually demanded that the (now aging) King Sinhabahu have him executed. Instead Sinhabhu had half their heads shaved (a sign of disgrace) and exiled Vijaya with his followers, their wives and children, from the kingdom - traditionally said to number a total of 700 souls. After resting in several places they are found to be hostile, and the wayward prince and his associates eventually 'landed in Lanka, in the region called 'Tambapanni.
Later research by Sinhala linguist W.S. Karunatillake supports the hypothesis that the Sinhalese originated in the Eastern India and that many words (over 50%) resemble Bengali language
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
. At the same time, the fact can not be denied for it was rise and origin of sub languages from Sanskrit in the times of Middle India where a great volume of syntax and material were common to all the newly emerging Indian Languages. And yet they were few at that time. This is to ask for a serious comparison and conclusion for Prince Vijaya's origin, whether it was from Singhpur, Kalinga
Kalinga
Kalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
or it was from Sihor, Gujarat, despite references weigh more in favor of Vijaya's origin to lower Indus, and Sihor
Sihor
Sihor is an ancient, historical medium sized town, a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Placed along the river Gautami, this erstwhile capital of the Gohil Rajputs, surrounded by hills is situated about 20 km from Bhavnagar...
, which was officially known as Sinhapur in Kathiawar peninsula in ancient times. Another critical point of observation is that, the last and, now only home to Asiatic Lion
Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion also known as the Indian lion, Persian lion and Eurasian Lion is a subspecies of lion. The only place in the wild where the lion is found is in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India...
s (locally referred as 'Sinh' or 'Sinha') is Gir Forest falls under Kathiawar peninsula in Gujarat and approach to core Gir territory is just some miles away from Sihor. In fact, till date as in year 2011, Lions are sighted in rural areas adjoining Sihor.
Interestingly, some dialects, words and punches between Bengali and Gujarati language
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
s are strikingly common so the researchers and scholars may have to stress more on other viable aspects too while any Indian sub language during Middle India was not prominent and dominant, where Sanskrit was being widely used in majority of Indian sub-continent. This is where esteemed scholars and researchers have to stress more while they strive to bring out their valuable observations and opinion.
A second geographical issue is the location of Tambapanni
Tambapanni
Tambapanni is a name derived from Tamira Varni or Tamirabarani . This means the colour of copper or bronze. A river by this name is located at close proximity across the sea in Thirunelveli District . A derivative of this name is Taprobane . Tambapanni is a Pali version of the name Tamira Varni....
, the landing-site of the Vijaya expedition. The Rajaveliya states that the group saw Adam's Peak
Adam's Peak
Sri Pada , is a tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka...
from their boats and thus landed in Southern Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, in an area that eventually became part of the Kingdom of Ruhuna
Ruhuna
Ruhuna is a region of southern Sri Lanka. It was the centre of a flourishing civilization and the cultural and economic centres of ancient Sri Lanka, Magama, Tissamaharama and Mahanagakula , were established here....
. British historian H. Parker narrowed this down to the mouth of Kirindi Oya. This is now thought to be a far too Southerly location. The more favored region currently is between the cities of Mannar
Mannar, Sri Lanka
Mannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
and Negombo
Negombo
Negombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
, and Puttalam
Puttalam
Puttalam is the capital city of the Puttalam District in North Western Province, Sri Lanka.-History:The history of this dry zone dates back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya, nearly 2500 years ago, when his vessel washed ashore. The name "Puttalam" may be a modification of the Tamil word Uppuththalam...
, where the copper-colored beaches may have given rise to the name Tambapanni
Tambapanni
Tambapanni is a name derived from Tamira Varni or Tamirabarani . This means the colour of copper or bronze. A river by this name is located at close proximity across the sea in Thirunelveli District . A derivative of this name is Taprobane . Tambapanni is a Pali version of the name Tamira Varni....
, which means 'copper-palmed'.
Origins of the Viyaya Clan
The arena associated with the legend of Vijaya and his followers may be in Singhapur (Simhapura or SingurSingur
Singur is a census town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Singur railway station is 34 km from Howrah Station on the Howrah-Tarakeswar line. It is 2 km ahead of Kamarkundu junction, the crossing point of Howrah-Bardhaman chord and Howrah-Tarakeshwar lines. It is on...
), in the Lala Rattha (Lata Rashtra). The country is identified with the modern Rarh region
Rarh region
Rarh region of West Bengal is the region that lies between the Western plateau and high lands and the Ganges Delta...
of West Bengal, India still called Lala/Larh or Rarh/Larika of Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. Lala is referred to as Lata-desa in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
texts. Al Biruni calls it Lardesh to the extreme hilly west of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
where Hooghly district
Hooghly District
Hooghly district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal in India. It can alternatively be spelt Hoogli or Hugli. The district is named after the Hooghly River.The headquarters of the district are at Chinsura...
and modern Singur
Singur
Singur is a census town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Singur railway station is 34 km from Howrah Station on the Howrah-Tarakeswar line. It is 2 km ahead of Kamarkundu junction, the crossing point of Howrah-Bardhaman chord and Howrah-Tarakeshwar lines. It is on...
is located. There is however an epic
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
reference to one Sinhapura kingdom with little historical proof, located on the upper Indus
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
which shared borders with Ursa, Abhisara, Bahlika, Darada and Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
. Seventh century Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
Hiun Tsang also refers to this Simhapura (Sang-ho-pu-lo) and locates it on upper Indus, in Gandhara (north—west Punjab) which might be a namesake like there were many Koshala or Ganga
Ganga Dynasty
Ganga Dynasty is a name used for two unrelated dynasties who ruled parts of India:* The Western Ganga Dynasty, a kingdom in southern India, based in southern Karnataka, from the 3rd to the 10th centuries...
kingdoms in various parts of India. Scholars have identified it above Salt Range
Salt Range
The Salt Range is a hill system in the Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends from the Jhelum River to the Indus, across the northern portion of the Punjab province. The Salt Range contains the great mines of Mayo, Khewra, Warcha...
. Yet another Sinhapura is referred to in Gujarat and has been attested to in the Charter of the Maitraka
Maitraka
The Maitraka dynasty ruled Gujarat in western India from c. 475 to 767. The founder of the dynasty, Senapati Bhatarka, was a military governor of Saurashtra peninsula under Gupta Empire, who had established himself as the independent ruler of Gujarat approximately in the last quarter of 5th century...
King Dhruvasena I (525 AD-545 AD). Its modern name is 'Sihore' (Sinhore)/Sihor
Sihor
Sihor is an ancient, historical medium sized town, a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Placed along the river Gautami, this erstwhile capital of the Gohil Rajputs, surrounded by hills is situated about 20 km from Bhavnagar...
of Kathiawad. There is also an ancient place name 'Hingur' located 40 miles east from the apex of Indus Delta but any of these have little evidences to be a relic of the ancient Sinhapura of the Sinhalese traditions (Hingur < Singur < Singhpur < Sinhapur).
It was thought by some early historians that the Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an Gramaneyas of Sabhaparva of Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
may have been the ancestors of the Sinhalese. The original home of the Gramaneyas seems to have been the Sinhapura of Gandhara
Gandhara
Gandhāra , is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River...
/Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
, but the people shifted to lower Indus and then, after defeat by Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
Nakula
Nakula
Nakula, also spelt "Nakul" was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. Nakula and Sahadeva were fraternal twins born to Madri, who had invoked the Ashvins using a mantra for a son, the mantra shared by Kunti...
, to Saurashtra Peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, centuries prior to common era. There they seem to have founded a principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
in Saurashtra Peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, centuries prior to common era which they named Sinhapura probably to commemorate their past connections with Sinhapura of Gandhara/Kamboja. In all probability, Vijaya and his 700 followers, the earliest known Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
speakers of the island either belonged to the 'Sihore' (Sinhapura)/Sihor
Sihor
Sihor is an ancient, historical medium sized town, a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Placed along the river Gautami, this erstwhile capital of the Gohil Rajputs, surrounded by hills is situated about 20 km from Bhavnagar...
of Kathiawad (in Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar
-Topography:Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar, located at . It has an average elevation of 24 metres . It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat...
district) or else to Hingur (Sinhapura) east off the Indus delta from where they had sailed to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and settled there as colonists suggesting ancient links of Northwest Kambojas with Sri Lanka.
Oriya scholars claimed Simhapura was the same as the ancient capital of Kalinga
Kalinga
Kalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
in modern-day Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. Nissanka Malla's inscriptions mention Simhapura as the capital of Kalinga. The Yalpanavaipavamalai, a Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
text written in the 18th century by Mayilvakanapulavar mentions a King Ukkirasingan, whom Oriyas identify with Kalinga Magha of the Culavamsa
Culavamsa
The Cūḷavaṃsa, also Chulavamsa, is a historical record, written in the Pāli language, of the kings of Sri Lanka. It covers the period from the 4th century to 1815....
as being a descendant of Vijaya's brother who remained in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
though concrete evidences not found. And major drawbacks of all the hypotheses except east Indian town of Singur
Singur
Singur is a census town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Singur railway station is 34 km from Howrah Station on the Howrah-Tarakeswar line. It is 2 km ahead of Kamarkundu junction, the crossing point of Howrah-Bardhaman chord and Howrah-Tarakeshwar lines. It is on...
was they all lacked ancient developed ports like Tamralipta
Tamralipta
Tamralipta or Tamralipti was the name of an ancient city on the Bay of Bengal believed by scholars to be on the site of Tamluk in modern-day India.-References:...
through which voyages to Sri Lanka would have been possible.
Kuveni
Vijaya's arrival in Sri Lanka is said to have coincided with the passing away of the BuddhaGautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
. Indeed the very first 'person' that Vijaya supposedly encounters on the island is the 'Lord of the Gods', Lord Vishnu, who is charged by the ailing Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
with looking after Vijaya and his descendants.
The second encounter is far less auspicious - a Yakkinni, or demoness, who 'appeared in the form of a dog'. Vijaya's men, surmising that 'Only where there is a village are dogs to be found', followed the creature, only to come upon the Queen of the demons, Kuveni (also known as Kuvanna). Though the protection of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
prevented Kuveni from devouring the hapless man, it did not prevent her from hurling him - and all of Vijaya's other companions - into a chasm.
Vijaya eventually comes upon Kuveni
Kuveni
Kuveni also known as Sesapathi or Kuvanna, was a Yakshi queen in Sri Lanka mentioned in the ancient Sri Lankan Pali chronicles. The primary source for her life-story is the Mahavamsa. She is venerated as Maha Loku Kiriammaleththo by the Veddas...
and threatens her with death unless she releases his men. When this is done, Kuveni
Kuveni
Kuveni also known as Sesapathi or Kuvanna, was a Yakshi queen in Sri Lanka mentioned in the ancient Sri Lankan Pali chronicles. The primary source for her life-story is the Mahavamsa. She is venerated as Maha Loku Kiriammaleththo by the Veddas...
supplies them with food and clothing, and, 'assuming the lovely form of a sixteen year old maiden' seduces Vijaya. Then, in a complete reversal of her allegiances, she states that she 'will bestow Kingship on my Lord (Vijaya)' and thus 'all the Yakkhas must be slain, for (else) the Yakkhas will slay me, for it was through me that men have taken up their dwelling (in Lanka)'. This Vijaya goes on to do, vanquishing the demons and driving them from the island, all the time with Kuveni at his side.
Though Kuveni
Kuveni
Kuveni also known as Sesapathi or Kuvanna, was a Yakshi queen in Sri Lanka mentioned in the ancient Sri Lankan Pali chronicles. The primary source for her life-story is the Mahavamsa. She is venerated as Maha Loku Kiriammaleththo by the Veddas...
bears him two children, a son and a daughter, Vijaya eventually rejects her with the words 'Go now, dear one, leaving the two children behind; men are ever in fear of superhuman beings'. Despite begging Vijaya not to send her away, a broken-hearted Kuveni
Kuveni
Kuveni also known as Sesapathi or Kuvanna, was a Yakshi queen in Sri Lanka mentioned in the ancient Sri Lankan Pali chronicles. The primary source for her life-story is the Mahavamsa. She is venerated as Maha Loku Kiriammaleththo by the Veddas...
eventually leaves the palace, taking the two children despite being ordered not to. Arriving in one of the few surviving Yakka cities she is killed by her own people for her betrayal. One of her uncles takes pity on her children and tells them to flee before they, too, are killed. They eventually flee to Malaya rata where they settle and become the ancestors of the Pulindas. And alternative tale is that Kuveni flung herself from Yakdessa Gala, imploring the Gods to curse Vijaya for his cruelty - which they do by preventing any of Vijaya's children from ever sitting on the throne of Rajarata. Interestingly 'Vijaya's curse' is held by some to still hold sway over Sri Lanka's troubled politics.
The Kuveni-Vijaya story evokes some similarities with the encounter of Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
with Circe
Circe
In Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
. Circe
Circe
In Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
is also an enchantress and a witch. The Kuveni myth is also remarkable for being so violent and tragic. Both the demon Queen and Vijaya are portrayed as being deeply treacherous and unfeeling - the former in betraying her entire people, the latter in betraying her in turn so callously. Indeed Vijaya's reason for rejecting Kuveni is his desire for a 'a maiden of a noble house' to be consecrated Queen with him. This desire could have had a political aspect - in marrying a princess of an established noble house he would essentially have established himself as a legitimate monarch in his own right, on a par with the other rulers of the subcontinent's kingdoms.
Kuveni
Kuveni
Kuveni also known as Sesapathi or Kuvanna, was a Yakshi queen in Sri Lanka mentioned in the ancient Sri Lankan Pali chronicles. The primary source for her life-story is the Mahavamsa. She is venerated as Maha Loku Kiriammaleththo by the Veddas...
, on the other hand, is regarded as a descendant of the demons of the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and of Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
, who also dwelled in Lanka. A common folk tale was that her children did not, in fact, flee to Malaysia, but instead remained in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
's jungles and became the Veddas - Sri Lanka's aboriginal population. This may indeed be the explanation for Kuveni and her people, as early Indian settlers would almost certainly have come into contact and conflict with indigenous Sri Lankans. The Yakkas are referred to occasionally as 'invisible', and indeed would have appeared so to the newcomers unused to Sri Lanka's jungles, through which the Veddas even today can move in near-silence and with barely a trace.
Interestingly the Dipavamsa
Dipavamsa
The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa", is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka.It means Chronicle of the Island. The chronicle is believe to be compiled from Atthakatha and other sources around the 3-4th century. Together with Mahavamsa, it is the source of many accounts of ancient history of Sri...
, on which the Mahavamsa is based, makes no mention of Kuveni whatsoever.
Reign and death
Vijaya's ministers in the meanwhile had set about securing a princess for their leader to marry, and found one in the form of the daughter of the PandyanPandyan Kingdom
The Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
King of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
in Southern India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. Not only did the King dispatch his daughter, but he also decreed that 'Those men here who are willing to let a daughter depart for Lanka shall provide their daughters with a double store of clothing and place them at the doors of their houses. By this sign shall we (know that we may) take them to ourselves'. Thus every male in Vijaya's crew received a wife (their original wives had been separated from them on their voyage to Sri Lanka, and according to legend they were sent to the Maldivian Islands
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
).
The ministers also appear to have been quite intrepid in founding their own towns and cities around Tambapanni - Ujjeni, Uruvela, Upatissagama, Vijita, and Anuradhagama. Anuradhagama ('Anuradha's village') in particular was a significant foundation - under the name Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
(Anuradha's city) it was to become capital of Rajarata
Rajarata
Rajarata is the name given to the region of Sri Lanka from which monarchs ruled the country from approximately the 5th Century BCE to the early 13th Century CE...
for over a thousand years.
Following the arrival of the princess of the Pandyan Kingdom
Pandyan Kingdom
The Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
, 'the ministers in full assembly consecrated Vijaya king and appointed a great festival'. Age and marriage appear to have had a profound impact on Vijaya, who changed his way of life and ruled 'in peace and righteousness' for thirty-eight years.
The Mahavamsa describes the Pandyan
Pandyan Kingdom
The Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
ladies as originating from "Dakshina Madura" or "Southern Madura", which most Sinhala
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
scholars have interpreted as modern-day Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
in the state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, "Northern Madura" being the city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. This is a solid evidence of the relationship that Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
have shared for long. There are several such recorded instances of intermarriage between ruling families of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and the major royal South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
n Dynasties, in particular, the Pandyas
Pandyan Kingdom
The Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
and the Cheras
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
.
The events surrounding Vijaya's death provide an interesting insight into the standards of government - or at least the ideals of government - during this period. As seen before it was the ministers of Vijaya who took the initiative in finding a bride for the King and in founding cities, indicating a considerable amount of independence and authority. Similarly when Vijaya dies, 'the ministers ruled, dwelling in Upatissagama...for a year' whilst Vijaya's chosen successor, Sumitta, was summoned from Sinhapura. In the event it is not Sumitta but his son Panduvasdeva who arrives and takes up the reins of government, thus ensuring that the direct line of Vijaya's house is broken.
Significance
Vijaya's reign is of immense importance to the Sinhalese people as it forms the core of their cultural identity. As the Sinhalese kingdom developed into something of a South Asian anomaly - a Buddhist Kingdom in a largely Hindu and Dravidian belt across the Palk strait- the Vijaya legend reiterated that which differentiated the Sinhalese from their neighbors. The clear association of Vijaya with BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, though he is not Buddhist himself, foreshadows the kingdom's conversion in Devanampiyatissa's time. Vijaya's relationship with Kuveni explains the presence of the Veddas, and his marriage to the Pandyan
Pandyan Kingdom
The Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
princess establishes a precedent for the often cordial relations between the Sinhalese and the various kingdoms of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
.
Vijaya himself, however, is fascinating for being wayward, and on occasion even cruel and callous. Though he is consistently shown deference as leader of the embryonic Sinhalese polity, the Mahavamsa does not shy away from his more immoral acts. As such he is not held in the kind of awe and respect afforded to Devanampiyatissa
Devanampiyatissa
Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa was one of the earliest rulers of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 307 BC to 267 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka...
, Dutugemunu, or Parakramabahu the Great.
The Modern Sri Lankan Navy, for a considerable amount of time, consisted of only one battle ship, named the 'Vijaya'.
Ancestors
See also
- Prince Vijaya
- List of monarchs of Sri Lanka
- MahavamsaMahavamsaThe Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
- SihorSihorSihor is an ancient, historical medium sized town, a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Placed along the river Gautami, this erstwhile capital of the Gohil Rajputs, surrounded by hills is situated about 20 km from Bhavnagar...
- History of Sri LankaHistory of Sri LankaThe History of Sri Lanka begins around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. Chronicles, including the Mahawansa, the Dipavamsa, the Culavamsa and the Rajaveliya, record events from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC; through the arrival of European...
- Place names in Sri Lanka
External links
- Codrington's Short History of Ceylon
- http://lakdiva.org/mahavamsa/chapters.html The Mahavamsa Online
- History of Sri Lanka The Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka
- Kings & Rulers of Sri Lanka