Polonnaruwa period

The Polonnaruwa period was a period in the history of Sri Lanka from 1017, after the Chola conquest of Anuradhapura and when the center of administration was moved to Polonnaruwa, to the end of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa in 1232.

Main articles: History of Sri Lanka and Kingdom of Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa period

1017–1232
Statue of Parakramabahu I
Including	Chola conquest Kingdom of Polonnaruwa
Preceded by	Anuradhapura period
Followed by	Transitional period
Monarch(s)	House of Vijayabahu House of Kalinga Lokissara Parakrama Pandyan II Kalinga Magha

The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was the second major Sinhalese kingdom of Sri Lanka. It lasted from 1055 under Vijayabahu I until 1212 under the rule of Lilavati. The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa came after the Anuradhapura Kingdom, which was invaded by Chola forces under Rajaraja I. It also followed the Kingdom of Ruhuna, in which the Sinhalese Kings ruled during Chola occupation.

Overview

Periodization of Sri Lanka history:

Dates	Period	Period	Span (years)	Subperiod	Span (years)	Main government
300,000 BP–~1000 BC	Prehistoric Sri Lanka	Stone Age	–		300,000	Unknown
		Bronze Age	–
~1000 BC–543 BC		Iron Age	–		457
543 BC–437 BC	Ancient Sri Lanka	Pre Anuradhapura	–		106	Monarchy
437 BC–463 AD		Anuradhapura	1454	Early Anuradhapura	900
463–691				Middle Anuradhapura	228
691–1017	Post-classical "Medieval" Sri Lanka			Late Anuradhapura	326
1017–1070		Polonnaruwa	215	Chola conquest	53
1055–1232					177
1232–1521		Transitional	365		289
1521–1597	Early Modern Sri Lanka			Crisis of the Sixteenth Century	76
1597–1815		Kandyan	–		218
1815–1948	Modern Sri Lanka	British Ceylon	–		133	Colonial Government
1948–1972	Contemporary Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka since 1948	72 years ago	Dominion	24	Constitutional monarchy
1972–Present				Republic	48 years ago	Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic

Political history

Chola conquest (1017–1056)

The Chola conquest began with the invasion in 993 AD, when Raja Raja Chola sent a large Chola army which conquered the Anuradhapura Kingdom, in the north, and added it to the Chola Empire. Most of the island was subsequently conquered and incorporated as a province of the vast Chola empire during the reign of his son Rajendra Chola.[1][2][3][4]

Kingdom of Polonnaruwa (1056–1232)

Vijayabahu I (1055–1110), recaptured the whole Island and established Polonnaruwa as the new capital. King Vijayabahu married a second queen from the Kalinga (Orissa) Royal Family, and had a son, Vikramabâhu I, and a daughter, Ratnavali. His sister, Mitta, married a Pandya Prince who had three sons. His eldest son, Manabharana, married Ratnavali. Their son was Parākramabāhu I (1153–1186) Grandson of Vijayabahu I, Prince of Sinhalese-Pandyan-Kalinga descent, son of Manabharana and Vijayabahu's sister, Mitta. He was a very powerful king who was noted for his engineering,[5] naval power, art, culture, Sinhala inscriptions, and even a Tamil edict in Uruthota (Kayts). The Chulavamsa was written by Dharmakirthi, updating the Mahavamsa to include Parakramabahu.

See also

• Mahavamsa
• Architecture of ancient Sri Lanka
• Sinhala Kingdom
• List of Sinhalese monarchs

References

1. Chattopadhyaya, pp 7–9
2. Indian History with Objective Questions and Historical Maps Twenty-Sixth Edition 2010, South India page 59
3. Hermann Kulke; K Kesavapany; Vijay Sakhuja (2009). Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: Reflections on the Chola Naval Expeditions to Southeast Asia. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 195–. ISBN 978-981-230-937-2.
4. Charles A. Gunawardena (2005). Encyclopedia of Sri Lanka. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-1-932705-48-5.
5. Broheir, R. L. (1937) Ancient Irrigation Works in Ceylon. 3 vols.