Editing Sri Lanka (section)

=== Ancient history ===
{{Main|Pre-Anuradhapura period|Anuradhapura period}}
[[File:Ptolemy's Taprobana.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ptolemy's world map]] of Ceylon, first century CE, in a 1535 publication]]

According to the ''[[Mahāvaṃsa]]'', a [[Pali|Pāḷi]] chronicle written in the 5th century CE, the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka are said to be the [[Yaksha]]s and [[Naga people (Lanka)|Nagas]]. Sinhalese history traditionally starts in 543 BCE with the arrival of [[Prince Vijaya]], a semi-legendary prince who sailed with 700 followers to Sri Lanka, after being expelled from [[Vanga kingdom]] (present-day [[Bengal]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mahavamsa.org/mahavamsa/original-version/06-coming-vijaya/ |title=The Coming of Vijaya |work=The Mahavamsa |date=8 October 2011 |access-date=16 October 2015 |archive-date=30 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030084837/http://mahavamsa.org/mahavamsa/original-version/06-coming-vijaya/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He established the [[Kingdom of Tambapanni]], near modern-day [[Mannar, Sri Lanka|Mannar]]. Vijaya (Singha) is the first of the approximately [[List of Sri Lankan monarchs|189 monarchs of Sri Lanka]] described in chronicles such as the ''[[Dīpavaṃsa]]'', ''Mahāvaṃsa'', ''[[Cūḷavaṃsa]]'', and ''Rājāvaliya''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/gen3000.html |title=Vijaya (Singha) and the Lankan Monarchs – Family #3000 |work=[[Ancestry.com]] |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=5 August 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805174143/http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/gen3000.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Once [[Prakrit]] speakers had attained dominance on the island, the ''[[Mahāvaṃsa]]'' further recounts the later migration of royal brides and service castes from the Tamil [[Pandya kingdom]] to the [[Anuradhapura kingdom]] in the early historic period.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mahavamsa.org/mahavamsa/original-version/07-consecrating-vijaya/ |title=The Consecrating of Vijaya |work=Mahavamsa |date=8 October 2011 |access-date=27 January 2021 |archive-date=20 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620071000/https://mahavamsa.org/mahavamsa/original-version/07-consecrating-vijaya/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Buda de Avukana - 01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The [[Avukana Buddha statue]], a {{convert|12|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} standing Buddha statue from the reign of [[Dhatusena of Anuradhapura]], 5th century]]

The [[Anuradhapura period]] (377 BCE{{snd}}1017 CE) began with the establishment of the [[Anuradhapura kingdom]] in 380 BCE during the reign of [[Pandukabhaya]]. Thereafter, Anuradhapura served as the capital city of the country for nearly 1,400 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/anuradhapura.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040107085324/http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/anuradhapura.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 January 2004 |title=World Heritage site: Anuradhapura |work=worldheritagesite.org |access-date=15 July 2014 }}</ref> Ancient Sri Lankans excelled at building certain types of [[Ancient constructions of Sri Lanka|structures]] such as [[Sri Lankan irrigation network|tanks]], [[Stupa|dagobas]] and palaces.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mysrilankaholidays.com/ancient-sinhalese-irrigation.html |title=Waterworld: Ancient Sinhalese Irrigation |work=mysrilankaholidays.com |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=26 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626105945/http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/ancient-sinhalese-irrigation.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Society underwent a major transformation during the reign of [[Devanampiya Tissa]], with the arrival of Buddhism from India. In 250 BCE,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/perera/wheel100.html#preface |title=Buddhism in Sri Lanka: A Short History |author=Perera H. R. |work=accesstoinsight.org |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=22 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070422013525/http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/perera/wheel100.html#preface |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mahinda (Buddhist monk)|Mahinda]], a [[bhikkhu]] and the son of the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan]] Emperor [[Ashoka]] arrived in [[Mihintale]] carrying the message of Buddhism.<ref name="Macmillan1">{{cite book |author=Holt, John Clifford |contribution=Sri Lanka |year=2004 |title=Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism |editor=Buswell, Robert E. Jr. |pages=795–799 |publisher=Macmillan Reference |isbn=978-0-8160-5459-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5dxCHAAACAAJ}}</ref> His mission won over the monarch, who embraced the faith and propagated it throughout the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese population]].<ref name="mahav1">{{cite web |url=http://mahavamsa.org/2008/05/king-devanampiya-tissa-306-bc/ |title=King Devanampiya Tissa (306 BC – 266 BC) |work=[[Mahāvaṃsa]] |date=28 May 2008 |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=14 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814102643/http://mahavamsa.org/2008/05/king-devanampiya-tissa-306-bc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Succeeding kingdoms of Sri Lanka would maintain many [[schools of Buddhism|Buddhist schools]] and monasteries and support the propagation of Buddhism into other countries in Southeast Asia. Sri Lankan Bhikkhus studied in India's famous ancient Buddhist University of [[Nalanda]], which was destroyed by [[Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji|Bakhtiyar Khalji]]. It is probable that many of the scriptures from Nalanda are preserved in Sri Lanka's many monasteries and that the written form of the [[Tripiṭaka]], including Sinhalese Buddhist literature, were part of the University of Nalanda.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/lanka-txt.htm |title=Buddhism in Sri Lanka |work=buddhanet.net |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=21 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221072955/http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/lanka-txt.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 245 BCE, [[bhikkhunī]] [[Sanghamitta]] arrived with the [[Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi]] tree, which is considered to be a sapling from the historical [[Bodhi Tree]] under which [[Gautama Buddha]] became enlightened.<ref>{{Harvnb|Paw|p=6}}</ref> It is considered the oldest human-planted tree (with a continuous historical record) in the world. ([[Bodhivaṃsa]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://print.dailymirror.lk/features/139-feature/38344.html |title=Historical trees: Overlooked aspect of heritage that needs a revival of interest |author=Gunawardana, Jagath |work=Daily Mirror |access-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715154617/http://print.dailymirror.lk/features/139-feature/38344.html |archive-date=15 July 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Evans |first1=Julian |title=Plantation Forestry in the Tropics: Tree Planting for Industrial, Social, Environmental, and Agroforestry Purposes |date=1992 |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=9780198542575 |page=26 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h1oF-88qKRsC |access-date=11 May 2022}}</ref>

Sri Lanka experienced the first of many foreign invasions during the reign of [[Suratissa of Anuradhapura|Suratissa]], who was defeated by two horse traders named [[Sena and Guttika]] from South India.<ref name="mahav1" /> The next invasion came immediately in 205 BCE by a [[Chola]] named [[Elara (monarch)|Elara]], who overthrew [[Asela of Anuradhapura|Asela]] and ruled the country for 44 years. [[Dutugamunu]], the eldest son of the southern regional sub-king, [[Kavan Tissa, Prince of Ruhuna|Kavan Tissa]], defeated Elara in the [[Battle of Vijithapura]]. During its two and a half millennia of existence, the [[Sinhala kingdom]] was invaded at least eight times by neighbouring South Indian dynasties such as the [[Chola dynasty|Chola]], [[Pandya dynasty|Pandya]], and [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]].{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} There also were incursions by the kingdoms of [[Kalinga (region)|Kalinga]] (modern [[Odisha]]) and from the [[Malay Peninsula]] as well.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

[[File:Sigiriya.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Sigiriya]] ("Lion Rock"), a rock fortress and city, built by King [[Kashyapa I of Anuradhapura|Kashyapa]] (477–495 CE) as a new more defensible capital. It was also used as a Buddhist monastery after the capital was moved back to [[Anuradhapura]].]]

The [[Fourth Theravāda Council]] was held at the [[Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya]] in Sri Lanka under the patronage of [[Valagamba]] in 25 BCE. The council was held in response to a year in which the harvests in Sri Lanka were particularly poor and many [[bhikkhu|Buddhist monks]] subsequently died of starvation. Because the [[Pali Canon]] was at that time [[oral literature]] maintained in several recensions by ''dhammabhāṇaka''s ([[dharma]] reciters), the surviving monks recognised the danger of not writing it down so that even if some of the monks whose duty it was to study and remember parts of the Canon for later generations died, the teachings would not be lost.{{sfn | Buswell | Lopez | 2013 | p=200}} After the council, [[palm-leaf manuscript]]s containing the completed Canon were taken to other countries such as [[Burma]], [[Thailand]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Laos]].

Sri Lanka was the first Asian country known to have a female ruler: [[Anula of Anuradhapura]] (r. 47–42 BCE).<ref name="sigiriya12">{{cite web |title=The History of Ceylon |work=sltda.gov.lk |url=http://www.sltda.gov.lk/history |access-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808014733/http://www.sltda.gov.lk/history |archive-date=8 August 2014 }}</ref> Sri Lankan monarchs undertook some remarkable construction projects such as [[Sigiriya]], the so-called "Fortress in the Sky", built during the reign of [[Kashyapa I]], who ruled between 477 and 495. The Sigiriya rock fortress is surrounded by an extensive network of ramparts and moats. Inside this protective enclosure were gardens, ponds, pavilions, palaces and other structures.<ref name="Ponnamperuma 2013">{{cite book |last=Ponnamperuma |first=Senani |title=Story of Sigiriya |year=2013 |publisher=Panique Pty Ltd |location=Melbourne |isbn=978-0-9873451-1-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=25zxmgEACAAJ}}</ref><ref name="Bandaranayake 1999">{{cite book |last=Bandaranayake |first=Senake |title=Sigiriya: City, Palace, and Royal Gardens |year=1999 |publisher=Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Cultural Affairs |location=Colombo |isbn=978-955-613-111-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vw9uAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

In 993 CE, the invasion of [[Chola dynasty|Chola emperor]] [[Rajaraja I]] forced the then Sinhalese ruler [[Mahinda V]] to flee to the southern part of Sri Lanka. Taking advantage of this situation, [[Rajendra I]], son of Rajaraja I, launched a large invasion in 1017. Mahinda V was captured and taken to India, and the Cholas [[Chola conquest of Anuradhapura|sacked the city of Anuradhapura]] causing the fall of [[Anuradhapura kingdom]]. Subsequently, they moved the capital to [[Polonnaruwa]].<ref name="Siriweera 2004, p. 44">{{cite book |last=Siriweera |first=W. I. |title=A Study of the Economic History of Pre Modern Sri Lanka |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-7069-7621-2 |pages=44–45 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OubsAAAAMAAJ |access-date=24 July 2018 |archive-date=6 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106105344/https://books.google.com/books?id=OubsAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>