Pre Anuradhapura period
543 BC – 437 BC
Prehistory of Sri Lanka Anuradhapura period
A section of the mural from Ajanta Caves 17, depicting the "coming of Sinhala".
Monarchs	House of Vijaya Vijaya Upatissa (regent) Panduvasdeva Abhaya Tissa (regent)

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ThePre-Anuradhapura period ofSri Lankanhistory begins with the gradual onset of historical records in the final centuries of theprehistoric period and ending in 437 BC. According to theMahavamsa, the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka are theYakshas and northernNaga tribes.Sinhalese history traditionally starts in 543 BC at the arrival ofPrince Vijaya, a semi-legendary king who was banished from the Indian subcontinent with his 700 followers and is recorded in theMahavamsa chronicle. This period was succeeded by theAnuradhapura period.

Periodization of Sri Lanka's history:

According to several sources, theNaga people were one of the groups that lived in coastal regions ofSri Lanka andTamil country before the arrival ofAryans in Lanka andDravidians in Tamil country. Some recorded naga settlements in Sri Lanka wereKelaniya and the modern-dayJaffna peninsula. One of the evidence that can be used to prove that point is the Jaffna peninsula being called Nagadeepa inpali or Nakadiva in earlySinhala. The Naga people probably followed a set of beliefs unique to them just like other indigenous communities worldwide. We can speculate that part of their traditions included the veneration of serpents. And they may have started to follow the teachings in theVedic scriptures andBuddhism (Probably non-denominational Buddhism that existed before thesecond buddhist council) after they came into contact with Aryans. They were later integrated into the dominant cultures of the areas where they lived, which wereTamil culture in Tamil country andSinhala culture in Sri Lanka

The Kingdom of Tambapanni existed from 543 BC to 505 BC. According toMahavamsa, the legendaryPrince Vijaya and seven hundred of his followers came to Sri Lanka after being expelled fromSinhapura in India. Vijaya is said to have landed on the island on the day ofGautama Buddha's death, although it is suspected that the dates have coincided purposefully during writing.^[1] BeforeParinirvana, the Buddha had asked the deities to protect the island becauseBuddhism will flourish and continue to exist in Sri Lanka. Prince Vijaya established theKingdom of Tambapanni. He married a localYakkhini namedKuveni, and their children gave rise to the Pulinda race (identified with theVedda people). Vijaya also married a princess of the Pandu kingdom (identified withPandyan kingdom) but did not have any children with her. His followers also married maidens sent by the Pandu king, and their descendants gave rise to the Sinhalese race.^[2][3]

ThePali chronicles, theDipavamsa,Mahavamsa,Thupavamsa^[4] and theCulavamsa as well as a large collection of stone inscriptions,^[5] the Indian Epigraphical records, the Burmese versions of the chronicles etc., provide an exceptional record for the history of Sri Lanka from about the sixth century BC.

The Mahavamsa, written around 400 AD, using the Dipavamsa, the Attakatha and other written sources available, it correlates well with Indian histories of the period. EmperorAsoka's reign is recorded in the Mahavamsa. The Mahavamsa account of the period prior to Asoka's coronation, (218 years after the Buddha's death) seems to be part legend. The account of the Mahavamsa, a Pali text written largely from the Sinhalese perspective, has mythological beginnings but becomes historical from the third century BC, with the arrival of Buddhism underDevanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka. Epigraphic sources also appear with the presence of Buddhism, from about the third century BC. The earliest historiographic literature, such as the Mahavamsa, dates to the sixth century AD. The entire ancient period of history written in the Mahavamsa is dominated by theAnuradhapura Kingdom. The medieval period in Sri Lanka is taken to begin with the fall of the Anuradhapura Kingdom in AD 1017.

Within Sri Lanka, the legend of Vijaya is often treated as a factual account of a historical event. However, multiple scholars consider the legend of dubious historicity.Satchi Ponnambalam called it a "pure flight of fantasy".^[6] According to Gavin Thomas, the narration of historical events inMahavamsa and its continuationCulavamsa is "at best questionably-biased, and at worst totally imaginary", aimed at establishing the royal lineage of the Sinhalese and the Buddhist credentials of the island.^[7] According to H.W. Codrington, Vijaya is probably a composite character, and the legend is aimed at connecting the early history of Sri Lanka with that of Buddha.^[8]

TheHouse of Vijaya produced four monarchs and two regents who ruled during this period.

• 543 BC: TheKingdom of Tambapanni is established byPrince Vijaya

• Vijaya Kuweni, 2012 Sinhala epic biographical history film.

• Sinhala Kingdom
• List of Sinhalese monarchs

• Kāmboja, Jiyālāla (1981).Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country. Isṭarana Buka Liṅkarsa.OCLC 14053560.

• Mittal, J. P. (2006)."Other dynasties".History of Ancient India: From 4250 BC to 637 AD. Vol. 2 of History of Ancient India: A New Version. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors.ISBN 81-269-0616-2.

• Pre Anuradhapura period
• Ancient Sri Lanka

• CS1 Sinhala-language sources (si)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• CS1: long volume value