South Asia · Ancient and classical
Anuradhapura Kingdom
Monarchy · 377 BC – AD 1017
The kingdom was the second established Sinhalese kingdom after the Kingdom of Tambapanni. According to the Mahāvaṃsa, Prince Vijaya (543–505 BC) arrived from India in 543 BC and established colonies; the settlement of Anuradhagama was founded by his minister Anuradha on the banks of the Kolon stream, named after him and the Anuradha Nakshatra.
- Type
- Monarchy
- Existed
- 377 BC – AD 1017
- Shown on the map
- AD 1–1017
- Heartland
- island of Sri Lanka (Rajarata, Maya Rata and Ruhuna)
- Peak area
- ~74,000 km²
- Region
- South Asia
Origins and founding
The kingdom was the second established Sinhalese kingdom after the Kingdom of Tambapanni. According to the Mahāvaṃsa, Prince Vijaya (543–505 BC) arrived from India in 543 BC and established colonies; the settlement of Anuradhagama was founded by his minister Anuradha on the banks of the Kolon stream, named after him and the Anuradha Nakshatra. King Pandukabhaya (437–367 BC) made Anuradhapura his capital in 377 BC, fixed village boundaries, appointed village headmen, and built hermitages, cemeteries and irrigation tanks, extending authority over much of the island.
Capitals and territory
Anuradhapura was the capital throughout, except under Kashyapa I (473–491), who ruled from the rock-fortress of Sigiriya. The city is marked on Ptolemy's world map. Territory was divided into Rajarata (the core, directly administered by the king), Ruhuna in the south and Malaya Rata in the hill country, subdivided into ratas under ratiyas and gamas (villages) under gamikas.
Major rulers and key events
Devanampiya Tissa (250–210 BC) received the Buddhist mission of Mahinda in 247 BC and accepted Buddhism; Sanghamitta brought a Bodhi sapling planted as the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. The Chola prince Elara ruled the north 205–161 BC until Dutthagamani defeated him in single combat and unified the island, building the Ruwanwelisaya and Lovamahapaya. Valagamba I (89–77 BC) restored the dynasty after the Five Dravidian invasions; in his reign the Tripitaka was committed to writing at Aluvihara. Gajabahu I (114–136) invaded the Chola country and recovered the Tooth Relic; Kithsirimevan (301–328) received the Tooth Relic from Kalinga. Dhatusena (455–473) built Kalaweva, and Mahasena (274–301) built 16 tanks. Sena II sacked Madurai in 862. In 993 Rajaraja Chola I seized the north; in 1017 Rajendra I captured Mahinda V (982–1017), sacked Anuradhapura and moved the capital to Polonnaruwa.
Government, economy and culture
Government was hereditary monarchy advised by a purohita and a board of ministers, with a senapati as commander-in-chief; the Sangha was closely tied to kingship. The economy was agrarian (rice in two seasons, Yala and Maha) supported by a vast irrigation network, with exports of gems, spices, pearls and elephants through ports like Mahatittha and Gokanna. Punch-marked silver kahavanu coins circulated from c. 200 BC.
Decline and end
Repeated South Indian invasions (Pandyan, Pallava-backed, then Chola) eroded royal power; Mahinda V could not even collect taxes. The Chola conquest of 1017 ended the kingdom; Vijayabahu I later restored Sinhalese rule but kept Polonnaruwa as capital.
Legacy and significance
A 1,400-year civilization whose stupas (Ruwanwelisaya, Jetavana), Sigiriya paintings, Pali chronicles (Mahavamsa, Culavamsa) and irrigation engineering define Sri Lankan identity; it made Theravada Buddhism the island's enduring faith.
Common questions
- What was the Anuradhapura Kingdom?
- The kingdom was the second established Sinhalese kingdom after the Kingdom of Tambapanni. According to the Mahāvaṃsa, Prince Vijaya (543–505 BC) arrived from India in 543 BC and established colonies; the settlement of Anuradhagama was founded by his minister Anuradha on the banks of the Kolon stream, named after him and the Anuradha Nakshatra.
- When did the Anuradhapura Kingdom exist?
- The Anuradhapura Kingdom existed 377 BC – AD 1017. On this map it is drawn AD 1–1017.
- How large was the Anuradhapura Kingdom?
- At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Anuradhapura Kingdom covered about 74,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
- Where was the Anuradhapura Kingdom?
- Anuradhapura was the capital throughout, except under Kashyapa I (473–491), who ruled from the rock-fortress of Sigiriya. The city is marked on Ptolemy's world map.
- Who ruled the Anuradhapura Kingdom?
- Devanampiya Tissa (250–210 BC) received the Buddhist mission of Mahinda in 247 BC and accepted Buddhism; Sanghamitta brought a Bodhi sapling planted as the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. The Chola prince Elara ruled the north 205–161 BC until Dutthagamani defeated him in single combat and unified the island, building the Ruwanwelisaya and Lovamahapaya.
- How did the Anuradhapura Kingdom end?
- Repeated South Indian invasions (Pandyan, Pallava-backed, then Chola) eroded royal power; Mahinda V could not even collect taxes. The Chola conquest of 1017 ended the kingdom; Vijayabahu I later restored Sinhalese rule but kept Polonnaruwa as capital.
- How was the Anuradhapura Kingdom governed?
- Government was hereditary monarchy advised by a purohita and a board of ministers, with a senapati as commander-in-chief; the Sangha was closely tied to kingship.
- Why does the Anuradhapura Kingdom still matter?
- A 1,400-year civilization whose stupas (Ruwanwelisaya, Jetavana), Sigiriya paintings, Pali chronicles (Mahavamsa, Culavamsa) and irrigation engineering define Sri Lankan identity; it made Theravada Buddhism the island's enduring faith.
Sources
Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.
- Wikipedia: Anuradhapura Kingdom en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuradhapura_Kingdom
This entry was written from the sources above and last updated .
This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
See the Anuradhapura Kingdom in its world
Open the atlas at AD 509 and every neighbour, rival and successor is on screen with it — then drag the slider and watch what happens next.
Open the map at AD 509 →