When did the Polonnaruwa Kingdom exist?

The Polonnaruwa Kingdom existed 1055 – 1232. On this map it is drawn 1072–1259.

How large was the Polonnaruwa Kingdom?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Polonnaruwa 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.

South Asia · The regional kingdoms

Polonnaruwa Kingdom

Sinhalese Buddhist kingdom covering the island of Sri Lanka · 1055 – 1232

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Type: Sinhalese Buddhist kingdom covering the island of Sri Lanka
Existed: 1055 – 1232
Shown on the map: 1072–1259
Heartland: overseas influence briefly extended into Pandya Nadu in South India
Peak area: peak area given as ~74,000 km²
Region: South Asia

Origins and founding

The kingdom arose from the long struggle against the Chola occupation of Sri Lanka. Rajaraja I and Rajendra Chola I conquered Anuradhapura (completed c. 1017–18), capturing King Mahinda V, who died in exile in 1029. Sinhalese resistance continued from Rohana until Vijayabahu I, claiming descent from the House of Lambakanna II, expelled the Cholas; he crowned himself in 1055 at Anuradhapura but kept his capital at the more central Polonnaruwa, reuniting the island by 1070 for the first time in over a century.

Capitals and territory

The capital was Polonnaruwa (Vijayarajapura). The kingdom encompassed Rajarata, Maya Rata and Ruhuna; under Parakramabahu I its armies briefly held parts of the Pandya country, including Rameswaram, until the Cholas prevailed in the 1170s.

Major rulers and key events

Vijayabahu I (1055–1110) restored irrigation and Buddhism after the Chola devastation. After a succession crisis and civil war, Parakramabahu I the Great (1153–1186) unified the island, legitimising himself by securing the Buddha's tooth and bowl relics, crushed rebellions in Rohana (1160) and Rajarata (1168), intervened in the Pandyan war of succession, and launched a naval punitive expedition against Ramanna (Burma). He built 1,470 reservoirs — including the vast Parakrama Samudra — repaired 165 dams and thousands of canals, the greatest irrigation programme in Sri Lankan history. Nissanka Malla (1187–1196), of the Kalinga line, gave the island a last decade of stability, building the Hatadage, Nissanka Latha Mandapaya and Rankoth Vihara. Thereafter factional generals repeatedly seized power, and Queen Lilavati was enthroned three times.

Government, economy and culture

A monarchy resting on a sophisticated hydraulic agrarian economy ("let no water drop that falls from the rain make it to the sea without being useful to mankind," Parakramabahu ordered) plus brisk Indian Ocean trade through Kalpitiya, Chilaw and Colombo; copper massa coinage modelled on Chola types circulated, and Song Chinese coins are found at Polonnaruwa. Theravada Buddhism flourished and was exported: Khmer king Jayavarman VII sent his son Tamalinda to be ordained there. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage and the Gal Vihara colossi mark the peak of Sinhalese art.

Decline and end

Over-centralisation, expensive public works and dynastic factionalism (Pandya vs. Kalinga bloodlines) sapped the state. Parakrama Pandyan II seized the throne in 1212; in 1215 Kalinga Magha invaded, sacked Polonnaruwa, persecuted Buddhists and ruled brutally for 21 years, driving mass Sinhalese migration southward. Vijayabahu III expelled Magha's forces and founded the Kingdom of Dambadeniya in 1232, ending the Polonnaruwa era; a Tamil kingdom consolidated in Jaffna.

Legacy and significance

Polonnaruwa was the last great hydraulic civilisation of Sri Lanka's dry zone; its collapse ended the 1,500-year-old Rajarata civilisation and shifted the Sinhalese centre of gravity permanently to the wet-zone south. Its monuments are UNESCO-listed.

Common questions

What was the Polonnaruwa Kingdom?: The kingdom arose from the long struggle against the Chola occupation of Sri Lanka. Rajaraja I and Rajendra Chola I conquered Anuradhapura (completed c. 1017–18), capturing King Mahinda V, who died in exile in 1029.
When did the Polonnaruwa Kingdom exist?: The Polonnaruwa Kingdom existed 1055 – 1232. On this map it is drawn 1072–1259.
How large was the Polonnaruwa Kingdom?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa Kingdom?: The capital was Polonnaruwa (Vijayarajapura). The kingdom encompassed Rajarata, Maya Rata and Ruhuna; under Parakramabahu I its armies briefly held parts of the Pandya country, including Rameswaram, until the Cholas prevailed in the 1170s.
Who ruled the Polonnaruwa Kingdom?: Vijayabahu I (1055–1110) restored irrigation and Buddhism after the Chola devastation. After a succession crisis and civil war, Parakramabahu I the Great (1153–1186) unified the island, legitimising himself by securing the Buddha's tooth and bowl relics, crushed rebellions in Rohana (1160) and Rajarata (1168), intervened in the Pandyan war of succession, and launched a naval punitive expedition against Ramanna (Burma).
How did the Polonnaruwa Kingdom end?: Over-centralisation, expensive public works and dynastic factionalism (Pandya vs. Kalinga bloodlines) sapped the state. Parakrama Pandyan II seized the throne in 1212; in 1215 Kalinga Magha invaded, sacked Polonnaruwa, persecuted Buddhists and ruled brutally for 21 years, driving mass Sinhalese migration southward.
How was the Polonnaruwa Kingdom governed?: A monarchy resting on a sophisticated hydraulic agrarian economy ("let no water drop that falls from the rain make it to the sea without being useful to mankind," Parakramabahu ordered) plus brisk Indian Ocean trade through Kalpitiya, Chilaw and Colombo; copper massa coinage modelled on Chola types circulated, and Song Chinese coins are found at Polonnaruwa.
Why does the Polonnaruwa Kingdom still matter?: Polonnaruwa was the last great hydraulic civilisation of Sri Lanka's dry zone; its collapse ended the 1,500-year-old Rajarata civilisation and shifted the Sinhalese centre of gravity permanently to the wet-zone south. Its monuments are UNESCO-listed.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Kingdom of Polonnaruwa en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Polonnaruwa

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

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).

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