The socio-political, economic and cultural
position of Sri Lanka in the 19th and the early 20th century was based on the British
imperialist requirements. At that
period the evil influence of western domination, Buddhism had dropped to its
lowest ebb in Sri Lanka and the Sinhalese Buddhist identity began to lose
ground. However,
there was a considerable amount of religious agitation began among Sinhalese. Srimath
Anagarika Darmapala was one of the great personality who revival against
colonial missionary policies and got various efforts to reestablish the
Buddhism. Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala: The Person who Found the Lost Identity of the Buddhist
The socio-political, economic and cultural
position of Sri Lanka in the 19th and the early 20th century was based on the British
imperialist requirements. At that
period the evil influence of western domination, Buddhism had dropped to its
lowest ebb in Sri Lanka and the Sinhalese Buddhist identity began to lose
ground. However,
there was a considerable amount of religious agitation began among Sinhalese. Srimath
Anagarika Darmapala was one of the great personality who revival against
colonial missionary policies and got various efforts to reestablish the
Buddhism. The origin of Anuradhapura as an organized city.
The Anuradhapura
city was created and developed as an organized city during the reign of king Pandukabhaya who was born to Deegagamini and Unmadhanie Chiththa. The king should be bestowed honor for his
great service of building a city which came to be called Anuradhapura the reasons being the Anura Nekatha which was the chosen auspicious time to start the
construction coupled with the fact that it was the residence for two important
people named Anuradha. (the minister
of king Vijaya and the brother of
queen Baddrakachchayana. Only after
having built the city that he claimed kingship establishing Swarnapali Devi as his chief consort. Therefore,
the king also holds an important place being the first monarch in the history
of Sri Lanka. He placed the soldiers in due positions and spared the life of king
Abhaya considering the help offered
by him both to Pandukabhaya and his
mother and assigned him with the task of safe guarding the city. From then
onwards a position called Nagara
Guththika came in to being within the city. The emergence of the so-called
position point to the beginning of the official positions in the city. He built
many waters of which one was named Jaya
Wewa for the reason that the king bathed there after obtaining victories.
To the east of the city he built the Kalawelayaku
Devalaya
The nature of the foreign invasions during the Anuradhapura period.
Sri Lanka has met with foreign invasions
in the Anuradhapura kingdom which
either resulted in the death of the native king or causing the ruler to
withdraw from the capital seeking for refuge. However, both had equally disastrous
outcomes such as the instability of the kingdom and the ill-fated condition of
the Buddha Sasana in the face of foreign occupations. Besides the arrival of Vijaya in Sri Lanka, which cannot be
entirely assumed to be an invasion but more likely a migration as Vijaya grasped the throne thanks to the
aid of the local queen Kuweni which
is a feature absent in the cases of later foreign occupations. King
Surathissa’s reign was marked by the invasion of the two horse traders named Sena and Guththika who were said to be pious rulers and adopted Buddhism. Sena and Guththika marked an end to the ten year rule of Surathissa. The Mahavamsa mentions them as in possession of a great power whose
reign lasted for twenty-two years.
The history of the annual Dalanda Perahara in Sri Lanka.
The
annual Dalanda Perahara (Esala Perahara) held in honor of the tooth relic of
lord Buddha traces its origins back to the period of king kithsirimewan who was also known by the name of Kirthi Siri Meghawarna. He succeeded
his father Mahasen to the Anuradhapura kingdom and can be fairly
given credit to as the one who brought to light the areas kept in darkness by
his father. His reign was of much significance especially due to the fact that
the sacred tooth relic of the lord Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka during his time.
To elaborate, in honor of the sacred tooth relic, an annual procession called a
Dalanda Perahara had begun by the king. It is said in the Mahavamsa that in the ninth year from his advancement to the
throne, a Brahmin woman brought the tooth relic of the lord Buddha to Sri Lanka
from Kalingu rata and king Kithsirimevan, having it handed over to
him, made offerings to it with high respect which was afterwards placed by him
in a golden reliquary and installed in the house called Damsak built by king Dewanampiyatissa
within Rajaramaya. By then onwards,
that house was known by the name of Datadathugara.
From that time, the king, by spending nine lakhs started the grand Dalanda
procession. He ordered to carry the tooth relic to the Abayagiriya every once a year and to continue with such
processions.
"Kalikala Sahitya Sarvagna Pandita", king Parakramabahu II of ancient Dambadeniya.
Literature and education is not something distinctive
for professional artists or writers. In this regard, the well-read, king Parakramabahu II of Dambadeniya is the best affirmation,
who was bestowed the honorary title of "Kalikala
Sahitya Sarvagna Pandita". Inevitably, the term ‘panditha’ implies
that king Parakramabahu was well learned
while the term ‘sahithya’ bring in to light his inclination to literature. He succeeded his father Vijayabahu III to Dambadeniya
kingdom and was succeeded by his son Vijayabahu
IV. The reign of Parakramabahu II lasted
from 1234-1269AD. He is a king who was noted both to his determination to fight
the Magha invaders who had captured Polonnaruwa and to his devotion to
carryon processions in honor of the
Sarvagna Dathu. As the Mahavamsa
mentions, accompanied by great processions, the Buddha relics were brought to Jambudroni. The king’s high concern and
respect for the Buddha relics, prompted him to build a mansion near his palace
to house the relics so that he can worship them whenever needed. Once the king
arranged a splendor procession and he placed the tooth relic in his hand and in
the presence of the Sangha, performed a passive resistance. His yearning was to
defeat the Tamil invader Magha who
was occupied in destroying Buddha Sasana and after having overthrown the enemy,
to nourish the Loka Sasana. Therefore, his priority was given to the protection
of Buddha sasana which was followed by his resolution to put an end to the Magha rule.
King Mahasen, an embodiment of both merit and demerit.
Bad company leads anyone in the wrong path
regardless of his or her position, gender, and age. It is common both to an
ordinary man and even to a king. If it was a king who was led astray, it
endangers a whole community. This is not something peculiar for Sri Lanka, even
king Ajasath of India caused patricide following the instructions and guidance of Devadaththa, who despite being a bhikkhu
had a growing hostility for king Bimbisara.
Similarly, this is what occurred during the reign of king Mahasen of ancient Anuradhapura
kingdom, who was preceded by king Detuthis
and was succeeded by his son Sirimevan.
His name was added to the history as a king who caused an immense demerit to the
Mahavihara monastery representing Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, by following
the road shown by a bhikkhu named Sanghamithra.
But his specialty lies in the fact that Mahasen
was not noted only for his demerits. On the contrary, the Mahavamsa mentions in reference to Mahasen that the intelligence ones eradicate the bad company as a
poisonous snake and proceed with what he feels to do. As evident by the above
account, Mahasen was a king who did
both meritorious and de meritorious actions. Strangely, both king Ajasath of India and Mahasen of
ancient Anuradhapura kingdom was
provoked to move in the wrong path by a bhikkhu. In the case of Ajasath it was Devadaththa while in the case of Mahasen it was Sanghamithra.
"Mind of Virtue and an Ocean of Gems" - King Buddhadasa of Anuradhapura kingdom.
It is worthwhile to throw some light on an
ancient king of Sri Lanka, who is described as a "Mind of Virtue and an
Ocean of Gems" in the Mahavamsa. Buddhadasa was a King of Anuradhapura, whose reign lasted from 341 to 370 AD. He was preceded by his
father Jettha Tissa and was
succeeded by his son Upatissa. King Buddhadasa is mentioned in the Mahavamsa as a house for compassion. His
rule was marked by the philosophy of Dasarajadharma
imposed by the Lord Buddha. The best
definition for his compassion over the animals is provided in the Mahavamsa as similar to a father’s mercy
to his son. The king was noted not only for his noble character but also for
his intelligence. He provided capital for the poor and he is specially noted
for his role as an expert physician.
The invasion of Kalinga Magha and the fall of the Polonnaruwa kingdom.
It is commonplace that the disunity among
the natives inevitably makes a state vulnerable, as it keeps them occupied in
their internal struggles which has the result of drawing their attention from
possible external conquests. A similar event occurred in ancient Sri Lanka, to
be more specific, during the Polonnaruwa
kingdom. Sri Lanka was marked by the Kalinga
Magha invasion in 1215 AD which
led to the fall of the Polonnaruwa
kingdom along with several other factors which were equally undesirable to
the continuity of the kingdom. However, the other reasons aside, the Magha invasion alone can be looked on
as a climax point of Sri Lankan history due to two reasons. Firstly, it
operated as the immediate cause among a number of long term causes for the
collapse of the Polonnaruwa kingdom.
Secondly it marked a striking change of the capital of Sri Lanka which was
transferred from Polonnaruwa to Dambadeniya.
Ancient Ruhuna as a base for the resistance movements and as a place of refuge.
Every action has a counter reaction which
is equally strong and opposite. Similarly, in ancient Sri Lanka especially
during the Anuradhapura kingdom Ruhuna
remained to be the area from where counter reactions against the occupation of foreign
invaders were much heard. Magama is
known to be the capital of Ruhuna
encompassing the present Thissamaharama territory.
Ruhuna holds its importance not for
a single reason. Conversely, Ruhuna
took on different roles in the history of Sri Lanka which is marked by constant
conquests, mostly South Indian. Ruhuna still
carries its significance as a place which provided refuge for the ancient Sinhala
kings, mostly as a defensive territory to organize the army in hiding, and
occasionally as a place from where even the resistance against the ruling
native kings had taken place.
The monarch as the cause for the success or failure of ancient Anuradhapura kingdom.
The respective reigns of king Mahinda IV and Mahinda V who was also known by the name of Mihindu V are the best
example as to how being a strong, and a considerate ruler can be resulted in
the independence of the state and its prosperity while on the other hand, how
being a fragile ruler with a backward conduct can lead the kingdom towards
destruction and make an object of subordination to an outside power. In ancient
Sri Lanka where the monarchical form of rule prevailed, it was the conduct of
the monarch which decided both the progress or the destruction of the whole
community. It is important to note that king Mahinda IV was preceded by Sena
IV and succeeded by his son Sena V
and the last king of Anuradhapura
was his remaining son Mahinda V.
Viharamahadevi, a military woman, driven by patriotism.
It is characteristic that someone who carries
in to effect something which is hard to perform in general becomes an important
individual in the history. The same holds true for queen Viharamahadevi to whom most scholars attribute the victory of the
war campaign undertaken by Dutugamunu
in his pursuit of freedom from the South Indian invasion. Viharamahadevi being the noble mother queen of her son made herself
extraordinary on account of her military performance in particular and due to
her noble character in general. She occupied herself in a military task which
was not something much heard of a woman of her contemporary time. In contrast, Viharamahadevi became well known for
her role as the military supervisor of her son while being noted for bravery
and endurance which enabled her to accompany her son to the battle field regardless
of the danger she becomes exposed to. Given that, her role shouldn’t let go
unrecognized considering her outstanding acts of bravery. All those who were
present at the war by the side of Dutugamunu
were males with the notable exception of Viharamahadevi. Saddaramalankaraya
mentions the manner the mother queen arrived at the battle field as, “at this
moment the king headed by the monks carrying his mother Viharamahadevi set forth in his war campaign.” Other primary sources
including Mahavamsa report this in
the same way. Consequently, it becomes evident that it was the king himself who
decided to take his mother to the battlefield which at first sight seems to be
something that can hardly be expected from a son.
The heroic role of the Buddhist monastic community as the protector of both the monarch and the Buddha Sasana in ancient Sri Lanka.
In ancient Sri Lanka, especially during
the Anuradhapura kingdom period Buddhism formed an important portion of the responsibilities
of the monarch. This is particularly due to inseparable connection maintained
between the ruler and the Buddhist monastic community which has its roots back
to the period of king Devanampiyathissa.
It was the duty of the monarch to preserve Buddha Sasana under any circumstance.
What was characteristic of Sri Lankan culture and society is that the ruler and
the Buddhist monastic community operated as the protector of each other without which neither was possible. Further, the monastic community had a
substantial part to play in the consolidation of power of the king which was
peculiar for the Sri Lankan setting. At first glance it would appear that it is
not possible for the bhikkhus to maintain such an influence over the power of
the ruler since these two don’t reveal any visible connection on the surface. Therefore,
to acquire a better understanding this aspect should be examined along with the
cultural and religious influences of the time.
A fair appreciation to the contribution of king Kavanthissa in the rescue mission of king Dutugamunu.
History holds true both
the successes and the failures of various attempts made by the rulers either to
gain more power or to save the limited territory from the subordination to an
external invader. By the very sense of the word, the war undertaken by Dutugamunu against the south Indian
invader Elara can be fairly
introduced as a rescue mission. More importantly this is due to two significant
reasons which made Dutugamunu’s reign unforgettable. Firstly, this war brought
back the long-lost sovereignty of the state. Secondly it established Buddha
Sasana which culminated in making Dutugamunu’s reign the golden age of Buddha
Sasana. Therefore, it is worthwhile to throw some light on the important
figures who lent a hand to the success of Dutugamunu’s effort to achieve the
said objectives. In fact, anyone who took part in the mission should not be
deprived of a proper appreciation for their contribution of any form. Here the
main focus is on the assistance rendered by Kavanthissa, the father of Dutugamunu who
was also the former king of Ruhuna.
Why it remains difficult to determine whether Elara was a pious king or not?
Sri Lanka has undergone foreign invasions
even from Anuradhapura period as revealed by historical chronicles such as Mahavamsa. Amongst these, the invasion
of Elara (from 205-161 BCE) which took place during the reign of king Asela resulted in subjugating Rajarata
and remained so during the reigns of Kawanthissa
and Dutugamunu during which periods
the sovereignty of Sri Lanka was no longer found. Despite the South Indian origin
and the Tamil identity of Elara, Mahavmsa contains an account which
paints his picture in a favorable light as a pious ruler who followed a healthy
policy with regard to Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka. But determining Whether Elara was a pious king or not has
remained a controversial subject due to certain other factors not to mention
the disparities found in various primary sources. For instance Pujavaliya reports about Elara as an invader who destroyed
Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka while Mahavamsa
portrays him as a pious king who being a Tamil, benefitted Buddhism. Following
such available accounts the scholars have divided themselves in speaking for
and against the view that Elara was
a pious king. For example, most sources assume that Elara was a pious king who is distinguished for his justice, while
they identify Elara’s soldiers as the ones who should be held responsible for
the damage inflicted upon Buddha Sasana. Mahavamsa’
description on how Elara punished
his own son for a misdeed which reflected his concern for justice has caused many
to bear with the assumption that Elara
was in fact a peaceful king with the exception of his soldiers whose
misbehavior ended up damaging and disrespecting Buddhist temples. Therefore it
is due to the number of references Mahawamsa
makes about Elara he became well
known for his justice despite being an invader.
Feminine role in politics and war in ancient monarchical Sri Lanka with special attention to Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa period.
Though the roles ancient
monarchs came to play in Sri Lankan history is a much discussed subject, an equal
attention has not been paid to observe the role of their female counterparts.
What is noteworthy in this regard is though infrequently, women have advanced
to power more commonly owing to a critical political condition mostly followed
by an assassination of a king, when the kingdom has fallen in to decline.
However, while some queens in power acted with altruistic intentions, some
other queens’ actions were driven by egoism which made them strikingly
different from each other. Therefore it is observable that while the former
operated in favor of the common well-being, the latter functioned overwhelmed by
sheer desire for power. Therefore history of Sri Lanka is made of women of both
kinds, generous and vicious. Unlike certain countries in the world’s history,
in ancient Sri Lanka, women were allowed to lay hold of power. But it should be
noted that by tradition, the kingship passed by inheritance which was passed
either from father to the elder son or from the elder brother to the younger brother.
According to this tradition peculiar to ancient Sri Lankan monarchical period,
women had no opportunity to become a ruler. However as revealed in history, depending
on the circumstance women had the chance to take hold of power. For instance queen
Anula of Anuradhapura was able to seize power owing to the death of her husband,
king Choranaga
