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.

Read More

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.

Read More