Early History

The myth and legend merged with fact make the history of Sri Lanka an interesting puzzle to solve. Many historians have come up with various theories and stories, but the most plausible story is the one with Prince Vijaya sailing in to Sri Lanka with a team of over 700 outlawed friends and settling in ancient Ceylon. Believed to be of the 'Singha' generation of royalty, Prince Vijaya was banished from his native country, India, due to many misdeeds done by him and his friends

Legend says, at the time of Prince Vijaya's landing, the island had only two tribes of humans, Yaksa and Naaga. It's also said the prince was enticed by a woman named Kuveni, a woman with magical powers, belonging to the Yaksa tribe. Although the description of the tale is very lengthy, it simply speaks of how the prince established a kingdom in the area he landed, including the current area ranging from Puttalam to Anuradhapura. The union of the prince and Kuveni was heirless, and the prince was persuaded by friends to marry a princess from Madhura in India. Even this marriage proved to be heirless and at his death, the prince had to leave the kingdom to his brother in India, Sumitta. The brother, old and having inherited his father's kingdom, offered his sons the kingdom of Vijaya and whoever desired it could have it. The youngest son, Panduwasa Deva, chose to set sail to ancient Ceylon and thereby became the king of the island. During his reign, he built small reservoirs and tanks for proper irrigation, which are believed to be the beginning of the astonishing structures to support farming and agriculture built by the kings throughout history.

The 'Rajavali' and the 'Mahavamsa', the most trustworthy chronicles of Lankan history, contain records of all the significant historic events taken place in the country.

How Sri Lanka Came Into Existence

The evidence of inhabitants in ancient Sri Lanka collectively suggests this island was occupied as early as 500,000 years ago. However, the first Homo Sapiens have arrived about 75,000 years past, bringing the methods of hunting and cave-living in to the island.

The archaeological, palaeontological and all historical evidence point to the existence of Gondwanaland, a super continent containing the current Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Arabia, Australia-New Guinea and New Zealand, during the Jurassic period (200 million years ago). The division of this Gondwanaland was a very long procedure, happening over several millions of years. The piece of land which became India also broke off, forming the current Madagascar, of which the tip broke apart and sailed far away, becoming the little island now referred to as Sri Lanka.

The Stone Age

The living remnants of the Stone Age in Sri Lanka are evident in Mahiyanganaya, located on the mid-eastern district of Sri Lanka. Here, the current generation of Veddhas, the inhabitants of Lanka during the Stone Age, still preserve some of their traditional culture, although most of the Veddhas have embraced the modernised world.

Historical records and archaeological traces with reference to the Stone Age are sparse in Sri Lanka, although some stone and bone artifacts have been discovered in caves and other digging sites. The emergence of the Balangoda Culture, where inhabitants were involved in using stone-work technology was seen in 5000 BC. The Balangoda Culture existed till around 500 BC, when sophisticated Indo-Aryan cultures began to seep in to the country.

Epics and Chronicles Containing Historical Records

Coincidence or genius, the ancient Indian epic of Skanda Purana mentions the division of a land mass similar to Gondwanaland, and how the tip of the current India was called Lanka-dipa. Geological theories say the scattered Maldives and Laccadives were the outposts of Lanka. The amazing coincidence of the Maldivian inhabitants have a varied version of the Hela (ancient Sinhalese) language, the native tongue of Lanka, gives further ground to this solidity of this theory.

The Ramayana, an interesting and mystical epic of India, speaks of how the north western coast of Lanka and the South Indian Rama Naga was submerged because of King Ravana's evil. The Gulf Mannar shoals are said to be the evidence of the catastrophe. Earthquakes, tidal waves and submersions throughout history have shaped the island to its current geological size and form.

Discarding myth and legend, the pure historical facts show the Sri Lanka of the present times was indeed a piece of ancient Bharath (India) and many visits and invasions from its very beginning has reshaped the country, influenced the lives of the early inhabitants and acquired knowledge passed down for generations. The mix of religions and races of the current Sri Lanka is the result of all of these incidents. 'The Pearl of the Indian Ocean' - considered as paradise by many, is truly legendary in its history.