Kingdom of Tambapanni

The Kingdom of Tambapaṇṇī (Sinhala: තම්බපණ්ණිය රාජධානිය, romanized: Tambapaṇṇī Rājadhāniya) was the first Sinhalese kingdom in Sri Lanka. Its main city was at Tambapaṇṇī. This kingdom lasted from 543 BC to 437 BC.

According to the Mahavamsa, the kingdom began when Prince Vijaya and his friends came to the land. They made Tambapaṇṇī their home and started a new country. This kingdom was very important because it was the beginning of many stories and histories in Sri Lanka.

Name

Tambapaṇṇī comes from the words Tāmraparṇī or Tāmravarṇī in Sanskrit. These words refer to the Thamirabarani river in Southern Tamil Nadu, India. The name means the colour of copper or bronze. This is because when Prince Vijaya and his followers first arrived in Sri Lanka, the dust from the red-earth turned their hands and feet red. So, they named the city they built there Tambapaṇṇī. Later, this name was changed to Taprobane by the Greeks.

Background

Ancient grave sites from before 600 BC and other signs of early people have been found in Sri Lanka, but not much is known about the island from that time. According to the Mahāvamsa, a book written in Pāḷi, the people living there before the Sinhala arrival were the Yakkha and Nāga groups. The Sinhalese history of Sri Lanka is said to have begun in 543 BC when Prince Vijaya arrived.

Legends tell that when Prince Vijaya reached the island, he touched the sand, named it 'Thambapanni,' and put a lion flag in the ground. After coming to Tambapaṇṇī, Vijaya met Kuveni, the leader of the Yakkhas, who appeared as a woman but was really named Sesapathi.

History

The Kingdom of Tambapaṇṇī was founded by Prince Vijaya, the first Sinhalese king, and 700 of his followers when they arrived in Sri Lanka near modern-day Mannar. They made Tambapaṇṇī their capital, and the whole island became known by this name. Before Vijaya arrived, the area was home to a group called the Yakkhas, who lived in a place named Sirīsavatthu.

Later, a new city called Upatissagāma became the second capital. It was a bit north of Tambapaṇṇī and was built by Upatissa, one of Vijaya’s important followers. When Vijaya could not choose a successor, he tried to invite his brother Sumitta from Sinhapura to become king. But Vijaya passed away before the message could reach his brother, so Upatissa, his chief minister, became king for a year.