Chola occupation of Sri Lanka (993–1077)

The period of Chola rule in the island of Sri Lanka began in the 2nd BCE with Manu Needhi Cholan who upon capturing the throne became king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom. In 993 AD, Raja Raja Chola sent a large Chola army which conquered the Anuradhapura Kingdom, in the north, and added it to the sovereignty of the Chola Empire. The whole or most of the island was subsequently conquered and incorporated as a province of the vast Chola empire during the reign of his son Rajendra Chola.

The Chola rule which lasted for eight decades in the island, would be overthrown in 1077 through a rebellion led by Vijayabahu I one of the dispossessed Sinhalese monarchs. The Cholas fought many subsequent wars and attempted to reconquer Anuradhapura as the Sinhalese monarchs were allies of their arch-enemies, the Pandyas.

Manu Needhi Cholan, also known as Ellalan was according to the chronicle Mahavamsa described as " A Damila of noble descent.. from the Chola Country". Also mention in the Tamil epics Silappatikaram and Periya Puranam, he was often referred to as a "Just King" and thus has his name been used as a metaphor for justice and fairness in Tamil literature. Killing Asela of Anuradhapura, establishing himself as a sole ruler of Rajarata Losing the battle to Dutugamunu, Ellalan died in 161 BCE.

The tirumagal inscription of Raja Raja Chola dated to 993 AD first mentions Anuradhapura among the king's conquests. Taking advantage of a civil war which had caused the Sinhalese monarch Mahinda V to flee to the south-east province of Anuradhapura known as Ruhuna, Raja Raja Chola invaded Anuradhapura sometime between 991 and 993 AD and conquered the northern part of the country and incorporated it into his kingdom as a province named "Mummudi-sola-mandalam" after himself. The capital was at Polonnaruwa which was renamed "Jananathamangalam".

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