House of Vijaya
| House of Vijaya Vijayan dynasty |
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|---|---|
| Royal house | |
Flag of Dutugamunu
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| Country |
Kingdom of Tambapanni Kingdom of Upatissa Nuwara Kingdom of Anuradhapura |
| Titles |
King of Tambapanni King of Upatissa Nuwara King of Anuradhapura |
| Founded | 543 BC |
| Founder | Prince Vijaya |
| Final ruler | Subharaja |
| Current head | Extinct |
| Dissolution | 66 AD |
| Ethnicity | Sinhalese |
| Cadet branches | Vedda people |
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Monarchs of Sri Lanka House of Vijaya |
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The House of Vijaya (also known as the Vijayan dynasty and sometimes referred to as the "Great Dynasty") was the first Sinhalese royal dynasty that ruled over the island of Lanka, present day Sri Lanka. According to Sinhalese folklore Prince Vijaya is the traditional first king of Sri Lanka, founding the Kingdom of Tambapanni and the dynasty subsequently founding the Kingdom of Upatissa Nuwara and finally the Anuradhapura Kingdom.
There were 37 Vijayan monarchs who reigned during a span of 609 years and ruled all but 80 of them. The dynasty ended when Vasabha of the House of Lambakanna I seized power in 66 AD.
In 543 BC, prince Vijaya (543–505 BC) arrived in Sri Lanka, having been banished from his homeland in India. He eventually brought the island under his control and established himself as king. After this, his retinue established villages and colonies throughout the country. One of these was established by Anuradha, a minister of King Vijaya, on the banks of a stream called Kolon and was named Anuradhagama.
The Kingdom of Tambapanni was founded by Prince Vijaya and his 700 followers after landing on the island, in a district near modern day Mannar which is believed to be the district of Chilaw, after leaving Suppāraka. It is recorded the Vijaya made his landing on the day of Buddha's death. Vijaya claimed Tambapanni his capital and soon the whole island come under this name. Tambapanni was originally inhabited and governed by Yakkhas, having their capital at Sirīsavatthu and their queen Kuveni. According to the Samyutta Commentary, Tambapanni was one hundred leagues in extent.
After landing in Tambapanni Vijaya met Kuveni the queen of the Yakkhas, who was disguised as a beautiful woman but was really a 'yakkini' (devil) named Sesapathi.
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Wikipedia