King Vijaya
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According to the Mahāvaṃsa, he was the son of King Sinhabahu of Sinhapura in India. He established the Kingdom of Tambapanni, but later abandoned Kuveni and their two children to marry a princess from the Pandyan kingdom in Madurai, India, to legitimize his rule.
King Vijaya is the legendary first king of Sri Lanka, known for founding the Sinhalese people. According to the Mahāvaṃsa, he was the son of King Sinhabahu of Sinhapura in India. Due to his unruly behavior, he was banished with 700 followers.
They landed in Lanka, at a site named Tambapanni, on the day of the Buddha's Parinirvana. There, he and his followers defeated the native Yakkhas with the help of the Yakkha princess Kuveni, whom he married. He established the Kingdom of Tambapanni, but later abandoned Kuveni and their two children to marry a princess from the Pandyan kingdom in Madurai, India, to legitimize his rule.
His followers also married women from Madurai. This union is considered the origin of the Sinhalese people. He ruled for 38 years, and his reign is marked as the beginning of the recorded history of Sri Lanka.
King Vijaya's arrival and the subsequent marriages of his followers with princesses from India is traditionally considered the origin of the Sinhalese people and culture in Sri Lanka.
His reign marks the beginning of Sri Lanka's recorded history, chronicled in the ancient text Mahāvaṃsa.
Founder of Sinhalese Nation
King Vijaya's arrival and the subsequent marriages of his followers with princesses from India is traditionally considered the origin of the Sinhalese people and culture in Sri Lanka.
Beginning of Recorded History
His reign marks the beginning of Sri Lanka's recorded history, chronicled in the ancient text Mahāvaṃsa.