History of Ceylon

Sri lanka (Ceylon) 

General

Sri Lanka has a population of approximately 22 million people and is home to many cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The Sinhalese people form the majority of the nation's population, followed by the Tamils, who are the largest minority group and are concentrated in northern Sri Lanka; both groups have played an influential role in the island's history. Other long-established groups include the Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Chinese, and Vedda.

Sri Lanka's documented history goes back 3,000 years, with evidence of prehistoric human settlements that dates back 125,000 years. The earliest known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka, known collectively as the Pāli canon, date to the fourth Buddhist council, which took place in 29 BCE. There are various books about the deep history of Sri Lanka that can be read."Maha Vanshaya," "Thupa Vanshaya," and "Deepa Vanshaya" are a few examples, although more books are written as the components of these fundamental books.

Sri Lanka was first referred to as the "granary of the east" after the agrarian golden age was formed by King "1st Maha Parakkramabahu".

Given that Sri Lanka possesses  the largest  natural harbor in the world, its geographic location and deep natural harbor also as important infrastructure. Because its location made it a major trading hub, it was already known to both East Asians and Europeans as long ago as the Anuradhapura period. Sri Lanka is frequently referred to as the "pearl" of the Indian Ocean.

CE history

 Portuguese settlers arrived in Sri Lanka's Galle port by ship in 1505 CE, erecting a substantial wall and fort. Then they were took of ruling a portion of Ceylon. Political issues are present in the Kotte capital, and they were working to provide solutions for Ceylon. The king is then deposed, and Sri Lanka was ruled by them as their own country. However, they were unable to rule the country effectively because locals began to rebel against them. however, they held power in Sri Lanka for about a century. Then, in 1615 CE, the Dutch arrived, engaged in battle (which the Dutch ultimately won), and assisted the Ceylonese government in establishing its conditions of control.

However, Sri Lanka had a lot more valuable historical sites, gems, and spices at that time. The Dutch spent almost 200 years there and wanted to take their valuable things. They have did business with the locals. The British arrived in Sri Lanka in 1815 CE and changed everything. They established several governmental regulations and began growing goods like tea, coffee, cinnamon, and rubber. The British had also built roads and railways.  

Pre-History

The prehistory of Sri Lanka dates back may perhaps stretch as far back as 500,000 years. The time period includes the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and early Iron Ages. Pahiyangala, called after the Chinese traveler monk "Fahian Batadombalena", and "Belilena" are the two most significant Paleolithic human settlements found in Sri Lanka. Archaeologists have discovered anatomically modern human bones in these caverns, which they have termed "Balangoda Man", along with more indications that they may have practiced agriculture.

The earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka were most likely predecessors of the Vedda people, an indigenous group of about 2,500 people that live in modern-day Sri Lanka.

During the protohistoric period (1000-500 BCE), Sri Lanka was culturally connected with southern India, sharing megalithic graves, pottery, iron technologies, farming skills, and megalithic graffiti.

The Yakshas and Nagas are claimed to be the original occupants of Sri Lanka, according to the "Maha vanshaya," a chronicle composed in the 5th century BCE. Sri Lanka has also uncovered ancient graves dating back to before 600 BCE. Sinhalese history is said to begin in 543 BCE with the arrival of Prince Vijaya, a prince who traveled to Sri Lanka with 700 supporters after being banished from the Vanga Kingdom in India. He founded the Kingdom of Tambapanni, which is located near modern-day Mannar. Vijaya is the first of roughly 189 Sri Lankan rulers mentioned in chronicles such as the "Deepa vanshaaya", "Maha vanshaya", "Culavanshaya" and "Rajavaliya".

During the reign of Suratissa, the first of many foreign invasions of Sri Lanka were defeated by two South Indian horse traders named Sena and Guttika.The second invasion, in 205 BCE, was led by a Chola named Elara, who deposed Asela. He was the country's ruler for 44 years. In the Battle of Vijithapura, Dutugamunu, the eldest son of the southern regional sub-king, Kavan Tissa, defeated "Elara". The Sinhala Kingdom was invaded at least eight times by neighboring South Indian dynasties such as the Chola, Pandya, and Pallava throughout its two and a half millennia of existence. There were also incursions by Kalinga kingdoms.

1.Anuradhapura (370 BCE - 1070 CE)

In the fourth century BCE, King "Panduwas Dew" established Sri Lanka's first kingdom. He was not, however, Sri Lanka's first king he was of Indian ancestry and not a Bhuddist monarch. The couple had a son after his sister wed a legitimate Sri Lankan. After that, he was crowned king and was the first monarch to rule Sri Lanka and the Anuradhapura kingdom. He is called "Pandhukabhaya." It was Sri Lanka's first capital, and the city's layout was astounding and secure.  cutting-edge technology and the area is abundant of lakes. The kings constructed the lake for farming purposes their primary farms consisted of rice fields and vegetable farms. The people lived  comfortable existence there with first-rate facilities and food etc, The population was growing since the served as both the capital and the site of sacrifices. The rulers must then devise a plan to ensure that they enjoy a happy existence, particularly one that includes access to water. The monarchs of Anuradhapura built large lakes because the city was situated in a dry region where they had to conserve water for their fields and daily lives due to the absence of rain. This location is currently an ancient city and a solely Buddhist sacrifice site.

Many Buddhist temples, "stupas," and priceless historical ruins can be found there. An illustration of this is the highest stupa in Asia, "Ruwan wali maha saya" (built by King "Dutugamunu"), which also contains sacred relics of the Buddha. Another illustration is the "Sri Maha Bodhi," a tree that is more than a thousand years old and is likewise very revered in that area. The great king of "Dharmashoka" gave that tree as a gift, and it came from India. 

However, the historic city is now a Unesco World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination. One of the best sites to visit is the ancient city of Anuradhapura. Sri Lankan kings created a number of other places, and now all of them are tourist destinations. It is 250 kilometers from Sri Lanka's new capital and situated in the country's central province.

2.Polonnaruwa (1070 CE - 1232 CE)

Sri Lanka's second kind of Indian aggrosesores (named "Chola") came to Anuradhapura and destroyed everything in there, and after that, they chose Polonnaruwa as their capital for ruling Sri Lanka. In 1070 AD, king "1st Vijayabhahu" fought with them and won the war; then he also chose the same city as his kindom. There were so many lakes for agriculture; the main farms were rice and vegetables. There is also amazing construction technology. example: "Gal Viharaya" is a statue of Loard Bhudha carved in rock. It is a very valuable historical place in Pollonnaruwa. There are some Hindu temples because the Indian rulers made some Hindu temples for worship, but the Sri Lankan Buddhist kings did not destroy their examples. One of the kings in Polonaruwa was known as the "granary of the east" in Asia, and his name was King "1st Parakkramabahu.", That time was Sri Lanka's golden period of economic growth in Asia. However,the kindom of Polonaruwa was ruind because of Indian invaders.

3.Dambadeniya (1220 - 1345 AD)

The "Dambadeniya" kingdom was founded by the "3rd Vijayabahu" king. Despite the fact that this kingdom was not ruled in Sri Lanka for a very long time, the monarch of "parakkramabahu" documented history, and Sinhala literature was the main significant subject. All of the kings of Sri Lanka were required to protect the Buddha's precious tooth; therefore, they built temples to it in each of the ancient kingdoms. He kept all books and literature within his own domain. However, they must depart as soon as possible for another realm. For their own survival, they preserved the sacred tooth. For over 50 years, there was no "Dambadeniya" kingdom.

4.kurunagala (1287 - 1335 AD)
5.Yapahuwa (1335 - 1341 AD)
6.Gampola (1341 - 1408 AD)

The legal kings of Sri Lanka ruled three small kingdoms, including "Kurunagala, Yapahuwa, and Gampola". Since they must focus on fighting invaders, the kings of these kingdoms have not been in power for a very long time and are unable to make important decisions for their country and kingdom.

7.Kotte (1412 - 1597) 

Another weak Sri Lankan kingdom was the Kotte Kingdom. Political disputes with kings have always existed, but after the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505 CE, they became more prevalent. The Portuguese wanted to provide the kings with remedies, but ruling Sri Lanka and building their country's might was their major goal. However, Sri Lanka's feeble kings believed they were coming to aid and save the kingdom. They overthrew a weak monarch after that and controlled the "Kotte" kingdom for more than a century, but they were forced to return home after the Dutch arrived since they were more strong than Portuguese.Sri Lankan kings helped to Dutch kick out the Portuguese, try to get back their kingdom (the Dutch and kings won the war) but the Dutch people did not give the kingdom to the Sri Lankan king. They made it as their own ruled center. The Dutch ruled Sri Lanka from 1615  until 1815 . During this time, the Sri Lankan king needed a Sinhala kingdom, and they built an amazing safety kingdom in Kandy. 

8.Kandy (1597 - 1815)

Kandy is the last kingdom of Sri Lanka established by king "Senasammatha Vikramabhahu,"  but unfortunately, British people were in "kotte" at that time. Because the British wanted to rule Sri Lanka, they started growing spices and tea there and exporting them to their mother country. But the king of "Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe" tried to stop them, but he couldn't stop the British; they were more powerful than the king's army. The British also tried to take the "Kandy" kingdom, but they also failed. The location of the "Kandy" kingdom and reaching it were big challenges for British armies. But when British rulers started to sell wine and liquor in Sri Lanka, unfortunately, the king became addicted to alcohol. Sri Lankan nations also disgusted the king, and then the kingdom started to be destroyed. It was a plan of the British rulers; after that, they involved themselves in ruling Kandy. But there were a number of wars with the British and Sinhala, so Sri Lanka got independent from the British on February 4, 1948, and then established the parliament-based Sri Lankan government and the election. But still, Sri Lankan law is the same as British law, and Sri Lanka is completely independent from British law.

The wonder of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and a beautiful sandy beach. In hill country, you can feel a different climate. That climate is cold, and nature is amazing. The hill country, surrounded by tea plantations, gives off a fresh feeling of nature.

Sigiriya is one of the most beautiful and amazing places in Ceylon; it was used by King "Kashyapa" as his royal palace and is also called "Lion Rock." Sigiriya is the 8th wonder of the world, and it is famous everywhere as "lion rock". However, the next interesting place is Kandy because of the temple of the tooth. It was the last kingdom of Ceylon; the temple of the tooth is a very sacred place  of Buddhist shrine; there is Sri Buddha's sacred tooth relic in sacred place.

There is a special ceremony in August; they called it "kandy perahara", and there are elephants and dancers, traditional musicians, etc. included. They started the street tour with all elements at night. It is one of the cultural elements in Sri Lanka.next place "Ella"; this also lies on hill country; waterfalls, hiking, and many other adventure activities can be done there. The climate is also not as warm.

 Next to the south is Sri Lanka's biggest national park, where elephants, leopards, bears, crocodiles, deer, birds, and many other kinds of animals live and endemic trees also grow. Sri Lanka has more than eight national parks, all of which are special for some kind of wild animal. Southern provinces are special to watch for blue whales and nice beaches. Sea surfing, diving, and having fresh sea food are the most famous subjects there.The northern area is famous for its ancient kingdoms and historical places. Anuradhapura, Polonaruwa, Trincomale, and Jaffna are some of them. The climate there is up to 30–35 degrees. The main agricultural farms are rice fields and vegetable farms, but dry floors pose a challenge for the farmers.The present capital is Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte, and the commercial city is Colombo. This is a population of around 3 million and a comfortable, beautiful city.

The most beautiful beaches in sri lanka 

surfing, diving, swimming and relax with sunshine; I have attach some picture with the letter

Southern Beach is one of the best areas for relaxation and better for sunshine.

Arugambay Beach is one of the most beautiful surfing beaches in eastern Sri Lanka.