|
Polonnaruwa - History |
Polonnaruwa,
spelled also Pollonarrua, is situated in
north-central Sri Lanka (Ceylon), near
the Mahaweli River. It is an ancient Ceylonese capital that was long deserted
but has been revived in modern times.
The city, beautifully situated
on a lake, was once the most splendid city of Sri Lanka.
The proximity of Polonnaruwa to the Mahaweli river and to the east coast had
resulted in the development of settlements in the region throughout centuries.
The region was agriculturally developed at least as early as the 4th century
A.D. Long before that Polonnaruwa was an important military post due to its
strategic location and therefore it was known as the Kandavurunuvara.
Polonnaruwa (Polonnaruva) became the residence of Ceylon's kings in 368 A.D.
From the 6th century A.D.
onwards Polonnaruwa became increasingly important. Anuradhapura was superseded
by Polonnaruwa as the principal centre of dynastic power in the eleventh
century. The South Indian Chola empire which conquered the northern part of Sri
Lanka in 1017 A.D. established its capital at Polonnaruwa and held sway over the
Dry Zone regions for 53 years until 1070 A.D. It
was hoped that this new residence in such a difficult accessible area would be
better protected from the notorious raids from the Indian Sub-Continent. After
the Cholas were expelled the Sinhala kings too selected Polonnaruwa as their
capital and it flourished for nearly two centuries until 1215 A.D. During the reigns of the kings
Parakrama Bahu the Great (1153-1186) and his successor Nissanka Malla 1187-1196
the Singhalese kingdom reached its last golden age, of which the splendour of
its buildings and palaces the impressive irrigation system with artificial
lakes, tanks and channels give clear evidence. They embellished the capital with
temples,
stupas, and huge stone images of Buddha; among these is a famous
colossal statue of the recumbent Buddha. The foreign invader Magha
conquered Polonnaruwa in 1215 and with his atrocious rule the Sinhala nobility
drifted to the South west.
The modern town arose in the 20th century after the restoration nearby of an ancient irrigation reservoir to serve the needs of the surrounding agricultural region, in which rice and tobacco are grown.
