Pre-Anuradhapura period

Pre Anuradhapura period
543 BC – 437 BC
A section of the mural from Ajanta Caves 17, depicting the "coming of Sinhala".
Monarch(s)	House of Vijaya Vijaya Upatissa (regent) Panduvasdeva Abhaya Tissa (regent)
Chronology Prehistory of Sri Lanka Anuradhapura period

Part of a series on the
History of Sri Lanka
Chronicles
Dipavamsa Mahavamsa Cūḷavaṃsa Rajavaliya Pujavaliya
Periods
Prehistory Stone Age Bronze Age Iron Age 300,000 BP –543 BC Pre Anuradhapura Indo-Aryan settlement 543–377 BC Anuradhapura Arrival of Buddhism Dutthagamani's campaign Fall of Anuradhapura 377 BC–1017 Polonnaruwa Chola conquest Sinhalese Resistance Invasion of Kalinga Magha 1017–1232 Transitional Vijayabā Kollaya Wars of Kotte Succession Crisis of the Sixteenth Century 1232–1597 Kandy First Kandyan–Dutch war Second Kandyan–Dutch war Kandyan–British wars 1597–1815 British Ceylon Great rebellion Matale rebellion Buddhist revival World War II Independence 1815–1948 Sri Lanka Dominion Republic 1948–present
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The Pre-Anuradhapura period of Sri Lankan history begins with the gradual onset of historical records in the final centuries of the prehistoric period and ending in 437 BC. According to the Mahavamsa, the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka are the Yakshas and northern Naga tribes. Sinhalese history traditionally starts in 543 BC at the arrival of Prince Vijaya, a semi-legendary king who was banished from the Indian subcontinent with his 700 followers, and is recorded in the Mahavamsa chronicle. This period was succeeded by the Anuradhapura period.