Vijaya | |
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Reign | c. 543 – c. 505 BCE |
Successor | Upatissa |
Born | Sinhapura |
Died | 505 BC Tambapanni |
Wives |
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Issue |
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Dynasty | House of Vijaya |
Father | Sinhabahu |
Mother | Sinhasivali |
Prince Vijaya (c. 543–505 BCE) was a legendary king of Tambapanni, based in modern day Sri Lanka. His reign was first mentioned in Mahāvaṃsa. He is said to have came to Sri Lanka with a seven hundred followers after being banished from Sinhapura. However, there is no archaeological evidence of this.
After arriving on the island, Vijaya and his settlers defeated a yaksha near "Thammena" (Tambapaṇṇī) displacing the inhabitants. Eventually Vijaya's married Kuveni, a daughter of a yaksha leader legitimizing Vijaya’s rule over the region.