The Royal City Of Polonnaruwa

The Royal City Of Polonnaruwa
The Medieval Capital

    Polonnaruwa, the Medieval Capital of SriLanka,from the 11th century A.D.to the end of the firth quarter of 13 th century AD,is situated

102 km south-east of Anuradhapura. Early in the 11th century AD., Anuradhapura, during one of the worst of its many Chola invasions,

Rajarata became temporarily part of a South Indian Empire.The Cholas captured Rajarata in 993 AD. and conquered and ruled it,

until 1040 AD. with their centre of administration in Polonnaruwa. A viceroy was stationed for administration of the country under the South Indian Emperor.

King Vijayabahu chose Polonnaruwa as his seat of government and the capital of Sri Lanka and made the country free from foreign administration.

Polonnaruwa was built on the spot where king Dutugamunu's,kandavurupitiya (a military base) was located.The city as known as Pulathisipura or,

as Pulanari as recorded in the Velaikkar inscription.1st century found in the Madalaya's cave in the Gopalapabbatha of the Alahana Pirivena as 

of great historical importance.The cave was occupied by Buddhist monks.

During the 1st century,when Anuradhapura had been a flourishing city, Polonnaruwa served as a fortified out-post known as 

Kandaurupitiya or sometimes as Kandaurunuwara,where Sinhala garriisons were kept to protect Anuradhapura from all types of threats.

In the latter part of the 7th century king Aggabodhi IV temporarily removed the administration from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa,

owning to the political instability which occurred there.

Sri Lanka suffered due to Indian politics from the 10th century.The Chola ruler Rajaraja I conquered Anuradhapura and subsequently

Polonnaruwa and a viceroy was stationed at Polonnaruwa.He conducted a military administration and re-named Polonnaruwa as 

Jananatha Mangalam.During the eighty decades of Chola administration in Polonnaruwa,Hinduisum was fostered along with the 

Hindu civilization in a large scale.