The Story of Lanka

The book presents the history of Lanka as a chronological story, beginning with early legends connected to Rama, Sita, Vijaya, Kuveni, and the arrival of the Sinhalese. It then moves into the formation of ancient kingship, the rise of Anuradhapura, the introduction of Buddhism, the establishment of the Great Vihāra, the Bodhi tree tradition, relic devotion, and the role of Buddhist institutions in shaping the cultural and political identity of the island. The middle sections focus on conflict, kingship, and state-building, including the Tamils, Elāra, Dutugemunu, major Buddhist monuments, royal physicians, tanks, irrigation works, and the growth of urban and monastic centres. The later chapters cover the fall of Anuradhapura, Vijaya Bahu, Parakrama Bahu, Polonnaruwa, Magha of Kalinga, later Parakramas, the City of Victory, Portuguese expansion, the Dutch East India Company, English rule, and the condition of Lanka in the author’s own time.