Taprobane

• The Island of Sri Lanka was known as ‘Taprobane’ to the ancient Greeks and Romans and was named by Ptolemy on his world chart (c.150 CE).
• Taprobane was also known as ‘Serendivis’ to the Romans, as ‘Lanka’ to the Indians, and as ‘Serendib’ to the Arabs and the Persians. The word Serendipity is derived from this word.

History

• In 543 BCE King Vijaya invaded from West Bengal with a fleet of 700 ships, and set up the Kingdom of Tambapanni.
• The Dynasty lasted 2,358 years until 1815 CE, when Sri Lanka became part of the British Empire. Sri Lanka gained independence on 4th February 1948.
• The Royal Dynasties are mentioned in the historical sources.
• During the Greek and Roman Period, ships and merchants from Africa, India, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, China and East Asia all traded at Sri Lanka’s ancient ports.

• • This Ship’s Pilot was written in the first century CE, and mentions ships travelling directly to Taprobane from the Red Sea.

Relations with Rome

• • In 30 BCE Queen Cleopatra VII planned to protect her son Caesarion from Octavian by sending him to Taprobane, along with some advisers and a quantity of wealth, but he was executed by order of Octavian with the remark Two Caesars is one too many.
  • King Bhatikabhaya (22 BCE-7 CE) sent an Envoy to Rome who brought back Red Coral which was incorporated into the sacred Monument of the Ruwanwelisaya, a domed Temple built by King Dutugemunu around 140 BCE.
  • In 41 CE male dancers from Taprobane were working in Rome and witnessed Caligula‘s assassination.

Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE)

• • In 41-54 CE Pliny the Elder wrote that during the reign of Claudius (41-54 CE), Rome and Taprobane first officially recognised each other as a result of a chance encounter. He tells of a Freedman, possibly called Lysas, who belonged to Annius Plocamus, a Red Sea Customs Collector.
  • This Freedman was blown from Arabia to a Port in Taprobane called Hippuros. He was given hospitality for six months by the King of Taprobane, who was impressed by the good quality of Roman Coin in his possession. During this time he learnt Sinhalese. The King then sent an Ambassador with three Envoys to the Roman Emperor at Rome.

The Ancient Ports

• Taprobane had three main Ports involved in the Silk Road along its coasts:

Manthai

• • Manthai is in the Northwest, on the Gulf of Mannar (3rd century BCE to 11th century CE). Manthai was known as Manthottam or Manthoddam, and was considered one of the great Ports on the Silk Road. Amongst its merchants were Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Persians, Ethiopians and Chinese.

• • Goadavaya in the South, on the Indian Ocean, (1st century BCE to 10th century CE) was also an important Port on the Silk Road, with ships coming from China and Goods going to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
  • It was in the administrative region of Ruhunu Rata, ruled by the King’s brother at his Capital of Magampura.
  • A Temple dedicated to Gotha Pabbatha Rajamaha Vihara was built on the rock overlooking the harbour, in the second century CE. A Customs House was built to one side of the Temple.
  • An inscription from King Gajabahu I’s Reign (c.114-136 CE) shows Port Dues were collected from Godawaya Harbour and a portion went to the local Temple of Godapawath. Clay Seals bearing a Lion were used to show Payment had been made. Also a statue of Buddha which is 11 ft (3.5m) high, along with two smaller Boddhisattva statues.
  • 75,000 Late Roman Coins have been excavated from earthen containers in the area. Persian and Chinese pottery has also been found.

Gokanna

• • Gokanna (Trincomalee) in the Northeast, on the Bay of Bengal. Trincomalee Bay is one of the world’s Largest natural harbours.
  • It was in the administrative area of Rajarata, ruled directly by the King from the Capital at Anuradhapura.

Palk Strait

• The Gulf of Mannar separates Sri Lanka and India. Between them exists a chain of rocks across the narrowest part of the Strait known as Adam’s Bridge. The channel through these rocks is called the Palk Strait.
• This makes it unnavigable for large ships, although smaller craft have always been able to pass through. Large vessels have always had to circumnavigate Sri Lanka to the East.

Gemstones

• Sri Lanka was famed in Antiquity for its Gemstones found in the Gravel Beds near Ratnapura, which are still mined today.
• Gemstones found are the Sapphire, Aquamarine, Topaz, Garnet, Spinel, Zircon, Amethyst, Quartz, and Moonstone.
• Mining consisted of Miners digging the gravel beds, washing the stones and separating the Gemstones from ordinary pebbles, as it still does today.

Monsoon

• The Monsoon is a Tropical Wind that brings heavy rains to India, and then reverses direction.
• The southwest Monsoons brought ships from the West. The northwest Monsoons sent home ships from the East.
• The Monsoon continually varies in rainfall and can cause either drastic flooding or drought.

• The Southwest Monsoon
  • Summer Monsoon: May to September.
  • It collects moisture over the Arabian Sea and reaches India where it ‘bursts’ over the western coast around the first of June, covering all of India by around the 15th of July. It then starts to leave India from the 1st of September and has left by the 1st of October.
  • The winds blow from the Indian Ocean onto the western coast of India and Sri Lanka.
  • When they reach the Western Ghats mountain range, their moisture is released as a continuous downpour over India.
  • The Himalayas stop the Monsoon Winds from reaching China.

• The Northwest Monsoon:
  • Also known as the Winter Monsoon: October to December.
  • The Monsoon reverses direction collecting moisture over the Bay of Bengal, and usually ‘bursts’ over the eastern coast around the 20th of October, lasting up until the 10th of December.
  • The winds blow over the eastern Ghats mountain range, but only the Monsoon that has passed over the Bay of Bengal picks up moisture, and only Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu receive rain during the winter.

Kings of Sri Lanka

• King Vijaya
  • In 543 BCE he invaded from West Bengal with a fleet of 700 ships and set up the Kingdom of Tambapanni. He is thought to have landed at Manthai.
• King Dutugemunu (161-137 BCE)
  • He built the Ruwanwelisaya.
• Queen Anula (47-42 BCE)
• King Bhatikabhaya (22 BC – 7 CE)
  • He sent an Envoy to Rome.
• King Gajabahu I (c.114-136 CE)
  • He ruled the area known as Rajarata from his inland Capital at Anuradhapura (Founded in 377 BCE). The other two areas, Malaya Rata and Ruhunu Rata, were ruled by his brothers.

Buddhism

• Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka around 245 BCE by Mahinda, son of the Indian Emperor Ashoka.
• King Devanampiya Tissa ruled Sri Lanka during this period. Buddhism was later spread to China via the Silk Road.
• The Sacred Tree:
  • In 245 BCE the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Tree was brought by Bhikkhuni Sangamitta. It is considered to have been a sapling from the Bodhi tree below which Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment. It is the oldest living tree, planted by humans, with an unbroken historical record.
• The Buddhist Monasteries:
  • There are many Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka.
• The Great Stupa Ruwanwelisaya:
  • King Dutugemunu built this Stupa at Anuradhapura.
• The Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara Buddhist Temple:
  • King Kavan Tissa of Ruhuna built this Temple in the 2nd century BCE. It holds one of the largest Stupas in Sri Lanka, the Tissamaharama Dagoba.

Monuments and Sites

• The Capital Anuradhapura and the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
  • Anuradhapura was founded as the Capital in 380 BCE and is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the World. It was the Capital of Sri Lanka for 1,400 years.
  • It was surrounded by Buddhist monasteries and contains the Bodhi Tree.
  • Water was supplied by lakes in the city.
  • It holds the Great Stupa of Ruwanwelisaya, built by King Dutugemunu (161-137 BCE).
  • It is considered a Holy city by Buddhists around the world.

• Sigiriya
  • Sigiriya is a 660 foot (200m) Rock Fortress located in the centre of Sri Lanka.
  • It is a Unesco World Heritage Site. ‘Sigiriya’ means ‘Lion Rock.
  • King Kasyapa (477-495 CE) built his Palace on top of the Rock and briefly made it the Capital of Sri Lanka. Access was beneath the carved head, legs and paws of a giant Lion. Gardens, moats and walls defended the Rock. The gardens divide into three types, water gardens, cave gardens and terraced gardens. Cisterns in the upper rock provided water, and still function today. The western side of the Rock was painted with giant frescoes.
  • After he died it was used as a Buddhist monastery until the fourteenth century CE.

• The Hindu Temple of Tenavaram, Matara
  • Dedicated to Shiva in circa the 7th century CE, at Sri Lanka’s southernmost point, Dondra Head, it overlooked the Indian Ocean acting as a navigational beacon.
  • Ptolemy (c.150 CE), marked the location of a Hindu Temple on his map at ‘Dagana’, considered today to be the same place as Dondra Head.

• Adam's Peak
  • A distinct conical mountain in southern Sri Lanka, surrounded by low hills and tropical forests.
  • It has a height of 7,359 ft (2,243m) and was originally thought to be the highest mountain in Sri Lanka.
  • It is located 25 miles (40km) northeast of Ratnapura and has always been considered a Sacred Mountain.
  • It is a major religious pilgrimage site in four religions, with the rock stairs cut in the mountain side. The main pilgrimage season being between December and May, with pilgrims climbing the mountain at night in order to observe the sunrise at dawn, and the shadow of the mountain.
  • A rock formation near the summit resembles a footprint. This is known in Buddhist tradition as ‘Sri Pada’ the sacred footprint of Buddha and in Hindu tradition as that of Shiva. In Western and Arabic tradition it is known as the footprint of Adam (or St Thomas) when he first set foot having been expelled from the Garden of Eden.

• Dambulla Cave Temple
  • Located 92 miles (148km) east of Colombo, and the rock fortress of Sigiriya is 12 miles (19 km) away.
  • The caves are located in a distinctive rock that rises 525 ft (160m) above the surrounding plain.
  • It is a major pilgrimage site in Buddhism, dating back to the third century BCE.
  • There are approximately 80 caves locally of which the Five caves form the Temple complex.
  • Inside the Cave of the Divine King is a 46 ft (14m) high statue of Buddha, carved out of the rock.
  • Inside the Cave of the Great Kings are 16 statues of Buddha standing, 40 statues of Buddha seated, a statue of the Gods Saman and Vishnu, and two statues of important Sri Lankan Kings who donated generously to the Temple.
  • The statues were started in the first century BCE and continued being added to for the next 1,300 years.
  • The Dambulla cave monastery which is responsible for the Temple complex also dates from the first century BCE.

Sri Lankan Elephant

• The Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is one of the three sub-species of Asian Elephant, the others being ‘Indicus’ and ‘Sumatranus’.
• Less than 10% of the male elephants have tusks. Historical Sources describe Elephants as being in Sri Lanka as far back as 200 BCE.

Sri Lankan Leopard

• The Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is native to Sri Lanka, and used to live all over the island, but is now an endangered species with less than 1,000 leopards alive today.
• They are predominantly a night hunter, but also hunt in the dawn and dusk and sometimes during the day.
• Deer, wild boar, monkeys, snakes and birds make up its prey. It stalks in silence, then sprints at great speed, pouncing on its victim and killing it with one bite around the throat.
• As they have no predator themselves, they eat their kill where it lies, very occasionally pulling it up into the trees.

Laccadives, Maldives and Chagos Islands

• The Laccadives, Maldives and Chagos Islands were known in Taprobane as the ‘Twelve Thousand Islands’. According to Pliny the Elder, they did not use the stars when navigating to them. They were mentioned in the first century CE Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. The Laccadives are called the ‘Lakshadweep’ which means ‘one hundred thousand islands’ in Sanskrit, Hindi and Tamil. The most southerly island is Minicoy.
• The Maldives are separated from the Laccadives by the Eight Degree Channel on the eight degree north Parallel of Latitude, which is south of Minicoy. North of Minicoy lies the Nine Degree Channel.
• The Chagos islands consist of 60 islands and are situated 310 miles (500km) south of the Maldives, on the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• These consist of 572 islands and are located in the east of the Bay of Bengal. They form the western edge of the Andaman Sea with Burma, Thailand and the Malay peninsular to the east.
• The two island groups are separated by the Ten Degree Channel on the ten degree north Parallel of Latitude.

Kumari Kandam

• A lost continent, known as the Atlantis of the Indian Ocean, called ‘Kumari Kandam’ is referred to in Tamil Works and Sanskrit Literature. It was ruled for almost ten thousand years by the Pandyan Kings before having sunk off the south coast of India and Sri Lanka.
• The Laccadive-Maldive-Chagos Islands lie on the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge and may have formed part of the base of this lost continent.

Serendib

• The Arab and Persian name for Sri Lanka is Serendib and the word Serendipity comes from the name Serendib.
• It is derived from the Sanskrit word for Sri Lanka which translates as ‘Dwelling place of Lion’s Island’.
• In 1754 the English writer Horace Walpole wrote a version of the Persian fairy tale called ‘The Three Princes of Serendib’ in which he invented the word ‘Serendipity’ meaning a ‘pleasant surprise’.

Ancient Sources

• The Mahavamsa:
  • This is a historical Poem written in the Pali language during the fifth century CE, based on Chronicles compiled by Buddhist Monks, that describes the Royal Dynasties of Sri Lanka from King Vijaya to the fifth century CE, and also includes descriptions of the Indian Kings.
• The Dipavamsa:
  • This is an earlier work than the Mahavamsa but which covers the same period though in less detail.
• The Culavamsa:
  • This describes Sri Lankan history from the fourth century CE until 1815 CE.
• Greek and Roman Sources
  • Megasthenes (350-290 BCE) the Greek Geographer first mentioned the island.
  • Eratosthenes  (276-196 BCE) placed it in his Geography.
  • Ptolemy 139 CE, placed it in his geographical treatise.
  • Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) discusses Taprobane in his Natural History.

Colombo, Sri Lanka