Chola Invaders [1017-1070 CE]

Predecessor		Successor
Mahinda V [982-1029 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Chola Invaders [1017-1070 CE]	Vijayabahu I [1055-1110 CE]
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA

The eleventh century ranks among the most unsettled and transformative eras in Sri Lankan history, dominated by a seventy-seven-year occupation of the island by the South Indian Chola Empire. This prolonged foreign rule radically reshaped the political order, bringing the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom to an end, shifting the administrative center to Polonnaruwa, and forcing Sinhalese resistance into the rugged southern hinterland.

The Chola Conquest of Sri Lanka

The Chola Empire rose to imperial prominence in the late tenth century under Rajaraja I, whose formidable naval power enabled effective control of the Indian Ocean. The invasion of Lanka was driven both by imperial expansion and by the lure of the island’s renowned wealth. In 993 CE, Chola forces landed in the north, devastated Anuradhapura by fire and pillage, and incorporated the northern province of Rajarata into the Chola realm.

The decisive collapse of the Anuradhapura polity followed in 1017 CE during the reign of Rajendra I. Chola armies penetrated the southern province of Rohana (Ruhuna), captured King Mahinda V together with his queen and royal insignia, and carried them to India. Mahinda V died in captivity in 1029 CE. With the Sinhalese monarch removed, the Cholas installed a viceroyal administration and transferred the seat of government to Polonnaruwa, which they renamed Jananathapura. This site was selected for its strategic advantages, as it controlled the crossings of the Mahaweli Ganga and provided a natural defensive barrier against uprisings from the south.

Religious and Economic Devastation

Chola rule brought widespread cultural and economic ruin. As adherents of Saivism, the Chola authorities showed little regard for Buddhist institutions. Numerous viharas were looted or desecrated, relic chambers were forcibly opened, and centuries’ worth of accumulated gold images, gems, and treasures were taken away. Major sanctuaries such as the Ruvanveli Seya were violated, and their valuables were carried off to India.

Equally destructive was the neglect of the island’s sophisticated irrigation network, the foundation of Rajarata’s agrarian prosperity. Although the Cholas continued to use the reservoirs, effective maintenance declined over time. Major tanks, including Minneriya and Padaviya, suffered breaches, leading to irrigation failures. Reduced rice yields, coupled with heavy taxation, plunged the population into severe impoverishment.

Rohana as the Centre of Resistance

While the Cholas maintained firm control over the north, Rohana emerged as the principal refuge of Sinhalese independence. After the capture of Mahinda V, his young son, Prince Kasyapa, later known as Vikkamabahu, was taken south and concealed from the invaders. In response, the Cholas dispatched a massive force said to number ninety-five thousand men to seize the prince, but they were repelled by two Sinhalese generals who fortified themselves at Magul-maha-viharaya.

After the death of Vikkamabahu (1029-1040), Rohana entered a prolonged phase of instability marked by internal rivalries. Leaders such as Vikkamapandu (1042-1043), Jagatipala (1043-1046), and the general Loka/Lokesvara (1048-1054) ruled from centers like Kataragama. Many of these rulers fell in battle against the Cholas or were overthrown by internal challengers, allowing the Cholas to steadily tighten their control over the southern province.

Resistance to Chola Authority

Despite their dominance, the Cholas were continually challenged by Sinhalese resistance. Local leaders harassed frontier outposts and encouraged inhabitants of the north to withhold tribute. By about 1065 CE, widespread unrest erupted in the Chola-controlled Rajarata, possibly inspired by the emerging leadership of the young Kitti, who would later reign as Vijayabahu I.

The Chola response was uncompromising. Reinforcements landed at Mahatittha (Mantai), subdued the population with extreme brutality, and then advanced into Rohana on a punitive expedition. During this phase, Chola forces intercepted Kitti’s army near Anuradhapura, inflicting a severe defeat that forced him to withdraw to the rock fortress of Vakirigala, where he remained under siege for three months.

The Final Campaign and Liberation

By around 1070 CE, circumstances shifted decisively in favor of the Sinhalese. The Chola Empire was weakened by internal conflicts and prolonged wars with the Western Chalukyas. Kitti, having unified Rohana and assumed the name Vijayabahu I, seized this opportunity to launch a coordinated, three-pronged offensive.

A western force advanced through the Kurunegala region, capturing Anuradhapura and severing Chola communication lines with India at Mahatittha. An eastern column moved northward along the coast toward the Mahaweli basin. Vijayabahu himself led the central thrust against Polonnaruwa.

Cut off from reinforcements and escape routes, the Chola garrison concentrated within Polonnaruwa and resisted fiercely for nearly six weeks. Sinhalese forces eventually breached the defenses and annihilated the Damila troops entirely. In 1070 CE, Vijayabahu entered Anuradhapura in triumph, bringing seventy-seven years of Chola domination to an end.

Legacy of the Chola Period

The Chola occupation permanently altered the trajectory of Sri Lankan history. The Anuradhapura era closed irrevocably, and Polonnaruwa became the new capital of the island. Vijayabahu I devoted the remainder of his long reign to national reconstruction, reviving the Buddhist Sangha through missions to Burma, repairing breached reservoirs, and restoring agricultural productivity.

Although Chola political power was extinguished, its legacy endured through a substantial Tamil population that remained in the north. Some of these groups were later incorporated into elite mercenary formations such as the Vēļaikkāras, who entered the service of subsequent Sinhalese kings.

References

Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part II–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Nicholas, C. W., & Paranavitana, S. (1961). A Concise History of Ceylon: From the Earliest Times to the Arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. University of Ceylon.
Obeyesekere, D. (1911). History of Ceylon : Outlines of Ceylon History. The Times of Ceylon Colombo.
Sastri, N. (1954). Vijayabâhu I, The Liberator of Lanka. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, IV (new series).
Wijesekera, N. (1990). The Sinhalese. M. D. Gunasena & Co Ltd.

Predecessor		Successor
Mahinda V [982-1029 CE] -House of Lambakanna-	Chola Invaders [1017-1070 CE]	Vijayabahu I [1055-1110 CE]
COMPLETE LIST OF RULERS OF SRI LANKA