Capital of Sri Lanka

Mythological

• Abhayanagara, Unknown. Capital of Abhaya, King of Sri Lanka (then known as Ojadīpa) in the time of Kakusandha Buddha.^[1]
• Sirīsavatthu, Until 543 BC^[2]

Historical

Pre-Anuradhapura period (543–377 BC)

• Tambapaṇṇī, 543 BC–505 BC^[3][4]
• Upatissagāma, 505 BC–504 BC^[5]
• Vijithapura, 504–474 BC^[6]
• Upatissagāma, 474 BC–438 BC^[5]
• Anurādhapura, 438 BC–437 BC^[7]

Anuradhapura period (437 BC–1017)

• Anurādhapura, 437 BC–7th century AD, 7th century–667, 683–772, 777–797, 801–833, 853–1029^[7][8]
  • Sigiriya,^{[note 1]} 473–491 (During the reign of Kassapa I (473–491))^[9][10]
  • Polonnaruwa,^{[note 2]} 667–683 (During the reign of Aggabodhi IV (667–683))^[11][8][12]
  • Polonnaruwa, 772–777 (During the reign of Aggabodhi VII (772–777))^[11][12]
  • Polonnaruwa, 797–801 (During the reign of Udaya I (797–801))^[11][12]
  • Polonnaruwa, 833–853 (During the reign of Sena I (833–853))^[11][12]

Polonnaruwa period (1017–1232)

• Chola conquest of Anuradhapura
  • Polonnaruwa, 1029–1055 (Chola)^[13][14]
  • Rohana, 1029–1055 (Sinhalese)^[14]

• Polonnaruwa period
  • Polonnaruwa, 1055–1232^[15][16][14]

Transitional period (1232–1597)

• Polonnaruwa, 1232–1255^[15][16][14]
• Dambadeniya, 1255–1270s (During the reigns of Vijayabahu III (1232–1236), Parakramabahu II (1236–1270), Vijayabahu IV (1270–1272) and part of Bhuvanaikabahu I (1272–1284))^[17]
• Yapahuwa, 1270s–1284 (Part of the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu I (1272–1284))^[18][17][19]
• Polonnaruwa, 1287–1293 (During the reign of Parakramabahu III (1287–1293))^[20][19]
• Kurunegala, 13th century–14th century (During the reigns of Bhuvanaikabahu II (1293–1302) and Parakramabahu IV (1302–1326))^[18][17][19]
• Gampola,^{[note 3]} 1341–1356 (During the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu IV (1341–1351) and part of the reign of Parakramabahu V (1344–1359))^[21][22][23]
• Dedigama, 1356–1359 (During the co-reigns of Parakramabahu V and Vikramabahu III (1356–1359))^[23]
• Gampola, 1359–1374 (Part of the reign of Vikramabahu III (1356–1374) and part of the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu V (1371–1408))^[23]
• Kotte, 1371–1597 (During the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu V (1371–1408)), capital of the Kingdom of Kotte)^{[24][17][25][26][27]}
  • Rayigama, 1411–1414 (During the early part of the reign of Parakramabahu VI (1411–1466))^[28]

Kandyan period (1597–1815)

• Kandy, 1597–1815

British Ceylon period (1815–1948)

• Colombo, 1815–1948

Modern Sri Lanka (1948–present)

• Colombo, 1948–1982^[29]
• Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 1982–present

Others

Transitional period (1232–1597)

When the island was divided during the Transitional period, multiple capital cities existed at one time.

• Nallur, 1255–1620 (capital of the Jaffna Kingdom)^[18][19]
• Kandy, 1469–1597 (During the early part of the reign of Senasammata Vikramabahu (1469–1511), capital of the Kingdom of Kandy)^[30]
• Sitawaka, 1521–1594 (capital of the Kingdom of Sitawaka)

Citations

Bibliography