Anuradhapura
The city
- Protohistoric Iron Age
-
Although according to historical records the city was founded in the
5th century BC, the archaeological data put the date as far back as the
10th century BC.
[1]
Very little evidence was available about the period before the 5th
century BC (i.e. the protohistoric period), though excavations have
revealed information about the earlier inhabitants of the city.
Further excavations in Anuradhapura have uncovered information about
the existence of a protohistoric habitation of humans in the citadel.
The protohistoric Iron Age which spans from 900 to 600 BC, marked the
appearance of iron technology, pottery, the horse, domestic cattle and
paddy cultivation. In the time period 700 to 600 BC the settlement in
Anuradhapura had grown over an area of at least 50
ha.
The city was strategically situated of major ports northwest and
northeast, it was surrounded by irrigable and fertile land. The city was
also buried deep in the jungle providing natural defence from invaders.
- Lower Early Historic period
The Lower Early Historic period, spanning from 500 to 250 BC, is studied on the lines of the chronicles. During this time King
Pandukabhaya
formally planned the city, with gates, quarters for traders etc. The
city at the time would have covered an area of 1 square kilometre which
makes it one of the largest in the continent at the time.
Beginnings
The layout of Anuradhapura as described in the
Mahavansa:
- "He laid out four suburbs as well as the Abhaya-tank, the common
cemetery, the place of execution, and the chapel of the Queens of the
West, the banyan-tree of Vessavana and the Palmyra-palm of the Demon of
Maladies, the ground set apart for the Yonas and the house of the Great
Sacrifice; all these he laid out near the west gate." [2]
- "A hermitage was made for many ascetics; eastward of that same
cemetery the ruler built a house for the nigantha Jotiya.(...) On the
further side of Jotiya's house and on this side of the Gamani tank he
likewise built a monastery for wandering mendicant monks, and a dwelling
for the ajivakas and a residence for the brahmans, and in this place
and that he built a lying-in shelter and a hall for those recovering
from sickness." [2]
It is said that King
Pandukabhaya
made it his capital in the 4th century BC, and that he also laid out
the town and its suburbs according to a well organized plan. He
constructed a reservoir named
Abhayavapi.
He established shrines for yakkhas such as Kalawela and Cittaraja. He
housed the Yaksini-Cetiya in the form of a mare within the royal
precincts and offerings were made to all these demi-gods every year. He
chose the sites for the cemetery and for the place of execution, the
Chapel of the Western Queen, the Pacchimarajini, the Vessavana Banyan
Tree, the Palm of the Vyadhadeva, the Yona Quarter and the House of the
Great Sacrifice. The slaves or Candalas were assigned their duties and a
village was set apart for them. They build dwellings for Niganthas, for
wandering ascetics and for Ajivakas and Brahmanas. He established, the
village boundaries. The tradition that King
Pandukabhaya made Anuradhapura the capital city of
Sri Lanka as early as the 4th century BC had been very important.
The administrative and sanitary arrangements be made for the city and
the shrines he provided indicate that over the years the city developed
according to an original master plan. His son Mutasiva, succeeded to
the throne. During his reign of sixty years, he maintained Anuradhapura
as his capital and further laid out the
Mahameghavana
Garden which was to play an important role in the early history of
Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was in the period of his successor, his son
Devanampiya Tissa,
that Buddhism was first introduced this island 236 years after the
passing away of the Buddha. Emperor Ashoka in India was a contemporary
of Devanampiya Tissa. Historically this period is considered to extend
from 250 to 210 BC. This is the point at which a kingship began and a
civilization developed based on one of the most significant religions of
South Asia,
Buddhism.
Buddhism and Anuradhapura
With the introduction of Buddhism, the city gained more prominence and the great building era began. The
Mahavansa states that King
Kutakannatissa built the first city wall to a height of seven
cubits
with a moat in front of the wall. This fortification was further
enlarged by raising the wall a further 11 cubits to 18 cubits by King
Vasabha.
The king also added fortified gatehouses at the entrances of which the
ruins can be seen to date. The Mahavamsa also states that soothsayers
and architects were consulted in the construction.
During the late Anuradhapura period, the royal family and nobility of
Sri Lanka strongly supported Buddhism. As such, they frequently
commissioned works of art and donated these items to Buddhist temples.
In return, the temple and local Buddhist community supported the king's
rule. Art works featuring depictions of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva
of Mercy and Compassion, became increasing popular.
[3]
Great Building Era
The city grows
The city's popularity grew both as a ritual centre and as the
administrative centre, a large population was attracted to the city for
permanent settlement. Thus the living facilities were improved to
accommodate the expanding population. King
Vasabha
constructed many ponds which were fed by a network of subterranean
channels which were constructed to supply water to the city.
Tissa and
Abhayavapi tanks were built, the
Nuwara weva was built and the
Malwatu Oya was dammed to build the
Nachchaduwa wewa which was 4,408 acres (17.84 km
2) in size.
Parks were also provided in the city. The
Ranmasu Uyana below the bund of
Tissavapi or
Tisa weva
was one such, but it was strictly reserved for the members of the royal
family. Health care and education were two other aspects to which the
authorities paid attention. There were several hospitals in the city. In
the 4th century King
Upatissa II provided quarters and homes for the crippled and the blind. King
Buddhadasa
(337-365 AD), himself a physician of great repute, appointed a
physician to be in charge of every ten villages. For the maintenance of
these physicians, one tenth of the income from the fields was set apart.
He also set up refuges for the sick in every village. Physicians were
also appointed to look after the animals.
Kassapa V (914-923 AD) founded a hospital close to the southern gate of Anuradhapura.
General Sena
in the 10th century is believed to have built a hospital close to the
ceremonial street (Managala Veediya). The history of medical care began
early, for in the 4th century BC King
Pandukhabaya,
in the course of sanitizing the town constructed a hospital. A large
workforce was entrusted with the task of keeping the city clean.
Large lakes were also constructed by the city's rulers to irrigate paddy lands and also to supply water to the city.
Nuwara wewa and
Tissa wewa are among the best known lakes in the city.
The great city
Anuradhapura attained its highest magnificence about the commencement of the
common era.
The city had some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient
world, situated in the dry zone of the country the administration built
many tanks to irrigate the land. Most of these tanks still survive.
