Prince Vijaya - Ancestry and Arrival in Lanka

Ancestry and Arrival in Lanka

Vijaya Singha (this surname gave rise to name Singhal or Ceylone) the ousted prince of Singhapur/Sinhpur went with his dared evil comrades to Sri Lanka.

As per Sri Lanka history Mahavamsa, written around 400 AD by the monk Mahanama, using the Dipavamsa and Sinhala Attakatha as sources, correlates well with Indian histories of the period. Ceylon before colonization by Prince Vijaya was earlier inhabited by the ancient tribes known as the Yakkhas and the Nagas. With the arrival of Prince Vijay and his 700 followers history of the Sinhalese started. Vijaya was eldest son of King Sinhabahu ("Man with Lion arms") and his Queen Sinhasivali of Bhurishrestha Kingdom.

Vijaya married Kuveni (local Yaksha princess) like his army marrying off local women. Later this gave rise to the modern Sinhala race. Vijaya landed on Sri Lanka near Mahathitha (Manthota or Mannar), and named the island "Thambaparni" ('copper-colored palms). These are attested in Ptolemy's map of the ancient world. Mahavamsa also claims, Lord Buddha visiting Sri Lanka three times. Firstly, to stop a war between a Naga king and his son-in-law who were fighting over a ruby chair. It is said that on his last visit, he left his foot mark on Sripada (Adam's Peak). Tamirabharani was the old name for second longest river in Sri Lanka (known as Malwatu Oya in Sinhala & Aruvi Aru in Tamil). This river was main supply route connecting the capital, Anuradhapura to Mahathitha (Mannar). The waterway was used by Greek and Chinese ships traveling the southern Silk Route. Mahathitha was an ancient port linking Sri Lanka to Bengal and Persian Gulf.

At the beginning of the chronicle (see History of Sri Lanka) the King of Banga (Bengal) is married to the daughter of the King of Kalinga. Their daughter, Suppadevi, was not only 'very fair and very amorous', but was also prophesied to consummate a 'union with the King of beasts' - in the Mahavamsa, a lion. When this duly happened, she gave birth to two children - Sinhabahu and Sinhasivali. 'Sinhabahu' means 'lion-armed' and the young prince himself is described as having 'hands and feet...formed like a lion's'. The family lived together in the lion's cave, blocked in by a large rock the lion had placed to prevent their exit. Eventually, however, Suppadevi and her two children flee the cave. Later Sinhabahu kills his father with an arrow. Then, marrying his sister, he establishes a kingdom based on a city called Singhapur. Sinhasivali bears him a series of twins; their eldest child is named Vijaya, and his younger twin brother Sumitta. However, a critical twist and serious study by scholars and researchers with further references suggest that the King of Sinhpur/Sinhapura ( Sihor ), region's very ancient telltales and references about Prince Vijaya, his exile, his route, are the ones which connect strongly to the History of Sri Lanka and Sinhala/Sinhalese people and culture.

Vijaya is described as indulging in 'evil conduct, and his followers were...(like himself), and many intolerable deeds of violence were done by them'. So antisocial were his activities that the people of the kingdom eventually demanded that the (now aging) King Sinhabahu have him executed. Instead Sinhabhu had half their heads shaved (a sign of disgrace) and exiled Vijaya with his followers, their wives and children, from the kingdom - traditionally said to number a total of 700 souls. After resting in several places they are found to be hostile, and the wayward prince and his associates eventually 'landed in Lanka, in the region called 'Tambapanni.

Later research by Sinhala linguist W.S. Karunatillake supports the hypothesis that the Sinhalese originated in the Eastern India and that many words (over 50%) resemble Bengali language. At the same time, the fact can not be denied for it was rise and origin of sub languages from Sanskrit in the times of Middle India where a great volume of syntax and material were common to all the newly emerging Indian Languages. And yet they were few at that time. This is to ask for a serious comparison and conclusion for Prince Vijaya's origin, whether it was from Singhpur, Kalinga or it was from Sihor, Gujarat, despite references weigh more in favor of Vijaya's origin to lower Indus, and Sihor, which was officially known as Sinhapur in Kathiawar peninsula in ancient times. Another critical point of observation is that, the last and, now only home to Asiatic Lions (locally referred as 'Sinh' or 'Sinha') is Gir Forest falls under Kathiawar peninsula in Gujarat and approach to core Gir territory is just some miles away from Sihor. In fact, till date as in year 2011, Lions are sighted in rural areas adjoining Sihor.

Interestingly, some dialects, words and punches between Bengali and Gujarati languages are strikingly common so the researchers and scholars may have to stress more on other viable aspects too while any Indian sub language during Middle India was not prominent and dominant, where Sanskrit was being widely used in majority of Indian sub-continent. This is where esteemed scholars and researchers have to stress more while they strive to bring out their valuable observations and opinion.

A second geographical issue is the location of Tambapanni, the landing-site of the Vijaya expedition. The Rajaveliya states that the group saw Adam's Peak from their boats and thus landed in Southern Sri Lanka, in an area that eventually became part of the Kingdom of Ruhuna. British historian H. Parker narrowed this down to the mouth of Kirindi Oya. This is now thought to be a far too Southerly location. The more favored region currently is between the cities of Mannar and Negombo, and Puttalam, where the copper-colored beaches may have given rise to the name Tambapanni, which means 'copper-palmed'.