This article will give only the broad outlines of Sri Lanka's history.
Articles will be added expanding on this Outline.
Sri Lanka has a well-documented history of over 2500 years. In ancient times it was well-known throughout the civilized world, both in the West as well as in the East. Sri Lanka has contributed to world culture, The country has been known under various names both within the country itself as well as in the world at large. Its ancient name was Lanka. Throughout the colonial period it was known as Ceylon or variants thereof. When the country adopted a Republican constitution in 1972 it chose the ancient name in the form of "Sri Lanka". The term "Sri" added to the ancient name means something like "resplendent" or "fortunate".
It is usual to divide the history of the country into several distinct periods or eras depending on where the principal seat of power was located. These are:This covers the period from the beginnings of human settlement in the Island upto the arrival of Indeo-Aryan settlers from the Indian subcontinent about 500 BCE. Little is known of this period. Signs of human settlement in the Island go back at least to the Neo-lithic period. Who these people were, and how they came to the Island is not known. When written records begin to refer to them we see that they were divided into several tribes somewhat similar to the remant pre-Aryan inhabitants in the Indian subcontinent.
This covers the rule of Vijaya and Thammanna is the purported place where he established his capital. It would have been closer to the modern town of Mannar. Vijaya initially married Kuveni the female leader of the leading tribe of "native" people who were inhabiting the area where Vijaya landed after his expulsion from his native Vanga kingdom in north-eastern India.
This covers the rule of the successors to Vijaya. By now the capital was slowly being shifted inland. This marks the first stage of this shift. The name means the Upatissa settlement (town, village) and was named of the ruler who made it his capital.
This is the second stage in the shift of the capital inland. It is now designated as a city (nuwara) and denotes an increase in the population as well as the splendour of the Capital.