Sinhalese

The Sinhalese are the native inhabitants of Sri Lanka. They speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language.

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According to legend, they are descended from the exiled Prince Vijaya and his party of several hundred who arrived on the island around 500 BC after having been made to leave their native Bengal. The recorded history of the Sinhalese can be found in two large chronicles, the Mahavamsa and the Chulavamsa, which are considered unique in terms of age and longevity, and cover the histories of the powerful ancient kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Notable Sinhalese monarchs include Devanampiya Tissa (who converted to Buddhism in the 4th c BC), Parakramabahu the Great (c1164 - 1197) (who led an expedition to Thailand), and Mayadunne (1521 - 1581)(who led fierce resistence againt the Portuguese). Much of Sinhalese history was dominated by struggles against encroaching overseas powers such as the mighty Chola Kingdom of South India, and European colonial powers. However, the ancient kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa were particularly renowned for their wealth and at certain points their military prowess.

Sinhala: Sinhala (or Sinhalese) is the language spoken by the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It is closely related to , the language of the Maldives. There are about 13 million native speakers ...

Indo-Aryan: Indo-Aryan refers to...

500 BC: REDIRECT 509?500 BC...

Sinhalese related Images and Photos (experimental)

Sinhalese Beauty c.1875

Sinhalese Man Published c.1880