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19-629: Between 5th century BC and 13th century AD, present day Vavuniya District was part of the Rajarata historical region. Vavuniya District was thereafter ruled by Vanniar Chieftains who paid tribute to the pre-colonial Jaffna kingdom . The district then came under Portuguese , Dutch and British control. In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon . They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan Sinhalese and Tamil. The district, which

38-530: Is home to the historic Ketheeswaram temple . In the Tamil language , Mannar means the raised place [of sand] which is thought to have come from the geology of Mannar Island which was formed by the accumulation of sand. Formerly the town was renowned as a centre of pearl fishing , mentioned in the 2nd-century CE Periplus of the Erythraean Sea . Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort , built by

57-551: The Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior is largely destroyed. Visually, the modern town is dominated by its churches, Hindu temples and mosques . The Catholic Church has a diocese headquartered in the town. By rail the town is connected to the rest of Sri Lanka by the Mannar Line . It was under

76-655: The civil war . The entire district was recaptured by the Sri Lankan military in 2008. Vavuniya District is located in the north of Sri Lanka in the Northern Province. It has an area of 1,967 square kilometres (759 sq mi). Vavuniya District is divided into 4 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 102 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions). Vavuniya District's population

95-460: The 13th century) was divided into three parts: Mannar, Sri Lanka Mannar ( Tamil : மன்னார் , romanized:  Maṉṉār , Sinhala : මන්නාරම , romanized:  Mannārama , formerly spelled Manar ) is the main town of Mannar District , Northern Province, Sri Lanka . It is governed by an Urban Council . The town is located on Mannar Island overlooking the Gulf of Mannar and

114-638: The Kalinga forces extended their power to the Malaya Rata. During the rise of the Kingdom of Dambadeniya under the king Vijayabahu III (1220-1224 CE), Magha lost the control of Malaya Rata. The native Sinhalese resisted the Magha's administration at Pollonnaruwa. The Sinhalese gathered around inaccessible towns, fortresses and mountains including Yapahuwa and Gangadoni under army generals including Subha and Sankha. Because of

133-466: The control of LTTE during Sri Lankan Civil War between 1983 and 2009. Mannar has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen : As ) with warm to hot temperatures and a modest amount of rainfall. Mannar experiences a distinct wet season from October to December, and the rest of the year is fairly dry. 8°58′N 79°53′E  /  8.967°N 79.883°E  / 8.967; 79.883 This Northern Province, Sri Lanka location article

152-591: The forest. Tanks built during the Anuradhapura era (Giant's, Padaviya, Minneriya, Kantale, Mahavillachchiya, Thabbowa, Kala) are proof of the early settlements in Rajarata area. Initial settlements based near rivers: Boundaries of the three divisions (Rata): In 1215, Kalinga Magha invaded Rajarata with an army of 24,000 soldiers . After the conquest of Rajarata, Magha established his capital in Pollonnaruwa. Then

171-678: The island. Administrative centres in Rajarata: Prince Vijaya and his clan settled in Tambapanni, near the Malvatu Oya delta. According to Mahavamsa , various groups came from India in the period between Prince Vijaya and King Pandukabhaya's reign, frequently settling along the Malvathu Oya. In 377 BCE, King Pandukabhaya moved the administrative centre to Anuradhapura . Most of the settlements were located near rivers and reservoirs. Water

190-493: The king's brothers "Mapa" and "Epa" . The Magha invasion in the 13th century brought about the end of the Rajarata kingdom. The first kingdom in Rajarata was established by Prince Vijaya in 543 BCE. He settled near the delta of the Malvathu River between Chilaw and Mannar . According o a local myth, Prince Vijaya married a local princess, Kuveni , to gain control of Rajarata. With her help, he betrayed and killed all of

209-458: The regional leaders. After his death, the administrative center was moved to the countryside along the Malvathu Oya. The river was ideal for agriculture. The first three administrative centres Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara, and Anuradhapura, were situated close to the Malvathu Oya. King Pandukabhaya , once a prince descended from local Yaksha and Sinha tribes, formed a stable kingdom in Anuradhapura. He garnered support from tribes in different areas of

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228-723: The relative safety of the capital Colombo . Most of the Sri Lankan Moors and Sinhalese who lived in the district fled to other parts of Sri Lanka or were forcibly expelled by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, though most of them have returned to the district since the end of the civil war. Vavuniya District has 5 local authorities of which one is an Urban Council and the remaining 4 are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha). Rajarata Rajarata ( Sinhala : රජරට , romanized:  rajaraṭa ( IPA: [rad͡ʒəraʈə] ); Tamil : ரஜரட , romanized:  rajaraṭa ; meaning "King's country")

247-595: The rising threat, Pandyan troops established an administration centre in Jaffna Peninsula which was more secure and isolated by the impenetrable Vanni forest. Later Rajarata was annexed by king Parakramabahu II(1236–70). His power extended over Rohana, the central hills, Rajarata and the Vanni. The Sinhalese tried to re-establish the administrative centre in Rajarata but this never happened because of constant battles with invaders from south India. The administration centre

266-455: Was 171,511 in 2012. The population of the district is mostly Sri Lankan Tamil. The population of the district, like the rest of the north and east of Sri Lanka, has been heavily affected by the civil war. The war killed an estimated 100,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to the West during the war. Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to

285-454: Was later renamed Mullaitivu District and then Vavuniya District. At the time that Ceylon gained independence , Vavuniya was one of the three districts located in the Northern Province. Mullaitivu District was carved out of the northern part of Vavuniya District in September 1978. Parts of Vavuniya District were under the control of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for many years during

304-700: Was moved away from Rajarata by the Sinhalese. The defeat of Pandyan in South India in the rising Mogul empires weakened the Tamil power in Sri Lanka. The last Pandyan ruler of Madurai, was defeated and expelled in 1323 by Malik Kafur , the army general of the Muslim empire Delhi Sultanate . The falling of Pandyan was a historical event that had a big impact for Sri Lanka. It leads to following events: Also, ancient Rajarata (before

323-490: Was one of three historical regions of the island of Sri Lanka for about 1,700 years from the 6th century BCE to the early 13th century CE. Several ancient cities, including Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, were established as capitals within the area by successive rulers. Rajarata was under the direct administration of the King (raja/king, rata/country). Two other areas, Mayarata and Ruhunurata, were ruled by

342-477: Was then called Vanni District, was part of the Tamil administration. In 1833, in accordance with the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission , the ethnic based administrative structures were unified into a single administration divided into five geographic provinces. Vanni District, together with Jaffna District and Mannar District , formed the new Northern Province . Vanni District

361-695: Was used for agricultural purposes. According to the Yodha wewa area in Mannar District by King Dhatusena, Eropathana in Vavuniya District , Padawiya area in Anuradhapura District and Mullaitivu District by King Moggallana II the extent of Sri Lanka's golden civilization spread to the southern boundary of the Vanni forest . The thick Vanni forest acted as a barrier to colonizers above the southern border of

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