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Vijayabahu I

Sri Lankan king of Polonnaruwaa from 1055 to 1110

Correspondence, annotated notebooks and portrait silhouettes prepared for research
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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 27, 2026
Entity authorityQ3536135 ↗
Source-derived summary

Vijayabahu I (Sinhala: මහා විජයබාහු) (b. 1039 – d. 1110), also known as Vijayabahu the Great, was King of Polonnaruwa from 1055 to 1110. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola occupation. He assumed rulership of the Ruhuna principality in the southern parts of the country in 1055. Following a seventeen-year-long campaign, he successfully drove the Cholas out of the island in 1070, reuniting the country for the first time in over 77 years. During his reign, he re-established Buddhism in Sri Lanka and repaired much of the damage caused to infrastructure during the wars. He offered the Thihoshin Pagoda (Lord of Sri Lanka Buddha image) to Burmese king Alaungsithu which still stands in Pakokku.

Early life

Prince Keerthi was born around 1039 in Ruhuna while the country was under Chola occupation. As a result, there were When he was fifteen years old Kitti defeated the last of such rulers, Lokissara, with the aim of becoming the king of Ruhuna.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Vijayabahu I” as sri Lankan king of Polonnaruwaa from 1055 to 1110. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Vijayabahu, Lankan and king.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1039, 1110, 1055, 1070—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1039. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Vijayabahu, Lankan and king providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Vijayabahu I”, the useful work is to connect “sri Lankan king of Polonnaruwaa from 1055 to 1110” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3536135. VIAF identifies the subject as 50026269. The Library of Congress control number is n82245871. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1039, 1110, 1055 and 1070.

Critical limits

A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Vijayabahu I”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Vijayabahu I primary sources, Vijayabahu I archive and Vijayabahu research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Vijayabahu I”?
  2. Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
  3. Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Vijayabahu I” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.