Reference
A History of Sri Lanka
The standard history of Sri Lanka from Anuradhapura to independence.
Their world
Move along the chart to see their age in any year, who ruled and what happened; click anything to open it.
The map shows Anuradhapura Kingdom around their lifetime and where the events of their lifetime took place.
Hover a dot for the event; click it to open the full map in that year.
Rulers of the time
Kujula Kadphises
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 30 CE – c. 80 CE
Vima Taktu
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 80 CE – c. 95 CE
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 375 CE – c. 415 CE
Kumaragupta I
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 415 CE – c. 455 CE
Skandagupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 455 CE – c. 467 CE
Dhatusena
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 455 CE – c. 473 CE
Gondophares I
King, Indo-Parthian Kingdom · c. 19 CE – c. 46 CE
Prabhavatigupta (regent)
Queen regent, Vakataka Dynasty · c. 390 CE – c. 410 CE
Events in their lifetime
| c. 400 CE | Kalidasa at the Gupta court |
| c. 402 CE | Iron Pillar erected |
| c. 405 CE | Faxian travels in India |
| c. 415 CE | Kumaragupta I becomes emperor |
| c. 427 CE | Nalanda Mahavihara founded |
| c. 455 CE | Skandagupta repels the Hunas The first Huna invasion was repulsed. |
Contemporaries
Sorted by how long their lives overlapped. The bar shows when, within Buddhaghosa’s life.
Kalidasa
Poet / writer · active c. 400 CE
Sanskrit poet-dramatist of Abhijnanashakuntalam and Meghaduta
Overlap: 30 years
Vishakhadatta
Poet / writer · active c. 400 CE
Author of the political drama Mudrarakshasa
Overlap: 30 years
Faxian
Traveller / envoy · c. 337 CE – c. 422 CE
Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who travelled through Gupta India
Overlap: 22 years
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Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
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Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
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