Beminitiya Seya, also known as the Great Famine, (103-89 BC), during the reign of King Vattagamini Abhaya, known as

Valagambahu Valagamba (Sinhala: වළගම්බා), also known as Wattagamani Abhaya and Valagambahu, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka. Five months after becoming king, he was overthrown by a rebellion and an invasion from South India, b ...

, was a period of over a decade in which ancient Sri Lanka's

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

systems failed as a result of invasion, corruption and neglect. It was a time of hardship, compounded by foreign invasion, making this a grey region of Sri Lanka's history. Long drought coupled with South Indian invasion completely neglected the repairs and maintenance of the advanced irrigation systems that was in place. The situation eased with the deaths of five warring princes and the return of King Valagambahu. As soon as Valagambahu took over power in 89 BC, work was done to repair and reconstruct the ill-fated irrigation system which saw the end of the baminitiya seya in 89 BC.

is regarded as one of Sri Lanka's greatest heroes. The famine is mentioned a number of times in the stories contained in " Sihalavatthu Pakarana", the oldest work of Ceylonese literature. It is related that at this time many monks left the island for India or the

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

.D. Amarasiri Weeraratne, ''Sihalavatthu Pakarana: Book of ancient Sinhala religious stories'' The Island, Thursday 07th December, 200

/ref>

References

Anuradhapura period {{SAsia-hist-stub

See also

References