The Six Dravidians were six
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
rulers apparently from the
Pandyan Dynasty who ruled the
Anuradhapura Kingdom from 436 to 452 CE. They are said to be Buddhist, taking Buddhist epithets such as the 'servant of Buddha' and are known to have made several Buddhist donations.
[Sirima Kiribamune, Tamils in Ancient and Medieval Sri Lanka: The Historical Roots of Ethnic Identity in Ethnic Studies Report, vol IV/1, January 1986, pp. 1-23 https://www.thuppahis.com/2021/05/03/tamils-in-ancient-and-medieval-sri-lanka-the-historical-roots-of-ethnic-identity/amp/]
Background
Before the Six Dravidians had invaded the island, the
Anuradhapura Kingdom was ruled by
Mittasena (435-436).
Rulers
Pandu
Pandu was the first of the Six Dravidians. He was a
Pandyan, in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
, who established foreign rule in Anuradhapura through a Pandyan invasion. He ruled from 436 to 441
Parindu
Parindu, the son of Pandu, was the second of the Six Dravidians. He ruled for less than a year in 441.
Khudda Parinda
Khudda Parinda, the third of the Six Dravidians, reigned from 441 to 447. He was the younger brother of Parindu.
Tiritara
Tiritara was the fourth of the Six Dravidians. He ruled for two months in 447 until he was defeated and killed by
Dhatusena
Dhatusena was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled from 455 to 473 AD. He was the first king of the Moriyan dynasty. In some records, he is also identified as Dasenkeli. Dhatusena reunited the country under his rule after twenty six years, defeating t ...
.
Dathiya
Dathiya was the fifth of the Six Dravidians, who ruled for two years from 447 to 450. He was defeated and killed by
Dhatusena
Dhatusena was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled from 455 to 473 AD. He was the first king of the Moriyan dynasty. In some records, he is also identified as Dasenkeli. Dhatusena reunited the country under his rule after twenty six years, defeating t ...
.
Pithiya
Pithiya was the last of the Six Dravidians, who ruled for two years from 450 to 452. He was defeated and killed by
Dhatusena
Dhatusena was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled from 455 to 473 AD. He was the first king of the Moriyan dynasty. In some records, he is also identified as Dasenkeli. Dhatusena reunited the country under his rule after twenty six years, defeating t ...
.
See also
*
List of Sri Lankan monarchs
The Sinhalese monarch -- anachronistically referred to as the Kings of Sri Lanka—featured the heads of state of the Sinhala Kingdoms, in what is today Sri Lanka.
The Sinhalese monarchy originates in the settlement of North Indian Indo ...
*
History of Sri Lanka
The history of Sri Lanka is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions, comprising the areas of South Asia, Southeast Asia and Indian Ocean.
The early human remains found on the island of Sri ...
*
Mahavamsa
References
External links
VIJAYA and the Lankan MonarchsThe Mahavamsa History of Sri LankaThe Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka
{{DEFAULTSORT:Six Dravidians
Lists of monarchs
Sri Lanka history-related lists
Monarchs of Anuradhapura
Tamil monarchs
Usurpers of the Sinhalese throne
5th-century Sinhalese monarchs