Buzz
Built in the 5th century, the fortress of Sigiriya, also known as 'The Lion's Citadel' of Sri Lanka, captivated the attention of British archaeologists in the 1800s.
Perched atop a significant rock outcrop amidst the forests of central Sri Lanka, Sigiriya still stands majestic as when it was first constructed by a notorious tyrant king in the 5th century AD. Also known as the lion fortress, Sigiriya (recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982) is accessed through a pathway carved into the rock face between a pair of colossal lion's paws.
Over time, the fortress was swallowed by the encroaching jungle, and the way in was only familiar to the local villagers. However, outsiders still knew of the fortress's name through ancient Buddhist texts. English historians traced Sigiriya through historical documents, rediscovering its architectural wonders, exquisite frescoes, and the entire fortress in the 19th century.
Sigiriya was built by King Kashyapa I in the 5th century, who ruled the indigenous Sinhalese dynasty - Moriya. The magnificent fortress once served as the capital of the Sinhalese kingdom until Kashyapa was defeated in 495 AD.
After Kashyapa, subsequent dynasties experienced continuous changes, rise, and fall over time, shaped by internal power struggles as well as conflicts between the indigenous Sinhalese and invading forces from India.
Several cities have held the capital position after Sigiriya, such as Polonnaruwa. However, by the 12th century, overall control of Sri Lanka gradually weakened. Sinhalese power shifted towards the southwest of the island, leaving behind the region of Rajarata, and the former administrative centers, including Sigiriya, which were no longer utilized.
Sri Lanka's position in the Indian Ocean made it vulnerable to European encroachment seeking to expand their control in the region. In the mid-1500s, the Portuguese aggressively exploited dynastic tensions among Sri Lanka's ruling elite and seized control of much of the island.
A century later, the Dutch supplanted the Portuguese as colonial masters, only to be replaced by the British towards the end of the 1700s. By 1815, the Kingdom of Kandy, the last indigenous independent state on the island, became part of the British Empire.
The British rule brought George Turnour - a nobleman, enthusiastic scholar, and historian - to the historically rich land. Turnour collaborated with a Buddhist monk to translate an ancient chronicle from the 5th century - Mahavamsa, from Sri Lanka's Pali language into English. Based on this text and others, he identified two ancient capitals: Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
Turnour also delved into a later chronicle of Sri Lankan history - Culavamsa, recounting the story of King Kashyapa. In the late 5th century, this Sinhalese prince committed patricide against his father, King Dhatusena, and usurped the throne. Fearing retaliation from his half-brother, he constructed the fortress of Sigiriya - but this seemed futile: His half-brother, upon returning from India, defeated Kashyapa, and Sigiriya lost its status as the capital shortly after.
In 1827, a Scottish officer, Jonathan Forbes, became acquainted with Turnour, having heard the tale of Kashyapa and the palace; he decided to seek it out. In 1831, he set out to the place locals told him he would find the ruins of an ancient city.
His memoir describes, 'the ruins lie within an expansive forest of the surrounding plains. Upon approach, one can see the platforms and exhibition rooms carved into the rock. Two members of our group attempted to open some pathways, but the rock was dislodged and fell into the deep foliage below,' Forbes uncertain if they had found the Sigiriya referenced in Buddhist texts, ultimately abandoned the expedition.
The final British mountaineers truly discovered this place in 1851 through Harry CP Bell's survey mission. His late 19th-century survey laid the foundation for all subsequent studies.
Bell meticulously identified the layout of Kashyapa's city as well as the exquisite carvings on the lion's paw at the entrance, something Forbes couldn't have seen.
In addition to the elaborate water gardens at the base of the rock, Bell's survey also drew attention to the exhibition rooms on the rock face. Adorned with intricately painted wall frescoes, they have become some of the most highly regarded artifacts in Sri Lanka's artistic heritage.
Source: NationalGeographic
