A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day c8.143

c8.143

The principal remains are found at the two most notable of the ancient capitals, namely, Anurādhapura and Polonnāruwa, both situated in the North Central Province. The former city, a royal residence for more than a thousand years, was superseded in the eighth century by Polonnāruwa, the glory of which lasted, with interruptions, until the early years of the thirteenth century. The antiquities, therefore, belong to two widely separated series. Those at Anurādhapura go back to the time of Asoka, but mostly date from the earliest centuries of the Christian era; whereas the most important buildings at Polonnāruwa were constructed during the second half of the twelfth century (A. D. 1153–97) in the reigns of Parākrama Bāhu the Great and Kīrti Nissanka Malla.¹