Prince Vijaya

Vijaya
Coronation of Prince Vijaya; detail from the Ajanta Caves mural of Cave 17[1]
Reign	c. 543 – c. 505 BCE
Successor	Upatissa
Born	Sinhapura
Died	505 BC Tambapanni
Wives	Kuveni, The daughter of a Pandya king
Issue	Jivahata Disala
Dynasty	House of Vijaya
Father	Sinhabahu
Mother	Sinhasivali

Prince Vijaya (c. 543–505 BCE) was a legendary king of Tambapanni, based in modern day Sri Lanka. His reign was first mentioned in Mahāvaṃsa. He is said to have came to Sri Lanka with a seven hundred followers after being banished from Sinhapura. However, there is no archaeological evidence of this.

After arriving on the island, Vijaya and his settlers defeated a yaksha near "Thammena" (Tambapaṇṇī) displacing the inhabitants. Eventually Vijaya's married Kuveni, a daughter of a yaksha leader legitimizing Vijaya’s rule over the region.