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Where Did Prince Vijaya Come From

By Kunwar Shivnath Singh Sengar

Vol. 3 · No. 2June - 1927pp. 403–408English

Summary

Prince Vijaya, the first Kshatriya king of Ceylon, originated from the Sengar clan of Rajputs, a prominent Kshatriya community in Northern India. The Sengars, numbering around 80,000, were recognized as one of thirty-six royal clans, known for their martial prowess and turbulent history. They claimed descent from the sage Rsyasrnga (or Srigiri), a contemporary of King Rima of Ayodhya, whose lineage traced back to Caturanga, who succeeded Rima’s grandfather Romapada. The Sengars maintained traditions of independence, even during early British rule, and were considered troublesome subjects by the East India Company. Historical traditions suggest an Sengar ancestor, Bhoja (or Bhoja Deva), migrated from Ridha (ancient Bengal west of the Bhagirathi River) to Ceylon, establishing an independent kingdom. He was succeeded by his brother Padma Deva, who later returned to India after enthroning Bhoja’s son in Ceylon. These claims align with the Sinhalese Mahivamsa, which dates Prince Vijaya’s arrival in Ceylon to the fifth or sixth century CE. However, scholars like Hume initially dismissed these traditions as myths, conflating them with Deccan-based narratives. Later research confirmed the Sengars’ historical presence in Ridha and their cultural significance in Rajput lore, though direct evidence of their Ceylon kingdom remains debated. The traditions highlight the Sengars’ enduring legacy and their role in shaping regional histories.

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Conclusion

This analysis illuminates the historical and cultural significance of Prince Vijaya's origins, tracing his lineage to the Sengar Rajputs and their enduring legacy in both Indian and Ceylonese history. By connecting Vijaya to the ancient sage Rsyariga and his descendants, the study underscores the interplay between myth, tradition, and historical migration patterns. The Sengars' prominence as a warrior clan, their resistance to colonial rule, and their claimed descent from figures like Rsyariga highlight their cultural resilience and historical importance. The document also raises intriguing questions about the transmission of traditions across generations and the potential historical basis for their migration to Ceylon, offering valuable insights into the socio-political dynamics of the region. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the Rajput clans' role in shaping historical narratives and their enduring influence on cultural identities.

Key passages

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  • “Prince Vijaya of Ridha (vulgarised in the Sinhalese language into Lila) who afterwards became the first Ksgatriya king of Ceylon, it will be seen, belonged to the Sengar clan of Rajputs”
  • “The tradition among the Sengar Rajputs has been that an ancestor of theirs, Bhoja? Ly name, who was, according to some genealogists, 8 son of Rsyadrnga and according to others a distant descendant of the sage—and this seems more reasonable because Rsyasraga was a contemporary of Dadaratha and Rima and thus lived at a time too remote for Bhoja to have been his son?—migrated from Burdwan in Ridha to Ceylon and became the first Sengar king of 'that island”
  • “The tradition among the Sengar Rajputs that they once ruled at Burdwan in Radha is corroborated by a tradition among other Rajput clans 8150, The Chauhan Rajputs, for instance, claim that their king Tsvara who lived 15 generations before Prthvirdja, the last independent Hindu Lking of Delhi, was a son-in-law of the Sengar king Sankara of Burdwan”

Works cited in this article

  1. Vamsa-bhaskara by Kaviraja Siryamalla of Bundi, 1899, Jodhpur edition
  2. N. W. P, Census Report, 1865, 1, App. B.
  3. Mahivamsa
  4. Dipavamsa
  5. Gaz. of India, 1908, vol, xxil

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In this issue

Vol. 3 · No. 2
235–260Maskari as an Epithet of GosalaB. M. Barua261–263Vijayanagara in Bengal TraditionRamesh Basu264–272The Development of Buddhist Art in South IndiaDeva Prasad Ghosh273–297Origin and Development of Dutakavya Literature in SanskritChintaharan Chakravarti298–306Origins of Hindu IconismS. V. Venkateswara307–314Pre-Upanisadic Teachers of Brahma-vidyaUmesh Chandra Bhattacharya315–335The Evolution of the StateBala Krishna336–355The Kalinga EdictManindra Mohan Bose356–375The Origin and Development of NumeralsSukumar Ranjan Das376–394The Gaudi Riti in Theory and PracticeShiva Prasad Bhattacharya395–403A Note on the Avantisundari Katha in relation to Bharavi and DandinSushil Kumar De403–408Where Did Prince Vijaya Come FromKunwar Shivnath Singh SengarCurrent article408–411Sri Magaradhvaja Yogi 700Hiralal Jain412–412The Malla EraSushil Kumar De413–417Mahavana and Hinayana Works Known to NagarjunaR. Kimura418–418Rohitagiri in the Plate of Sri CandraNalini Kanta Bhattasali419–428The Tibetan Translation of the Sadhanamala: A RejoinderVidhushekhara Bhattacharya429–429Outlines of the History of Buddhism in Indo-ChinaRamesh Chandra Majumdar429–432Recent Progress in Archaeology in South IndiaC. S. Srinivasachari432–432Imprecatory Verses in Copper Plate GrantBatakrishna Ghosh433–437ReviewsSushil Kumar De, U. N. Ghoshal, Chintaharan Chakravarti438–439Select Contents of Oriental Journals440–441Bibliographical Notes

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