The current legislative capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and the executive and judicial capital is Colombo. Over the course of the island's history, the national capital has been in several locations other than^[1]Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.^[1]

Part of a series on the
History of Sri Lanka
Chronicles
Dipavamsa Mahavamsa Cūḷavaṃsa Rajavaliya Pujavaliya
Periods
Prehistory Stone Age Bronze Age Iron Age 300,000 BP –543 BC Pre Anuradhapura Indo-Aryan settlement 543–377 BC Anuradhapura Arrival of Buddhism Dutthagamani's campaign Fall of Anuradhapura 377 BC–1017 Polonnaruwa Chola conquest Sinhalese Resistance Invasion of Kalinga Magha 1017–1232 Transitional Vijayabā Kollaya Wars of Kotte Succession Crisis of the Sixteenth Century 1232–1597 Kandy First Kandyan–Dutch war Second Kandyan–Dutch war Kandyan–British wars 1597–1815 British Ceylon Great rebellion Matale rebellion Buddhist revival World War II Independence 1815–1948 Sri Lanka Dominion Republic 1948–present
By Topic
Agriculture Armed Forces Army Air Force Navy Economy Education Geography Politics Tamil immigration World Heritage Sites
Sri Lanka portal Bibliography Glossary Timeline
v t e

The following is a list of cities which have historically served as the capital city of Sri Lanka and its predecessor states.

• Abhayanagara, unknown. Capital of Abhaya, King of Sri Lanka (then known as Ojadīpa) in the time of Kakusandha Buddha.^[2]
• Sirīsavatthu, until 543 BC^[3]

• Tambapaṇṇī, 543 BC–505 BC^[4][5]
• Upatissagāma, 505 BC–504 BC^[6]
• Vijithapura, 504–474 BC^[7]
• Upatissagāma, 474 BC–438 BC^[6]
• Anurādhapura, 438 BC–437 BC^[8]

• Anurādhapura, 437 BC–7th century AD, 7th century–667, 683–772, 777–797, 801–833, 853–1029^[8][9]
  • Sigiriya,^{[note 1]} 473–491 (During the reign of Kassapa I (473–491))^[10][11]
  • Polonnaruwa,^{[note 2]} 667–683 (During the reign of Aggabodhi IV (667–683))^[12][9][13]
  • Polonnaruwa, 772–777 (During the reign of Aggabodhi VII (772–777))^[12][13]
  • Polonnaruwa, 797–801 (During the reign of Udaya I (797–801))^[12][13]
  • Polonnaruwa, 833–853 (During the reign of Sena I (833–853))^[12][13]

• Chola conquest of Anuradhapura
  • Polonnaruwa, 1029–1055 (Chola)^[14][15]
  • Rohana, 1029–1055 (Sinhalese)^[15]

• Polonnaruwa period
  • Polonnaruwa, 1055–1232^[16][17][15]

• Polonnaruwa, 1232–1255^[16][17][15]
• Dambadeniya, 1255–1270s (During the reigns of Vijayabahu III (1232–1236), Parakramabahu II (1236–1270), Vijayabahu IV (1270–1272) and part of Bhuvanaikabahu I (1272–1284))^[18]
• Yapahuwa, 1270s–1284 (Part of the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu I (1272–1284))^[19][18][20]
• Polonnaruwa, 1287–1293 (During the reign of Parakramabahu III (1287–1293))^[21][20]
• Kurunegala, 13th century–14th century (During the reigns of Bhuvanaikabahu II (1293–1302) and Parakramabahu IV (1302–1326))^[19][18][20]
• Gampola,^{[note 3]} 1341–1356 (During the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu IV (1341–1351) and part of the reign of Parakramabahu V (1344–1359))^[22][23][24]
• Dedigama, 1356–1359 (During the co-reigns of Parakramabahu V and Vikramabahu III (1356–1359))^[24]
• Gampola, 1359–1374 (Part of the reign of Vikramabahu III (1356–1374) and part of the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu V (1371–1408))^[24]
• Kotte, 1371–1597 (During the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu V (1371–1408)), capital of the Kingdom of Kotte)^{[25][18][26][27][28]}
  • Rayigama, 1411–1414 (During the early part of the reign of Parakramabahu VI (1411–1466))^[29]

• Kandy, 1597–1815

• Colombo, 1815–1948

• Colombo, 1948–present^[30]
• Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 1982–present

When the island was divided during the Transitional period, multiple capital cities existed at one time.

• Nallur, 1255–1620 (capital of the Jaffna Kingdom)^[19][20]
• Kandy, 1469–1597 (During the early part of the reign of Senasammata Vikramabahu (1469–1511), capital of the Kingdom of Kandy)^[31]
• Sitawaka, 1521–1594 (capital of the Kingdom of Sitawaka)