Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)
Genre: History / Biography / Sri Lankan Non‑Fiction / Medieval Studies

Book Review:
Liberator King – Manawulpura Vijayabahu by P. N. Cumaranatunga provides a comprehensive account of King Vijayabahu I (r. 1055–1110), the medieval Sri Lankan monarch who liberated the island from Chola occupation and preserved Sinhalese culture. Consulting Sinhala and English sources, including historians Raipiel Tennakoon, Ven. Medauyangoda Wimalakeerti, Prof. Nilakanta Sastri, and Prof. Senarat Paranavitana, the author describes the rise of Manawulpura (capital on the Walave Ganga), the Manavulu Sandeshaya (Pali poem), and the king's enduring legacy. As Prof. Sastri noted, without Vijayabahu I, the Sinhala race and its culture might have disappeared. Essential for students and scholars of Sri Lankan medieval history.