This 19-minute episode tells the life and downfall of Queen Anula of Anuradhapura, who ruled in Sri Lanka from 47 to 42 BCE. We follow the rise of a queen regnant in the Anuradhapura Kingdom, a core region of Rajarata and an early center of Sri Lankan civilization. We set the scene inside a court shaped by alliances, lovers, and poison, as recorded in the Pali chronicles known as the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa. We place Anula in her city and time, with Anuradhapura’s temples and palaces as the backdrop, and with Buddhism already part of the island’s story.
You will meet the figures tied to her rule. Chora Naga. Kuda Tissa. Siva. Vatuka. Darubhatika Tissa. Niliya. The chronicles say she helped each man reach the throne, then removed him by poison, before taking power herself. We track these claims step by step. We mark the dates, the handovers, and the end of her reign in 42 BCE. We explain the names you see across sources, including Vattagamani Abhaya’s line, and why spellings like Coranaga or Chore Naga appear in different texts.
We also address truth and narrative. The Mahavamsa is a religious chronicle with a viewpoint. It can praise, and it can condemn. That matters when a woman holds power in the 1st century BCE. We compare accounts, show where versions agree, and flag where they diverge. We ask what is evidence, what is tradition, and what may be later judgment. You will see why some call Anula a royal assassin or even a serial killer, and why others call for caution with labels that the sources did not use.
The episode keeps language plain and details tight. You will get the geography of Rajarata, the politics of the Anuradhapura court, and the religious climate that shaped the story. You will see how a queen’s private choices became public crisis. And you will leave with clear facts, careful context, and the key names and places to explore if you visit Anuradhapura today.
If you want more on this period, search the Mahavamsa’s chapters on late first-century BCE kings of Lanka and look for entries on Siva, Vatuka, Darubhatika Tissa, and Niliya. For the city itself, read about Anuradhapura’s role as a Sinhalese capital across many centuries. For a map to the ruins, look up Anuradhapura’s sacred sites and stupa complexes. For women in power in South Asia, compare Anula with later queens and consorts across the island’s dynasties.
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