Lesson 1- Sources of Studying History

Question 1

What are sources?

Answer 1

Writings and various creations made by the people of the past that help us to understand past activities

Question 2

The 2 main divisions of sources

Answer 2

Literary Sources
Archaeological Sources

Question 3

2 Types of Literary Sources

Answer 3

Local Literary Sources
Foreign Literary Sources

Question 4

About how long ago were Sri Lankan Local literary sources written?

Answer 4

2000 years ago

Question 5

Oldest Local Literary Text

Answer 5

Deepawamsa

Question 6

When was Deepawamsa written?

Answer 6

4th Century A.D

Question 7

What information did the Deepwamsa contain?

Answer 7

• Information upto the end of King Mahasen’s ruling period
• Descriptions of the Buddhist order of this country

Question 8

Which one was written first,
Mahawamsa or Deepawamsa?

Answer 8

Deepawamsa

Question 9

Who wrote the first part of Mahawamsa and where did he/she live?

Answer 9

Mahanama Thero, Diksanda Seneviya Pirivena

Question 10

What were the Wamsakatha written in?

Answer 10

Ola leaves

Question 11

When was the first part of Mahawamsa written?

Answer 11

5th or 6th Century A.D

Question 12

Name 3 texts that may have influenced the Deepawamsa and Mahawamsa

Answer 12

1. Seehala Attakatha Mahawamsa
2. Uttara Vihara Attakatha
3. Vinaya Attakatha

Question 13

What is the name of the annotation of Mahawamsa(Mahawamsa Teekawa) which was compiled 4 centuries after it being written in Pali?

Answer 13

Wansattappakasini

Question 14

Many books were written from ….. era to ….. era.

Answer 14

Anuradhapura era to Kandyan era

Question 15

Name 5 Buddhist Religious Texts belonging to the Rajarata civilization

Answer 15

1. Bodhiwamsa
2. Dhatuwamsa
3. Thupawamsa
4. Poojawaliya
5. Saddharmalankaraya

Question 16

What was written in Nikaya Sangraha?

Answer 16

History of the Buddhist order

Question 17

What was written in Rajawaliya?

Answer 17

Political infromation of Sri Lanka

Question 18

Name two literary sources that belong to the period from Gampola to Kotte.

Answer 18

1. Nikaya Sangraha
2. Rajawaliya

Question 19

Name 3 sources used to study the history between the Kotte and Kandy periods.

Answer 19

1. Sandesha Kawya
2. Prashasthi Kawya
3. Hatan Kawya

Question 20

3 Examples of Sandesha Kawya

Answer 20

1. Mayura
2. Thisara
3. Selalihini Sandesha

Question 21

An example of Prashasthi Kawya

Answer 21

Perakumba Siritha

Question 22

3 Examples of Hatan Kawya

Answer 22

1. Seethawaka Hata
2. Constantinu Hatana
3. Ingiris Hatana

Question 23

Books having religious objectives were written from which era to which?

Answer 23

Anuradhapura era to the beginnning of the Kotte era

Question 24

4 Facts to consider when studying history

Answer 24

1. Time period of a source
2. The author
3. Author’s objectives
4. The way in which facts were obtained for the sources

Question 25

Since when did Sri Lanka maintain trade relationships with other countries?

Answer 25

Since the beginning of the Anuradhapura period

Question 26

3 Tamil books written in India

Answer 26

1. Seelappadikaram 2. Manimekalayi 3. Pandirruppattu

Question 27

When did the Portuguese arrive in Sri Lanka?

Answer 27

1502 A.D (16th Century)

Question 28

4 Uses of Literary Sources

Answer 28

1. Preparing historical chronology 2. Political, economical and social information 3. Substantiating information provided by one source wtih another 4. Studying international relationships of a country

Question 29

Name a Pourtuguese person who wrote about Sri Lanka and came here alongside his/her creation.

Answer 29

Ribeiro, Ribeiro's book on Sri Lanka(Ribeiro's Lanka History)

Question 30

An Arab who came to Sri Lanka and wrote about it

Answer 30

Iban Batuta

Question 31

Ribeiro's book

Answer 31

Ribeiro's Lanka History

Question 32

Robert Knox's book about Sri Lanka with the Sinhala translation

Answer 32

A historical relation of the Island Ceylon(Eda Heladiva)

Question 33

The Chinese person who came to Sri Lanka

Answer 33

Fa-Hsien Thero

Question 34

A person from Holland who came to and wrote about Sri Lanka

Answer 34

Phillipus Baldaeus

Question 35

Phillipus Baldaeus' book about Sri Lanka

Answer 35

The Sri Lankan Chronicle of Baldaeus

Question 36

6 Categories of Archaeological Sources

Answer 36

1. Epigraphy 2. Coins 3. Ruins 4. Drawings 5. Antiques 6. Sculptures

Question 37

Writings on stone slabs or rocks are called...

Answer 37

Sellipi/Shilalipi

Question 38

What are Sellilipi/Shilalipi

Answer 38

Writings on stone slabs or rocks

Question 39

Another name for rock inscriptions

Answer 39

Giri lipi

Question 40

Another name for asana lipi

Answer 40

Seat inscriptions

Question 41

Another name for pile inscriptions

Answer 41

Tam lipi

Question 42

Another name for puwaru lipi

Answer 42

Slab inscriptions

Question 43

Oldest inscriptions

Answer 43

Brahmi inscriptions | Contains information regarding the offering of caves to Bhikkus

Question 44

Writing of inscriptions continued from ..... century B.C to .... kingdom

Answer 44

2nd Century B.C to the Kandyan Kingdom

Question 45

After the 2nd century A.D., inscriptions were written based on varous events. Name these events.

Answer 45

1. Offering land to temples 2. Administrating temples 3. Informing government laws to people 4. Charging taxes 5. Trading 6. Appreciating services of some people

Question 46

What is the study of coins called?

Answer 46

Numismatics

Question 47

Oldest coins of Sri Lanka

Answer 47

Kahapana | Also called Purana and Dharana

Question 48

Another name for copper coins

Answer 48

Thamba Massa

Question 49

When did the use of coins commence in Sri Lanka?

Answer 49

Since the Anuradhapura era

Question 50

When were thamba massa used?

Answer 50

During the Polonnaruwa Kingdom

Question 51

Name 4 types of coins

Answer 51

1. Tusker coins 2. Swastika coins 3. Lakshmi coins 4. Aka gold coins 5. Kahapana/Dharana/Purana 6. Copper coins/Thamba Massa

Question 52

What can we study through ancient coins?

Answer 52

Economical conditions, trading and the use of metals of the country

Question 53

Who made the Galpotha inscription?

Answer 53

King Keerthi Sri NIssankamalla

Question 54

Who made the Panakaduwa Copper Plate?

Answer 54

King Vijayabahu I

Question 55

Information of which period can be studied through the Panakaduwa Copper Plate?

Answer 55

12th Century A.D.

Question 56

Who wrote the Vallipuram Gold Plate?

Answer 56

King Vasabha

Question 57

Who was the officer mentioned in the Panakaduwa Copper Plate?

Answer 57

Sithnarubima Budalna

Question 58

Example for the media of epigraphy of wood

Answer 58

Writings on the wooden posts of the Ambekke Devalaya

Question 59

What are archaeological monuments?

Answer 59

Ancient ruins. | Ancient tanks, ponds, buildings, stupas...

Question 60

Drawings, sculptures and antiques help identify ..... of ancient people

Answer 60

Clothes, art skills, jewellery, colour usage, religious beliefs...

Question 61

What are antiques?

Answer 61

Remainder of objects used by ancient people

Question 62

Another name for medieval golden coins

Answer 62

Madyakalina Ran Kahawanu

Question 63

Mention the details of the sculpture of the man and head of the horse(including location and time period)

Answer 63

Found in Isurumuni temple in Anuradhapura Created in the 7th or 8th Century A.D.

Question 64

What gods does the sculpture of the man and the head of the horse represent?

Answer 64

Gods Agni(head of horse) and Parjanya(image of man)

Question 65

Provide 6 benefits of studying history

Answer 65

1. Proper understanding of the society 2. Improving future technology by taking advantage of past man's ideologies 3. Recognition of national identity 4.Building up national reconciliation 5.Respecting other cultures 6.Tolerating various views

Question 66

Claudius Ptolemy's nationality

Answer 66

Greek-Roman

Question 67

From when to when did Claudius Ptolemy live?

Answer 67

From 90-168 A.D.

Question 68

Where did Claudius Ptolemy live?

Answer 68

Alexandria

Question 69

Who wrote Demundo?

Answer 69

Aristotle

Question 70

Name a book written by Megasthinis

Answer 70

Indica

Question 71

Name 3 Greek sources that provide information regarding Sri Lanka which were written by authors who hadn't come to Sri Lanka and their respective authors

Answer 71

Demundo by Aristotle Indica by Megasthinis The records of Onesicritus

Question 72

Name 3 Roman sources of studying the history of Sri Lanka which were written by people who hadn't come to Sri Lanka

Answer 72

Naturalis Historia by Plini Approach to Geography by Ptolemy The Sri Lankan Map by Ptolemy

Question 73

What is the nationality of Father Fernao de Queiroz?

Answer 73

Portuguese

Question 74

A Chinese source of gathering information regarding Sri Lanka's history and its author

Answer 74

The book on records of tours by Hsuan-Tsang Thero

Question 75

'Aka' were made out of what?

Answer 75

Gold

Question 76

What is Claudius Ptolemy?

Answer 76

A Geographer