The Jaffna kingdom (1215-1624 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka is a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is identified as the founder of the Jaffna kingdom and is said to have been from Kalinga, in India.
Established as a powerful force in the north, north east and west of the island, it eventually becomes a tribute paying feudatory of the Pandyan Empire in modern South India in 1258, gaining independence in 1323 with the fragmentation of the Pandyan control when the last Pandyan ruler of Madurai is defeated and expelled in 1323 by Malik Kafur, the general of the Muslim Delhi Sultanate.
For a brief period, in the early to mid-14th century, it is an ascendant power in the island of Sri Lanka, during which time all regional kingdoms accept subordination.
However, the kingdom is eventually overpowered by the rival Kotte Kingdom, around 1450 when it is invaded by a Tamil named Chempaha Perumal under the Kotte Kingdom’s directive.
It is freed of Kotte control in 1467; its subsequent rulers direct their energies towards consolidating its economic potential by maximizing revenue from pearls and elephant exports and land revenue.
It is less feudal than most of the other regional kingdoms in the island of Sri Lanka of the same period.
During this period, important local Tamil literature is produced and Hindu temples sre built including an academy for language advancement.
The arrival of the Portuguese colonial power to the island of Sri Lanka in 1505, and its strategic location in the Palk Strait connecting all interior Sinhalese kingdoms to South India, created political problems.
Many of its kings confront and ultimately make peace with the Portuguese colonials.
In 1617, Cankili II, a usurper to the throne, confronts the Portuguese but is defeated, thus bringing the kingdom’s independent existence to an end in 1619.
Although rebels like Migapulle Arachchi with help of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom triy to recover the kingdom but are eventually defeated.
Nallur, a suburb of Jaffna town, served as its capital.
