0. KUVENI, Queen of Heladipa (later became Sinhala Dipa), succeeded her father as Queen and ruled the island before the arrival of Vijaya 
1. VIJAYA  544-505 BC - In the fifth century Prince Vijaya and seven hundred of his followers landed in Sri Lanka in the region called Thambapanni near Puttalam. He established a monarchy and named the new race of people Sinhala (Lion Race) after his grandfather, who was perhaps a man nicknamed as “lion”. (the Mahavansa [Great Dynasty] & the Chulavansa [Lower Dynasty]. The entire chronicle covers a time period between 483 BC - 1825 AD) 
Vijaya was the founder of the first dynasty in Sri Lanka. His grandmother, Suppa Devi, was the daughter of the King of Bengal. She had twins, a boy and a girl, most probably fathered by a bandit nicknamed “LION”, who had carried her off and lived in a cavern. At the age of 16 the boy ran away with his sister and mother, entered a forest, and after walking for four days, sighted a hamlet and staggered into the midst of its inhabitants. The people of the village, seeing the weariness and tiredness of the strangers, escorted them to their chief who welcomed them, fed them, and gave them comfortable bedding. The following day they were taken to the King and he learned from the mother that she was Princess Suppa Devi.  
The King, who had been a very close friend of her father, informed her that both her parents had died some years ago, and, since he had no children of his own, invited Suppa Devi to live with him as his daughter and her children as his grandchildren. Six months after the adoption of Suppa Devi and her children by the King the territory was under invasion and attack by a ruthless and fierce enemy. The bandit (LION) had come to take his wife back from the King. The bandit killed each and every soldier that confronted him in battle and finally met his own son in combat who killed him. The people of the land, so pleased with the boys prowess of killing the enemy so bravely, named him SINHA BAHU meaning “The Lion Slayer”. The old King was also pleased with his adopted grandsons bravery and courage and named him the heir to the throne. Sinha Bahu returned to the country of his birth, Lala (Gujarat), where he established a kingdom and founded a city named Sinhapura (Lion City). 
On the death of the old King Sinha Bahu became King and married his sister. They had many sons of whom the eldest was Vijaya. He was a problem child and the King was very disturbed by his behavior. By the time he was eighteen years old Vijaya was even more than a problem child. He was the sole disruptor of the peace and contentment of the people. The King, having thought of the safety of his throne, decided to banish Vijaya and his followers. Their heads were shaven like criminals except for the strand at the back which was left uncut. Vijaya and his seven hundred followers were boarded into an anchored ship without rudders. The ship landed at a spot near Puttalam in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and was named TAMBAPANI by Vijaya on account of the copper color of the earth and planted a flag with a Lion symbol on the very day the Buddha had died in Kusinara. 
At this time, Kuveni, a wise and learned woman had succeeded her father as ruler of Heladipa (Lanka). She was told of the arrival of Vijaya and his followers and on meeting him fell in love with him and were united and blessed by Sandu the moon goddess. Preparations were made for the wedding according to the ancient rites and ceremonies of the people of Heladipe. An elderly man of the tribe conducted the ceremony and a hundred throbbing drums proclaimed that Kuveni, Queen of Heladipa, was wedded to Vijaya, the Aryan Prince. The coronation ceremony of the King followed the marriage. 
Vijaya and Kuveni reigned as King and Queen of Heladipa for five years and their subjects were happy and contented. They had a son and a daughter.  Vijaya abandoned Kuveni and his two children to marry an Aryan Princess from a Royal family to whom he had been betrothed before he was banished from his homeland. He made her his new Queen of the Island of Heldaipa (Lanka). His followers married women from the land of this Queen and from this union sprang the Sinhalese race. The name Heladipa was changed to Sinhadipa. 
Kuveni, broken hearted and alone, cursed Vijaya, his Kingdom and all the future rulers of the Island stating that no ruler would ever be able to rule the land without bloodshed and strife. She then went back to her people and was received with a hail of stones. She fell to the ground and lay in a heap as the stones pounded the life out of her. After the death of Queen Kuveni, under the hands of her own kinsmen whom she had earlier betrayed, her son and daughter escaped to the jungle and started a progeny, the SABARAS, the present day Veddahs. 
Vijaya did not have the expected son from his new Aryan Queen and died without an heir. He reigned with perfect justice for thirty eight years.