The current legislative capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and the executive and judicial capital is Colombo. Over the course of the island's history, the national capital has been in several locations other than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the following is a list of cities which have historically served as the capital city of Sri Lanka and its predecessor states.

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List of capitals

Mythological

• Abhayanagara, Unknown. Capital of Abhaya, King of Sri Lanka (then known as Ojadīpa) in the time of Kakusandha Buddha.^[1]
• Sirīsavatthu, Until 543 BC^[2]

Historical

Pre-Anuradhapura period (543–377 BC)

• Tambapaṇṇī, 543 BC–505 BC^[3][4]
• Upatissagāma, 505 BC–504 BC^[5]
• Vijithapura, 504–474 BC^[6]
• Upatissagāma, 474 BC–438 BC^[5]
• Anurādhapura, 438 BC–437 BC^[7]

Anuradhapura period (437 BC–1017)

• Anurādhapura, 437 BC–7th century AD, 7th century–667, 683–772, 777–797, 801–833, 853–1029^[7][8]
  • Sigiriya,^{[note 1]} 473–491 (During the reign of Kassapa I (473–491))^[9][10]
  • Polonnaruwa,^{[note 2]} 667–683 (During the reign of Aggabodhi IV (667–683))^[11][8][12]
  • Polonnaruwa, 772–777 (During the reign of Aggabodhi VII (772–777))^[11][12]
  • Polonnaruwa, 797–801 (During the reign of Udaya I (797–801))^[11][12]
  • Polonnaruwa, 833–853 (During the reign of Sena I (833–853))^[11][12]

Polonnaruwa period (1017–1232)

• Chola conquest of Anuradhapura
  • Polonnaruwa, 1029–1055 (Chola)^[13][14]
  • Rohana, 1029–1055 (Sinhalese)^[14]

• Polonnaruwa period
  • Polonnaruwa, 1055–1232^[15][16][14]

Transitional period (1232–1597)

• Polonnaruwa, 1232–1255^[15][16][14]
• Dambadeniya, 1255–1270s (During the reigns of Vijayabahu III (1232–1236), Parakramabahu II (1236–1270), Vijayabahu IV (1270–1272) and part of Bhuvanaikabahu I (1272–1284))^[17]
• Yapahuwa, 1270s–1284 (Part of the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu I (1272–1284))^[18][17][19]
• Polonnaruwa, 1287–1293 (During the reign of Parakramabahu III (1287–1293))^[20][19]
• Kurunegala, 13th century–14th century (During the reigns of Bhuvanaikabahu II (1293–1302) and Parakramabahu IV (1302–1326))^[18][17][19]
• Gampola,^{[note 3]} 1341–1356 (During the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu IV (1341–1351) and part of the reign of Parakramabahu V (1344–1359))^[21][22][23]
• Dedigama, 1356–1359 (During the co-reigns of Parakramabahu V and Vikramabahu III (1356–1359))^[23]
• Gampola, 1359–1374 (Part of the reign of Vikramabahu III (1356–1374) and part of the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu V (1371–1408))^[23]
• Kotte, 1371–1597 (During the reign of Bhuvanaikabahu V (1371–1408)), capital of the Kingdom of Kotte)^{[24][17][25][26][27]}
  • Rayigama, 1411–1414 (During the early part of the reign of Parakramabahu VI (1411–1466))^[28]

Kandyan period (1597–1815)

• Kandy, 1597–1815

British Ceylon period (1815–1948)

• Colombo, 1815–1948

Modern Sri Lanka (1948–present)

• Colombo, 1948–1982^[29]
• Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 1982–present

Others

Transitional period (1232–1597)

When the island was divided during the Transitional period, multiple capital cities existed at one time.

• Nallur, 1255–1620 (capital of the Jaffna Kingdom)^[18][19]
• Kandy, 1469–1597 (During the early part of the reign of Senasammata Vikramabahu (1469–1511), capital of the Kingdom of Kandy)^[30]
• Sitawaka, 1521–1594 (capital of the Kingdom of Sitawaka)