Vijayabahu I
| Vijayabahu the Great | |
|---|---|
| King of Polonnaruwa Sinhaladheeshvara Chakravarthi | |
| King of Polonnaruwa | |
| Reign | 1070-1110 |
| Coronation | 1072/1073 |
| Predecessor | Kulothunga Chola I (as the Chola emperor) |
| Successor | Jayabahu I |
| King of Ruhuna | |
| Reign | 1055-1070 |
| Predecessor | Kassapa VII |
| Successor | Himself as King of Polonnaruwa |
| Born | Keerthi 1039 Ruhuna, Mummudichola Mandalam, Chola Empire (modern day Matara, Sri Lanka) |
| Died | 1110 (aged 71) Polonnaruwa, Kingdom of Polonnaruwa (modern day Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka) |
| Consort | Leelavati of Kannauj Thilokasundari of Kalinga |
| House | House of Vijayabahu |
| Dynasty | Polonnaruwa |
| Father | Moggallana of Ruhuna |
| Mother | Lokitha Devi |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Vijayabahu the Great (born Prince Keerthi) (Sinhala: මහා විජයබාහු) (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu I, was a medieval king of Sri Lanka. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola occupation. He assumed rulership of the Ruhuna principality in the southern parts of the country in 1055. Following a seventeen-year-long campaign, he successfully drove the Cholas out of the island in 1070, reuniting the country for the first time in over a 77 years later. During his reign, he re-established Buddhism in Sri Lanka and repaired much of the damage caused to infrastructure during the wars. He offered the Thihoshin Pagoda (Lord of Sri Lanka Buddha image) to Burma king Alaungsithu and it is now still in Pakokku.