The Mahavamsa records the origin of the Sinhalese people and related historical events. ДЇrom the Sanskrit word Sinhala, meaning literally 'of lions'.

According to the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa, a 3rdвЂ“5thВ century treatise written in Pali by Buddhist monks of the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya in Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese descend from the Indo-Aryan settlers who came to the island in 543 BCE from Sinhapura, in India, led by Prince Vijaya. Since 1815, they were broadly divided into two respective groups: The 'Up-country Sinhalese' in the central mountainous regions, and the 'Low-country Sinhalese' in the coastal regions although both groups speak the same language, they are distinguished as they observe different cultural customs. The Sinhalese people speak Sinhala, an insular Indo-Aryan language, and are predominantly Theravada Buddhists, although a minority of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity and The Sinhalese identity is based on language, cultural heritage and nationality.

They constitute about 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number greater than 16.2В million. They were historically known as Hela people ( Sinhala: а·„а·™а·…). Sinhalese people ( Sinhala: а·ѓа·’а¶‚а·„а¶Ѕ а¶ўа¶±а¶а·Џа·Ђ, romanized: Sinhala JanathДЃva), are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of the island of Sri Lanka. South Asian ethnic groups (especially Bengali People )ДЄustroasiatic peoples (especially Khmer)

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