A town in north-central Sri Lanka (Ceylon), that was an ancient Ceylonese capital. Polonnaruwa became the residence of Ceylon's kings in 368 AD and succeeded Anuradhapura as the capital in the 8th century when the latter was captured by Tamils. The most impressive surviving monuments belong to the later 12th and 13th centuries, and include a series of colossal sculptured figures and a number of temples and monasteries in the Great Quadrangle.