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The Sinhala Kingdom or Sinhalese Kingdom refers to the one and or all of the successive Sinhalese kingdoms that existed in what is today Sri Lanka. Founded in 543 BC, the Sinhala Kingdom existed as successive kingdoms known by the city at which its administrative centre was located. These are in chronological order: the kingdoms of Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Gampola, Kotte, Sitawaka and Kandy. The Sinhala Kingdom ceased to exist by 1815. During the period in which the Sinhala Kingdom existed, other political entities also existed in Sri Lanka, including the Jaffna kingdom, Vanni chieftaincies and the Portuguese and Dutch colonies. However, these political entities were not part of the Sinhala Kingdom.