The Trustworthiness of the Mahavamsa
Summary
The article evaluates the reliability of the Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamsa and its continuation, the Culavamsa. It explains how the work is divided into two parts and how the end of the earlier portion has been lost, leaving a gap between the Mahavamsa and Culavamsa. Through textual criticism and comparison with the Dipavamsa and the Mahavamsa Tika, the author shows that the compiler of the Culavamsa obscured the break deliberately. He reconstructs the chronicle’s structure and dates the sections using internal clues and manuscript evidence. The article then examines the historicity of early chapters, such as the arrival of Vijaya and his followers in Lanka, arguing that many episodes preserve mythological themes or political propaganda rather than reliable history. It surveys the lists of Indian kings preceding Asoka and discusses discrepancies between the Pali chronicle and Jain and Brahmanical sources. Later chapters of the Mahavamsa, dealing with the reigns of kings like Dutthagamani and Mahasena, are shown to coincide more closely with epigraphical and archaeological evidence. The author concludes that from about the third century BCE onwards the chronicle becomes a trustworthy historical source and provides valuable insight into the island’s political and religious life. Throughout, readers are cautioned to distinguish between legendary material and verifiable history when using the chronicle.
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Conclusion
By analysing manuscript evidence and comparing the chronicle with other sources, the article demonstrates that the Mahavamsa is a composite text whose earliest portions are largely legendary while its later sections align well with epigraphic and archaeological data. Researchers should therefore treat the introductory myths critically but can rely on the chronicle for events from the early historic period onward.