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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 February 2017
The following short disquisition endeavours to show that, taking them all in all, the Chronicles of the ‘Southern’ Buddhists are, on the whole, sufficiently consistent to justify historical conclusions being deduced from their evidence. It is, of course, quite palpable that the earlier part of the Chronicles is inserted to furnish an historical prelude to the appearance of Mahinda, the principal actor in the conversion of Ceylon; but in spite of the great temptation to exaggeration and overstatement, the ancient authors of the Chronicles have done their work conscientiously, if not critically. Putting aside the mythological elements, which are always easily detected and may be as easily discounted, it may be said that in matters of historical detail they are surprisingly accurate, and have shown a power of restraint which does them credit when we compare their sober statements with the hyperbolic annals of the Puranic school of mythologizing historians.
page 3 note 1 DrOldenberg, (Vinaya, i. xxxviii) says in regard to the Sinhalese annalists: “I agree perfectly with the remarks made by Dr. Bühler respecting the Sinhalese chronology: “the smallness of the period, sixty years of which are besides covered by the reigns of Candragupta and Bindusāra, where Brahmans and Buddhists agree in their figures, makes a considerable deviation from the truth improbable, and for practical purposes the number of years given by the Buddhists may be accepted as a fact‘”.Google Scholar
page 6 note 1 MV. = Mahaāvaṃsa; B. = Buddhaghosa (Samantapāsādikā, ap. Oldenberg, vol. iii, p. 292 ft.); DV. = Dīpavaṃsa.Google Scholar
page 7 note 1 The Aṭṭhangasēla.Google Scholar
page 12 note 1 Bigandet, “four.”Google Scholar
page 13 note 2 [See also Fleet, JRAS, 1905. 681.—ED.]Google Scholar
page 14 note 1 Cf. Skt. 
. ‘till night's passing.’Google Scholar