The Mahavamsa has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the world’s longest unbroken historical records. UNESCO has further stated that it is an important historical source of South Asia containing unique information about Buddha, Emperor Ashoka and the rise of Buddhism as a world religion.
Mahavamsa, the Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka (covering the period 6th century BCE to 1815 CE)
Submitter: Sri Lanka
One of the world’s longest unbroken historical accounts, the Mahavamsa is the first of its kind in South Asia, initiating a mature historiographic tradition, presenting Sri Lanka’s history in a chronological order from the 6th century BCE. The authenticity of the facts provided in the document has been confirmed through archaeological research conducted in Sri Lanka and India. It is an important historical source in South Asia containing crucial information about lifetime of the Buddha, the Emperor Asoka and the rise of Buddhism as a world religion. The document played a significant role in popularizing Buddhism in Southeast Asia and contributed singularly to the identity of Emperor Asoka in the Indian history. Existence of number of manuscripts of Mahavamsa in several countries as well as the transliteration and translation of the text to several Southeast Asian and European languages stand testimony to its immense historical, cultural, literal, linguistic and scholarly values.
https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/register2023
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