Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/258

 224 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE. BOOK. I. CHAPTER VIII. CEYLON. CONTENTS. Introductory Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa INTRODUCTORY. IF the materials existed for writing it in anything like a complete and satisfactory manner, there are few chapters in this history that ought to be so interesting or instructive as that which treats of the architecture of Ceylon. It alone, of all known countries, contains a complete series of Buddhist monuments extending from the time of Asoka to the present day, and in the ' Dipawansa ' and ' Mahawansa ' it possesses a history so detailed and generally so credible, that the dates and purposes of the earlier buildings can be ascertained with tolerable precision. We know, indeed, that the early chronology is based on the legend that the kingdom was founded at the date of Buddha's Nirvana, which was placed in B.C. 543, and 236 years before the Council held in the eighteenth year of Ajoka. But from Indian data we must place the Council about B.C. 246, and this reduces the dates dependent on the Nirvana by fully sixty years. Lassen accepted the native chronology from the accession of Dutthagamani, B.C. 161 ; but there are indications in Indian history that the correction must be continued till at least the 6th century A.D., after which the error perhaps diminishes till it finally vanishes in the I2th century at the time of the accession of Parakramabahu 1. in 1153 A.D. 1 With this rectification we may be satisfied for our purposes. 1 Lassen, ' Indische Alterthumskunde,' Ed. 2, Bd. It, Ss. ioof., 266, 28;f., I225f. In the 27th chapter of the ' Mahawansa,' Dutthagamani's accession is placed 146 years after Devanampiya Tissa, who began to reign about B.C. 246. Max Mtiller (' History of Ancient Sankrit Literature,' pp. 268-269 an< ^ 2986".) ascribed the Nirvana to B.C. 477 or 478; Dr. J. F. Fleet ('Journal Royal Asiatic Society, 1906, 'pp. 984^) discussed the evidence afresh, and ascribed it to B.C. 482. I am indebted to the latter for the substance of the above statement.