Mahavamsa included in Memory of the World register

Mahavamsa, the Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka (covering the period 6th century BCE to 1815 CE), is among the 64  new items of documentary heritage inscribed on the Memory of the World international register 2023.

A UNESCO report noted that the nomination was submitted by 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.