Monks, caves and kings

A reassessment of the nature of early Buddhism in Sri Lanka

Bibliographic Data

ID3919924
AuthorsRobin Coningham (0000-0002-4971-6355, University of Bradford, corresponding author), Robin A E Coningham
Year1995
Volume27
Issue2
Pages222-242
Publication date1995-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueWorld Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0043-8243 • E-ISSN: 1470-1375
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00438243.1995.9980305
OpenAlexW2089808869
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited14

This paper begins by describing the early history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as recorded in the two Pali chronicles, the Dipavamsa and the Mahavamsa. Their general approach treats the introduction of Buddhism into the island as a royal package sent by the Emperor Asoka to his Sri Lankan ally Devanampiya Tissa, through the former's son and daughter, Mahinda and Sanghamitta. Buddhism was immediately accepted as the state religion, thus linking it with the destiny of the Sinhala people.\nThis pattern is not, however, supported by the only extant category of Buddhist archaeological remains from this period ‐ over 1,000 Buddhist cave‐dwellings. It is clear from their dedicatory inscriptions that they were constructed by patrons bearing high royal titles about whom the chronicles are remarkably silent.\nBy drawing from studies of modern forest‐dwelling monks, it is possible to identify more fully the processes at work and to identify the discrepancy between the two records. It is argued that the first monks attracted political patronage by virtue of their ascetic discipline and soon became one of the vehicles for competition between localized political organizations. As this competition ended, a single high king ruling a loose political federation emerged, with the formerly ascetic monastery communities as wealthy feudal landlords; both were increasingly interdependent. This relationship led to the creation of a foundation myth forever cementing the interests of the legitimate rulers with the survival and patronage of Buddhism

Ancient history · Archaeology · Asceticism · Buddhism · Emperor · Feudalism · Monarchy · Monasticism · Political science · Politics · State (computer science · State religion · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Asian Studies and History · History · Law · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub