318 THE SINGHALESE CHKONICLES. [rART 111. 



fore Christ. Along with a multitude of facts relating to 

 Ceylon, the Mahawanso contains a chronologically con- 

 nected liistory of Buddhism in India from B.C. 590 to B.C. 

 307, a period signalized in classical story by the Indian 

 expedition of Alexander the Great, and by the Embassy 

 of Megasthenes to Pahbothra, — events which in their 

 results form the great link connecting the histories of 

 the West and East, but which have been omitted or 

 perverted in the scanty and perplexed annals of the 

 Hindus, because they tended to the exaltation of Bud- 

 dhism, a religion loathed by the Brahmans. 



The Prasii, or people of Megadha, occupy a promi- 

 nent place in the history of Ceylon, inasmuch as 

 Gotama Buddha, the great founder of the faith of its 

 people, was a prince of that country, and Mahindo, 

 who finally estabhshed the Buddhist religion amongst 

 them, was the great-grandson of Chandagutto, a prince 

 whose name thus recorded in the Mahawanso^ (not- 

 withstanding a chronological discrepancy of about sixty 

 years), may with little difficulty be identified with the 

 " Chandragupta" of the Hindu Purana, and the " San- 

 dracottus " of Meerasthenes. 



o 



This is one out of the many coincidences which demon- 

 strate the authenticity of the ancient annals of Ceylon ; 

 and from sources so venerable, and materials so abun- 

 dant, I propose to select a few of the leading events, 

 sufficient to illustrate the origin, and explain the in- 

 fluence of institutions and customs which exist at the 

 present day in Ceylon, and which, from time imme- 

 morial, have characterised the inhabitants of the island. 



NOTE (A.) 



ANCIENT MAP OF CEYLON. 



So far as I am aware, no map has ever been produced, ex- 

 hibiting the comparative geography of Ceylon, and placing its 

 modern names in juxtaposition with their Sanskrit and Pali 



i 



' Mahmoanso, cli. v. p. 21. See also Wilson's Notes to the Vishnu Parana, 

 p. 468. 



