The Dīpavaṃsa and Mahāvaṃsa and Their Historical Development in Ceylon

The book is organized around three major areas of analysis. The first part studies the relationship between the Dīpavaṃsa and the Mahāvaṃsa, beginning with the composition of the Dīpavaṃsa, its repetitions, gaps, fragmentary character, and use of memory verses. It then compares the two chronicles, identifying both shared material and significant differences in literary form, structure, and narrative refinement. Geiger also discusses the extended Mahāvaṃsa, especially the Kambodian text, as evidence for the continuing expansion of the chronicle tradition. The second part focuses on the sources behind the chronicles. It examines the Mahāvaṃsa-Ṭīkā, questions of authorship and dating, and the literary materials used by the compilers. Geiger analyzes how source traditions were grouped and transmitted, including accounts of pre-history, the period before Aśoka, the Three Councils, Mahinda’s mission, and the history of later kings, especially Duṭṭhagāmaṇī. This section is central for understanding how Buddhist historical memory was organized into a coherent literary tradition. The third part considers historical traditions outside the epic framework. It discusses related works such as the Samanta-Pāsādikā, Mahābodhivaṃsa, Dāṭhāvaṃsa, Thūpavaṃsa, and Sinhala writings including the Pūjāvalī, Nikāyasaṅgraha, and Rājāvalī. Through these materials, the book broadens its inquiry from the two principal chronicles to the wider historical literature of Ceylonese Buddhism.