Tab Article

Genre: History, Historiography, Buddhist Studies, Sri Lankan Studies, Academic Non-Fiction
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

Book Review:
The Pali Chronicles of Sri Lanka by Dr. G. C. Mendis is a foundational scholarly work that critically examines the ancient historical texts—the Mahavamsa, Dipavamsa, and Culavamsa—which form the backbone of Sri Lanka’s early recorded history. Mendis, a distinguished historian who earned his doctorate under the guidance of Pali and Indology luminaries like T.W. Rhys Davids and Wilhelm Geiger, brings rigorous academic scrutiny to these chronicles, assessing their historical reliability, literary structure, and ideological underpinnings.

Originally presented as his PhD thesis (awarded 1931), this book reflects Mendis’s lifelong dedication to Sri Lankan historiography. He navigates the complex interplay between myth, religious narrative, and historical fact in the chronicles, offering insights into how Buddhist monastic traditions shaped the recording of the island’s past. The work is both an analysis of the texts themselves and a reflection on the methodology of historical reconstruction.

While academically dense and best suited for students, researchers, or serious enthusiasts of South Asian history, Mendis’s writing is clear and systematic, making a complex subject accessible to dedicated readers. This book remains an essential reference for anyone seeking to understand not only Sri Lanka’s ancient history but also the construction of historical memory in Theravada Buddhist societies.

A landmark contribution by one of Sri Lanka’s most respected historians, The Pali Chronicles of Sri Lanka is a must-read for scholars of history, Buddhism, and postcolonial studies—an enduring work that continues to inform contemporary historical discourse.