Geography of Early Buddhism c12.6

c12.6

Tambapaṇṇi. Tambapaṇṇi is mentioned in Rock Edicts II and XIII of Asoka as one of the Prachānta deśas along with Coḍa, Pāṇḍya, Satiyaputta, Keralaputta and the realm of Amtiyako Yonarājā with which Asoka was in friendly relations. Dr. Smith, however, identifies the word to mean not Ceylon but the river Tāmraparṇi in Tinnevelly (Asoka, 3rd ed., p. 162). But the more correct identification is Ceylon which was meant in ancient times as Pārasamudra (Gk. Palæsimunda, Ind. Ant., 1919, pp. 195-96) as well as Tāmraparṇi (Gk. Taprobane). Ceylon was converted by an Asokan mission headed by Mahinda.