A History of Indian Literature v2.c24.3

v2.c24.3

The period of the reign of King Mahānāma of Ceylon was formerly assumed to be 410-432 or 413-435, and the life-time of Buddhaghosa was accordingly set in the first half of the 5th century. This view was still held by *Burlingame* (HOS Vol. 25, p. 58). According to the chronology of W. *Geiger* (The Mahāvaṃsa transl., p. xxxvi ff.), which is based upon the foundation of the date 483 B. C. as the year of Buddha's death, 458-480 A. D. would be the dates of Mahānāma's reign, and thus also Buddhaghosa's time. This chronology, however, given only "provisionally" by *Geiger* himself, seems rather doubtful to me. The account of Chinese annals of an embassy which King Mahānāma of Ceylon sent to the emperor of China in the year 428 A. D. (S. *Lévi*, JA 1900, s. 9, t. XV, p. 412f.)