In the official historiography of Sri Lanka, the Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle) reigns supreme. Compiled by Buddhist monks in the 6th century CE, it traces the island’s history from the arrival of the exiled Prince Vijaya (543 BCE) to the present, weaving a sacred narrative of Sinhalese Buddhist destiny. It names the island’s pre-Vijayan inhabitants as Yakkhas (demons) and Nagas (serpent-worshippers)—primordial, chaotic forces tamed by civilized, dharma-bearing Aryans.
Why have most people never heard of the Ravana Rajavaliya ? The answer lies in religious politics. When Buddhism and orthodox Hinduism spread across Sri Lanka between the 3rd century BCE and 12th century CE, the worship of Ravana’s ancestors (the Naga and Yaksha tribes) was suppressed. Ravana Rajavaliya
Today, the chronicle is experiencing a renaissance. Nationalist groups in Sri Lanka use the Ravana Rajavaliya to argue that the island was a technologically superior civilization long before the arrival of Prince Vijaya (the legendary founder of the Sinhalese race) in 543 BCE. In the official historiography of Sri Lanka, the
Scholars have identified three primary streams of the Ravana Rajavaliya : Why have most people never heard of the Ravana Rajavaliya