The Mahavamsa or The Great Chronicle of Ceylon

The Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle"), composed in the Pali language during the 5th century CE, is an epic poem about the ancient Kings of Sri Lanka. From the arrival of Prince Vijaya from India in 543 BCE through his rule (277-304 CE), it covers the history of Sri Lanka from its legendary beginnings up to the reign of Mahasena of Anuradhapura (A.D. 302). A bhikku at the Mahavihara temple in Anuradhapura, India, wrote it about the sixth century A.D.