Early Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka : a landscape approach
Early monasteries are popularly perceived as âotherworldlyâ, purposefully founded as isolated retreats far from human habitation. Such views were formed through the bias towards textual sources in early academic enquiry. Ethnographic (e.g. Gombrich 1971) and epigraphic (e.g. Schopen 1997a) research in South Asia has begun to challenge these traditional assumptions demonstrating the economic and social value of monastic communities. Recent AHRC-sponsored fieldwork in Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka), conducted by the Upper Malvatu-Oya Exploration Project (UMOEP), has identified similar discrepancies between traditional interpretations and archaeological evidence proposing that the Sri Lankan landscape was administered through Buddhist monasteries rather than secular towns. It is also postulated that monastic communities may have led the colonisation of uninhabited regions, sometimes with or without government support (Coningham et al. 2007). In response to this research context, the aim of this thesis is to test the working hypothesis that early Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka performed core administrative and economic functions in the Anuradhapura hinterland. Such roles for monasteries will be determined through
Davis, Christopher Edward
Early Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka : a landscape approach. Early monasteries are popularly perceived as âotherworldlyâ, purposefully founded as isolated retreats far from human habitation. Such views were formed through the bias towards textual sources in early academic enquiry. Ethnographic (e.g. Gombrich 1971) and epigraphic (e.g. Schopen 1997a) research in South Asia has begun to challenge these traditional assumptions demonstrating the economic and social value of monastic communities. Recent AHRC-sponsored fieldwork in Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka), conducted by the Upper Malvatu-Oya Exploration Project (UMOEP), has identified similar discrepancies between traditional interpretations and archaeological evidence proposing that the Sri Lankan landscape was administered through Buddhist monasteries rather than secular towns. It is also postulated that monastic communities may have led the colonisation of uninhabited regions, sometimes with or without government support (Coningham et al. 2007). In response to this research context, the aim of this thesis is to test the working hypothesis that early Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka performed core administrative and economic functions in the Anuradhapura hinterland. Such roles for monasteries will be determined through
early_buddhist monastery sri_lanka landscape approach early monastery popularly perceive found isolated retreat far human habitation view form bias_towards textual_source early academic enquiry ethnographic epigraphic south_asia begin challenge_traditional assumption demonstrate economic_social value monastic_community recent sponsored fieldwork sri_lanka conduct upper exploration project identify similar discrepancy traditional_interpretation archaeological_evidence propose sri_lankan landscape administer buddhist monastery rather secular town also postulate monastic_community may_lead colonisation region sometimes without government support response context aim_test work hypothesis early_buddhist monastery sri_lanka perform core administrative economic function hinterland role monastery determine