The Mahavamsa (" large the généalogie") is a text written in language Pâli, which tells the history of the kings Singhalais and Dravidien S of Ceylon (today Sri Lanka). It covers one period which extends from the advent of king Vijaya into 543 before J. - C. with the reign of the king Mahasena (334-361 after J. - C.).

Mahavamsa was written with the Life century after J. - C. by the buddhist monk Mahanama, brother of king Dhatusena of Ceylon. It is inspired much of another text, the Dipavamsa.

Mahavamsa is not regarded as a canonical text of Buddhism. On the other hand, it is an important document to know the history of the religion of Sri Lanka, because it covers one period which practically starts at the time of the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama.

Insofar as it often refers to royal dynasties in India, Mahavamsa also makes it possible to the historians to cross-check with the sub-continent. It thus makes it possible to date the dedication from the emperor Maurya Ashoka (reign 273-232 before J. - C.), contemporary of the dynasty of the Séleucides (305-64 before J. - C.) resulting from one of the generals of Alexandre Large the, which with died of this last into 323 before J. - C., cut a kingdom made up of the major part of the empire of Alexandre, energy of the Mediterranean in Indus.