Asian Art

Buddhism in the Maldives

Buddhism was the predominant religion in the Maldives for about a millennia until at least the 12th century. Buddhism may have been introduced to the Maldives around the 3rd century BC and retained some lingering presence until the 14th to late 15th century. Evidence indicates that Theravada Buddhism was the earliest dominant school of Buddhism practiced in the Maldives until the growth of Vajrayana Buddhism from the 6th century onwards. In contrast, the closest neighbouring country to Maldives, Sri Lanka, has remained predominantly Buddhist.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Kanem–Bornu Empire
• ▸HMAS Psyche
• ▸Bali Kingdom

Uncatalogued shelf

Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.