| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Oxford International Encyclopaedia of Legal History |
| Editors | Stanley N. Katz |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780195336511 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780195134056 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Abstract
The absence of written Buddhist law in South Asia, including Buddhist Sri Lanka, makes it virtually impossible to reconstruct its legal history. A patchwork of residual sources distinguishes Indic Sri Lanka from Hindu-Buddhist Southeast Asia, where many Theravada Buddhist legal texts have recently come to light. This entry provides a general account of early Buddhist law and then focuses on Sri Lanka and Tibet as principal Buddhist jurisdictions in South Asia.