poses i: to be composed bei'veen 1460 Dr.;: ;:?:.
because at this period, the Pa:? culture tijcrishtc
very much in the kingdom of Xieng-nia:. M. G,
Ccede's, however, places them at tLe beginning of
the fifteenth century. These two works are not of
great historical value, and in many respects inferior
lojinkalanialinl of Ratnapanfla.
One of the important historical works of Siam,
is JinakalumlLlini, about the dare and author of
vrhich, there is certain confusion. The Pk^nsavadan
yonak says that Ratnapafifia was the chief of the
Bodhararaa monastery of Xieag-maL In the pre-
face of Jinakalamalini^ published in 1908 from
Bangkok, the Prince Damrong supposes that Ratna-
panna in question is one of the two monks, of the
same name, one of whom belonged to Lampang, and
the other to Phujao (1511).
We, can, however, accept the statement that
the work was composed io 1516 by Ratnapanna,
residing in Ratana-mah2vih2raof Xieng mai, as appears
from the colophon,
Jinakalamalini gives us the history of Buddhism,
the story of births of previous Buddbas, of the three
great Councils in India, of the propagation of Bud-
dhism in the island of Ceylon and the religious chrono-
logy of Siam. One of the chapters of this work,
deals with the history of Phra : Keo or Buddha, the
famous statue which owes its origin to Nagasena.
This legend finds place in two other books