Abstract:
Inscriptions have been discovered in Sri Lanka since the third century BC. These are the evidences that people of different social levels followed and supported Buddhism in ancient Sri Lanka. It can be known from the epithets appearing with their names that there were many social groups among those who donated to the Buddhist monastery. The objective of this research is to reveal the status of social groups that followed Buddhism in ancient Sri Lankan society by analyzing them statistically. The inscriptions were examined and statistical data were entered into Excel software and converted into graphs. A historiographical approach is used to conclude by comparing historical facts with other evidence. This is a mixed study Qualitative and Quantitative. According to the results of the study, the people of the Bharatava clan called Bharata or Bada have given the most donations. This makes it clear that they are seen as the most important social class in ancient Sri Lanka. The names of Nagas are also discovered, which shows that these original inhabitants of Sri Lanka got rid of their worship and accepted Buddhism over time. The Tamils have lived as an ethnic group or community since the third century BC. Brahmins supported Buddhism along with their Vedic culture. It is noteworthy that North Indian social groups including Kabojars were involved in trade activities and supported Buddhism
