What is the origin and history of Ayurveda?
Historians have not pin-pointed the exact time Ayurveda came into being. Most agree that Ayurvedic classical texts were written in India between 3,500 and 5,000 years ago, though some suggest an even longer history. It was spread to Sri Lanka around 6th century BC by Buddhist monks, where it became the main form of medical practice for centuries. Sri Lanka has its own Ayurvedic system based on a series of prescriptions handed down from generation to generation. Singhalese kings quickened the development of Ayurveda. Some kings were Ayurvedic physicians and built hospitals in the ancient capital of Anuradhapura and other cities such as Mihintale, where ruins of Ayurveda hospitals can still be seen. King Buddhadasa (398 AD) was the most prominent physician and wrote the “Sarartha Sangrahaya”, which is read by physicians even to this day. He was famed for treating soldiers, horses, and elephants. Ayurvedic physicians enjoyed a noble position in the social hierarchy due to its royal patron
