The history of Theravāda Buddhism begins in ancient India, where it was one of the early Buddhist schools which arose after the first schism of the Buddhist monastic community. After establishing itself in the Sri Lankan Anuradhapura Kingdom, Theravāda spread throughout mainland Southeast Asia (mainly in the region roughly corresponding to modern Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos) through the efforts of missionary monks and Southeast Asian kings.
In the modern era, Theravāda Buddhism faced numerous challenges, such as Western colonialism and the arrival of Christian missionaries. In response, various Theravāda Buddhist Modernist movements arose, such as the Sri Lankan modernism of Anagarika Dharmapala, the Burmese vipassana movement and the Dhammayutika Nikaya, a new Thai monastic order. Furthermore, the modern era saw Theravāda become an international religion, with centers in the Western world. It also saw the development of Theravāda movements in Asian countries that were not traditionally home to the religion, like Nepal and Vietnam.