The paper entitled "A Whisper in the Silence" written by Dr. Liz Williams
of Sunderland University and which she sent arrived today to my great
delight. Her thesis is that the Order of Nuns had existed even before Mahaa
Prajaapatii Gautamii. She convincingly argues her thesis based on canonical
statements.
One of her most convincing points is the "ehi bhikkhu.nii" ordination by
the Buddha himself, as in the case of Bhaddaa Ku.n.dalakesaa (Thii 109) and
also a mention of "ehi bhikkhu.nii upasampadaa" in the Old Commentary of
the Vinaya (V 4:215).\
In his Commentary on the Theriigaathaa, however, Dhammapaala denies that
there was ever such an ordination of nuns! (ThiiA 269 f).