Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c26.1

c26.1

W E have seen above (p. 54) that there were two groups of weavers in Sinhalese Ceylon, the *salagamayō* from Southern India, who made fine and gold-woven cloths, and the *beravāyō*, or caste of indigenous weavers, who were also musicians, astrologers, etc. The history of the *salagamayō*, or ‘chalias,’ is briefly as follows: Vijaya Bāhu III. of Dambadeṇiya, to revive the art of weaving fine cloth, sent letters and presents by a Muhammadan Tamil named Pati Mira Lebbe to Southern India; and he brought back eight master weavers, and these were given villages, wives and honours by the king. Their descendants incurred the disfavour of the Kandyan kings, and were ultimately compelled to leave the interior, and settle on the south-west coast, where they were allowed to occupy royal lands where cinnamon grew, on condition of peeling and preparing the same for the requirements of the king. They came thus to be cinnamon-peelers by trade, and were employed as such by the Portuguese and Dutch.