Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c34.4

Language: English

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P. 10. *They rest not a minute in one place.* Compare the *Secretum Secretorum* (translation, J.R.A.S., 1908): ‘He who makes many movements is vainglorious and deceitful, and whoever is quiet in his demeanour . . . is perfect of understanding and thoughtful in mind.’ P. 12. Some particulars of the life of Veḷiviṭa Piṇḍapātika Saraṇaṅkara, the Saṅgha Rāja, are given on pp. XXI. and 109 of Wickremasinghe’s ‘Catalogue of Sinhalese mss. in the British Museum.’ See also Mahāvaṃsa, Ch. XVII., vv. 50-62. P. 13. *Rajakāriya.* Knox describes the immoderate demands made upon the people at a previous period, the reign of Rāja Simha II. But Bennett confesses that prior to 1832, under British rule also, “the people had grounds for discontent, from the incessant calls for their services and labour (occasionally exceeding the duties which they had formerly been liable to under the Malabar dynasty), and which had been enforced regardless of the ancient customs of the country, or the claims and conditions of individuals” (‘Ceylon and its Capabilities,’ p. 423). See also the ‘Manual of the North Central Province,’ p. 140: “although we continued the Rājakāriya we omitted to have it applied to agriculture. . . . A more unfortunate system could hardly be devised for agriculture, as it allowed the works to fall into ruin and discouraged cultivation.” Rājakāriya is often described as forced labour, and regarded as having been an intolerable tyranny;

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but properly understood, it was hardly more than a system of commanding public assistance in works of public utility, analogous to the rates of a municipality. It was only “the perversion of the compulsory labour from one of its chief original purposes, and the neglect to enforce it for legitimate works under the later kings, and by the British Government adopting their system, which occasioned the decay of agriculture and the wasting of population.” P. 20. *A Government Agent’s report.* This is a report by Mr. Liesching, quoted, ‘Manual North Central Province,’ p. 43. P. 21. *Character of the Sinhalese.* Cf. A. O. Brodie, J.C.B.R.A.S., III., p. 161: “The people of Nuwara Kalāwiya are the most gentle I have had the fortune to meet. . . . Serious assaults, robberies, murders, are all but unknown, and during three years I have not had to punish one native of the district for pilfering.” Also Davy, ‘Travels in Ceylon,’ 1821, p. 289: “Amongst few people, I believe, are family attachments more strong and sincere: there is little to divert or weaken them; and they are strengthened equally by their mode of life and their religion.” At the present day, it is mainly in the low-country, where European influence has been long felt, and the social culture of the race has been destroyed, that crime is prevalent. P. 22. *The five servants.* We read in the Mahāvaṃsa (Ch.

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LVII.) that the heads of the five trades were chosen as messengers to carry a welcome from Kitti Śirimegha to his son Parākrama, afterwards Parākrama Bāhu I. (1164—1197 A.D.), an indication of the social importance of these master craftsmen at the time. The ‘five servants’ are also referred to (Mahāvaṃsa Ch. LVII.), as granted to a certain ecclesiastic, together with workmen skilled in all manner of works, to minister unto him. P. 27. *Gabaḍāgam.* Knox (pp. 43-44) thus describes the royal manors: “Many Towns are in the King’s hand, the Inhabitants whereof are to Till and Manure a quantity of the Land according to their Ability, and lay up the Corn for the King’s use. These Towns the King often bestows upon some of his Nobles for their Encouragement and Maintenance, with all the fruits and benefits that before came to the King from them. In each of these Towns there is a *Smith* to make and mend the Tools of them to whom the King hath granted them, and a *Potter* to fit them with Earthenware, and a *Washer* to wash their Cloaths, and other men to supply what there is need of. And each of these hath a piece of Land for this their Service, whether it be to the King or the Lord; but what they do for the other People they are paid for. Thus all that have any Place or Employment under the King, are paid without any Charge to the King." P. 29.

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*Tavalam merchants.* Those travelling from Galle and Hambantoṭa to the Kandyan provinces carried salt, salt fish, cotton handkerchiefs and cloth; and brought back ivory, beeswax, cotton, pepper, coffee, cardamoms, honey, turmeric, deer horns, skins, ghee, and various vegetable drugs (Bennett, ‘Ceylon and its Capabilities,’ p. 293). —*Husbandry.* "Every man is a cultivator or proprietor of land, and I do not suppose there is one Sinhalese villager who is to any extent dependent on a trade for a livelihood" (A. O. Brodie, J.C.B.R.A.S., III., 14). P. 35. *Women.* For the story of a woman archer, see Lawrie, Gazetteer, p. 622. P. 36. *Dedications by women.* Ambamalla Vihāra "was built at her own expense by a woman of the village" (Bell, Kēgalla Report, p. 67). P. 38. *Perahera.* The potters during the five days of the ran-doli perahera took part in the procession, carrying earthen vessels with sprays of coconut flower (Service Tenures Commission Report, 1872, p. 465). P. 39. *Kārtti Maṅgalya.* "Which is celebrated only by lighting of Lamps round about the Pagoda. At which time they stick up the longest Poles they can get in the Woods, at the doors of the Pagods and of the King's Palace. Upon which they make contrivances to set Lamps in rows one above the other, even unto the very tops of the Poles" (Knox, p. 80). P. 48. *Dedications.* Cf. gift to Doḍanvela Dēvāle, Lawrie's Gazetteer, p. 175. P. 52.

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*Method of tying books.* For an early representation of a book apparently tied as here described see Arch. Onderzoek op Java en Madura, 1: Tjandi Djago, Pl. 3 (Çyāmatāra). P. 53. *The King's letters.* "In those letters or dispatches which were sent by the King to the Dutch Government, the monarch seemed particularly anxious to display his magnificence in the richness and splendour with which they were executed. The writing was enclosed in leaves of beaten gold in the shape of a cocoa-tree leaf. This was rolled up in a cover richly ornamented, and almost hid in a profusion of pearls and precious stones. The whole was closed in a box of silver or ivory, which was sealed with the Emperor's great seal" (Percival, ‘Account of Ceylon,’ 1805, p. 206). P. 54. *Caste.* For interesting mythical accounts of caste, see the Janavamsa, translation by H. Nevill, Taprobanian, Vol. I., 1886. P. 55. *Koṭṭalbadde Nilame.* Knox tells a romantic story of a European who entered the King's service for love of a Sinhalese woman, and was made ‘Courtalbad’ (Koṭṭalbadde Nilame), ‘which is chief over all the Smiths and Carpenters in Cande Uda’ (‘An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon, p. 181). P. 56. *Rewards of Craftsmen.* It is mentioned in the Dambulla gal-sannasa that Vimala Dharma Sūrya II., upon the occasion of fixing a bell on the rock in front of the Mahārāja Vihāra at Dambulla, rewarded the artificer, Mahena Galladdā, with an amuṇam of land and 200 fanams in money. P. 59.

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*Names of artificers.* At Dēvanagala, the gal-vaḍuva has recorded his name and village in a rock inscription (Bell, Kēgalla Report, p. 59). P. 60. *Social position of craftsmen.* The following story affords some evidence on this point: the son of the deported king, Vijaya Bāhu (afterwards Śrī Parākrama Bāhu VI., who reigned at Koṭṭe, 1415—1462 A.D.), in order that he might escape the messengers of Alakeśvaraya, was placed in the joint charge of the gamarala of Polvatte near Ambuḷugala, and of a blacksmith. "At night," says the Rājāvaliya, "he would go to the house of the gamarala, but in the daytime used to play with the child of the blacksmith. . . . In this manner the prince lived till he attained the age of sixteen." —*The King's smiths.* The craftsmen here referred to are not the paṭṭal hatara men, but those who work for the tenants of royal villages (manors): “In each of these Towns there is a Smith to make and mend the Tools of them to the King hath granted them, and a Potter to fit them with Earthenware, and a Washer to wash their Cloaths, and other men to supply what there is need of. And each one of these hath a piece of land for this their Service” (Knox, p. 44).