Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c7.18

c7.18

Land and its tenure form, as might be expected, the key to the social economy of the Kandyans. The possession of land was the foundation of the King's right to the services and contributions of the people, and vice-versa.* All absolute property in land (except *praveni* lands, *i.e.* nindagam definitively granted as private property) was vested in the King. In general, persons not owning land were liable to no regular service or duties, though in some cases to light and occasional service. Lands which properly subjected the possessor to regular public duties and contributions were low paddy lands which could be cultivated every year (*i.e.*, ordinary rice fields, *kumburu*) but not, as a rule, gardens (*vatu*) or high grounds (*hen*, ‘chenas’). The land and the service were inseparably associated, one result of which was that wealthy persons would not care to buy up lands held by men of low caste performing menial services; the accumulation of lands by a few wealthy persons was thus desirably checked. No land was sold.† The lands with their service usually descended regularly from father to son, independent of the fact that the services might be regranted to others or dedicated to temples.‡