Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c9.5.2

c9.5.2

8. Twenty Mul-acari, or blacksmiths, a certain number of whom, varying according to the exigency of the service, attended constantly in Kandy, and erecting workshops near the Disāva’s house, executed all kinds of common ironwork, for which the metal was furnished them. 9. Eight blacksmiths without regular service lands such as the foregoing held. These had to appear before the Disāva at New Year with a knife and scissors each, and were liable to be called on for work at any time of emergency. 10. Ten Disāva acari under a Haṅgiḍiya, who worked for the Disāva only. The last three classes of blacksmiths were sometimes placed under the same Haṅgiḍiya and Aṭu-haṅgiḍiya. All the above craftsmen, except the blacksmiths in class 9, perform either particular work directed by the King, or work on public buildings allotted to the Disāvaniya. It may be remarked that certain of the Muhandiram-vasama people (3, above) guarded the danḍu maḍuva (Royal timber-yard) and others had to fell and fetch timber, cut wall timber and plane it, and thatch public buildings or the Disāva’s house. Of the Henda-badda people (9, above), six families in the Four Kōrales had to provide couches, stools, and baskets of various sorts woven in rattan. The Baḍahela-badda in the Four Kōrales is described in a later chapter. The foregoing constituted the general body of public craftsmen in one only of the ten disāvani;