IN CEYLON.

The best of the higher craftsmen, those of the "Four Workshops," formed a close, largely hereditary corporation, and the position was highly valued. From their number were chosen the foremen of the District Craftsmen (Kottal-badde). The four shops were known as the "Regalia," the "Crown," the "Golden Sword," and the "Lion Throne" workshops respectively; but the craftsmen seem to have passed from one to another according to the work required of them. These families were of considerable standing, often possessing very valuable landed property settled upon them by the king on the occasion of their first arrival from India, if, as was often the case, they were of Indian origin, or granted as a reward for subsequent services. The very name galladda (gam-ladda), by which the superior craftsmen are often designated, means one who possesses or holds a village. There are some families of craftsmen whose history can be traced from at least the fourteenth century by means of the original and subsequent grants which they received from the Sinhalese kings. I give an example of one of these grants, dated 1665 A.D.:

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During the reign of His Majesty the mighty Emperor Rāja Simha, as Marukona Ratna Abharana Vedakārayā reported himself at the palace, orders were given to make certain pieces of jewellery required for the royal dress; and when

FEUDAL CRAFTSMEN

he had made and submitted these pieces of jewellery to the great king, he stated that he needed the Mottuvela Nila-panguve Badavedilla in Pallesiya Pattuva of Asgiri Kōrale, in the Disavanaya of Matale for his maintenance and His Majesty

did .

in the year of Saka, 1587, absolutely grant the high and low lands in Mottuvela Badavedilla to Marukona Ratna Ābharana

Vedakārayā, to be possessed without any disturbance or hindrance during the existence of the Sun, the Moon, Kandy and the Mahāveli river."

As another instance of a special grant may be cited the following charter held by a Kandyan craftsman:

When the king of kings, Sri Sanghabō Senasammata Vikrama Bahu,was reigning in Senkadagala (Kandy), he ordered on a full moon day of the twentieth year of his reign, two sheets of cloth, twenty cubits by nine cubits, to be woven, and caused Acharilla Dityaya and his son Sivanta Dityaya to paint thereon the likeness of Buddha seated on a Vajrāsana and surrounded by Sakra, Brahma, and other Devas. On the completion of painting the two sheets, he ordered the ceremony of placing pots full of water, and of other rites; and on the completion of the Nētra Pinkama, his hands having been washed [ceremonial purification

IN CEYLON.

after painting the eyes of the image, performed by the king himself, as here, or by a craftsman in royal costume], he was graciously pleased to bestow on the two artists, with the object of satisfying them and to enable them to make offerings to Buddha, fields to the extent of four amunu, together with the high land and trees thereon, as well as the houses and all other things pertaining thereto to be held absolutely from

generation.

generation to

"Now know all ye that are concerned, that the said properties having been bestowed under royal assent to be enjoyed by these artists, their sons, grandsons, and their subsequent generations: if any king, sub-king, courtier, minister, or whatsoever person were to dispute the right to this badavedilla [land given to a craftsman for his subsidence], such person or persons shall be born in the eight hills successively. .But, on the other hand, if any person shall confirm and uphold the said gift, he shall after death be born successively in the six heavens and after the termination of the enjoyments of the bliss of these heavens, shall be born in the kingdom of Ketumati, where he shall see Maitri Buddha, by whom the law shall be preached to him, whose holy priesthood he shall enter into, arahatship, and subsequently Nirvana. "In this tenor the royal decree was issued, and

FEUDAL CRAFTSMEN

by command this copperplate Sannas was inscribed by me, Sanhassivanta Nainarumbha. By the merit acquired inscribing this, may I be born in the age of Maitri Buddha."

Besides such grants of land, the king used to reward individual craftsmen with gifts of cloth, money, etc., and by the bestowal of honours and titles.

The District Craftsmen (Kottal-badde-lit. Artificers' Department-one of the Fourteen Departments of Public Works under the Kandyan kings) differed from those of the Four Workshops in not being liable to permanent service at the court. Some of them served in relays for periods of two months at a time, others worked only for the governors of districts, and not directly for the court. In certain of the districts the Governor (Disava) himself held the office of Kottal-badde Nilame, or Overseer of Craftsmen, and in this case he usually appointed from their number a Kottal-badde Vidāne, or officer acting as his lieutenant. In other districts, two Overseers of Craftsmen were appointed by the king. It is interesting that on one occasion, in the seventeenth century, a Dutchman was appointed Overseer of Craftsmen. He entered the king's service for the love of a Sinhalese woman, and was made "Courtalbad," "which is

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chief over all the smiths and carpenters in Cande Uda."*

The Kottal-badde craftsmen in one district consisted of the following:

I. Seven vaduvo who did carpenters' work for the king or governor; they were usually employed at the royal timber yard.

Five liyana vaduvo, or turners.

Five sittaru, or painters.

Fourteen i-vaduvo, or arrow-makers, who made bows, arrows, spears, staves, etc., and gauded them with lac; of these men, two worked in the royal armoury.

Fourteen atapattu karayo, who furnished or executed fine work, and were principally employed in ornamenting and inlaying locks, guns, knives, etc., with gold, silver, or brass; two of them worked in the royal armoury.

Four badallu, or silversmiths, workers in gold, silver, brass, or copper; two of them worked in the royal armoury.

One gal-vaduva, or mason.

*Robert Knox, "An Historical Relation of the Island Ceilon," 1682, p. 181.