Constitution of the Kandyan Kingdom. 249 
without the King’s permission change his service, that is, abandon his pro- 
per department and service and resort to another. 
All lands are alienable by the proprietor, but continue liable to the same 
service; hence persons of high caste seldom purchase the lands of the low 
classes, especially if the service be that of any handicraft or menial descrip- 
tion. 
All service lands may descend to or be acquired by females, who either 
pay a commutation in money, or, if required, provide a substitute to per- 
form personal service. 
Raakarya, which may be properly interpreted King’s duty, implies either 
the personal service, or the dues in money or in kind, to which any person 
or any land is liable. 
Personal service was in many instances commuted for a money payment, 
which was considered the legal perquisite of the chief. 
Ist. Universally, in the case of the Alapatta and Hewa Wasam people, and 
Kodituwakka people of the desavonies ; of the Lekam people, or persons of 
some other departments in the upper districts, who perform in rotation re- 
gular mura, or duty at the house of their chief or at other fixed stations, all 
absentees beyond the number required to attend paying a fixed sum called 
mura ridi, which will vary in different places and departments from one to 
five ridi each, for fifteen, twenty, or thirty days. 
2d. In the case of the same, and other persons, who were obliged to attend 
at public festivals at Kandy, and who paid to their chiefs each a fixed sum 
for failure. 
3d. In case of the classes above-mentioned, some others when called upon 
to furnish timbers, erect buildings, or perform other public service; all 
absentees, whether excused by favour, or disabled by sickness, or witheld by 
urgent private concerns, pay a commutation in money called higa. 
The chief being held responsible for the expeditious performance of the 
works assigned to him, the king seldom inquired minutely the number 
employed. 
Hence will appear the reason upon which is founded the practice above- 
mentioned, of the chief receiving the crops or the emoluments to be 
derived from vacant service lands. But he could only dispense with the 
personal service, for it’ was an invariable rule, that the chief enjoying the 
benefit of the crops must deliver to the royal store the revenue chargeable 
upon the lands. 
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