338 THE SINGHALESE CHRONICLES. [PART III. 



B.C. portion derived by him as the cultivator's share," to be- 

 ' 4 ' stow an offering on a religious mendicant. 1 



From the necessity of providing food for their fol- 

 lowers, the earliest attention of the Bengal conquerors 

 was directed to the introduction and extension of agri- 

 culture. A passage in the Mahawanso would seem to 

 imply, that previous to the landing of Wijayo, rice was 

 imported for consumption 2 , and upwards of two cen- 

 turies later the same authority specifies "one hundred 

 and sixty loads of hill-paddi," 3 among the presents sent 

 to the island from Bengal. 



In a low and level country like the north of Ceylon, 

 where the chief subsistence of the people is rice, a 

 grain that can only be successfully cultivated under 

 water, the first requisites of society are reservoirs and 

 canals. The Buddhist historians extol the father of 

 Wijayo for his judgment and skill "in forming villages 

 in situations favourable for irrigation ; " 4 his own attention 

 was fully engrossed with the cares attendant on the 

 consolidation of his newly acquired power ; but the 

 earliest public work undertaken by his successor Pan- 

 B.C. duwasa, B.C. 504, was a tank, which he caused to be 

 formed in the vicinity of his new capital Anarajapoora 

 (the Anurogrammum of Ptolemy), originally a village 

 founded by one of the followers of Wijayo. 5 



1 The king was Mahachula, 77 B.C. 

 Mahawanso, ch. xxxiv. 



2 Kuweni distributed to the com- 

 panions of Wijayo, " rice and other 

 articles, procured from the wrecked 

 ships of mariners." (Mahawanso, 

 ch. vii. p. 49.) A tank is mentioned 

 as then existing near the residence of 

 Kuweni ; but it was only to be used 

 as a bath. (Ib. c. vii. p. 48. ) The 

 Rajaratiwari also mentions that, in 

 the fabulous age of the second Bud- 



istence of systematic tillage anterior 

 to the reign of Wijayo. 



3 Mahawanso, ch. xi. p. 70. Paddi 

 is rice before it has been freed from 

 the husk. 



4 Mahawanso, ch. vi. p. 4(5. 



6 The first tank recorded in Ceylon 

 is the Abayaweva, made by Pandu- 

 wasa, B.C. '503 or 4 (MaJuiioanso, ch. 

 ix. p. 57 ). The second was the Jaya- 

 weva, formed by Pandukabhaya. B.C. 

 437. (Ib. ch. x. p. Go.) The third 



dha, of the present Kalpa, there was a the Uamini tank, made by the same 



famine in Ceylon, that dried up the 

 cisterns and fountains of the island. 

 But there is no evidence of the ex- 



km<r at the same place, Anarajapoora. 

 76. ch. x. p. 0<;. 



