428 



SCIENCES AND SOCIAL ARTS. 



[PART IV. 



by which the king had a right to employ, for public 

 purposes, the compulsory labour of the inhabitants. To 

 what extent this was capable of exaction, or under what 

 safeguards it was enforced in early times, does not appear 

 from the historical books. But on all occasions when 

 tanks were to be formed, or canals cut for irrigation, 

 the Mahawanso ajludes almost in words of course 

 to the application of Eaja-kariya for their construction \ 

 the people being summoned to the task by beat of 

 drum. 2 



The only mention of the system which attracts parti- 

 cular attention, is the honour awarded to the most pious 

 of the kings, who, whilst maintaining Eaja-kariya as an 

 institution, nevertheless stigmatised it as " oppression " 

 when applied to non-productive objects ; and on the 

 occasion of erecting one of the most stupendous of the 

 monuments dedicated to the national faith, felt that the 

 merit of the act would be neutralised,, were it to be 

 accomplished by " unrequited " labour. 3 



1 The inscription engraven on the 

 rock at Mihintala, amongst other re- 

 gulations for enforcing the observance 

 by the temple tenants of the con- 

 ditions on which their lands were held, 

 declares that " if a fault be committed 

 by any of the cultivators, the adequate 

 fine shall be assessed according to 

 usage ; or in lieu thereof, the delin- 

 quent shall be directed to work at the 

 lake in making an excavation not 



exceeding sixteen cubits in circum- 

 ference and one cubit deep." TTTK- 

 NOUR'S Epitome, &c., Appendix, p. 87. 



2 Mahawanso, ch. xxv. p. 149. 



3 Ibid., ch. xxvii. pp. 163, 165. 

 King Tissa, A. D. 201, in imitation of 

 Dutugaimunu, caused the restorations 

 of monuments at the capital " to be 

 made with paid labour." Ibid., ch. 

 xxxvi. p. 226. See ante Vol. I. Ft. in. 

 ch. T. p. 358. 



