CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY* 109 



A ROYAL GRANT ENGRAVED ON A COPPER PLATE* 



LITERALLY TRANSLATED FROM THE SINGHALESE. 



Communicated By Simon Casie Chitty, Esq., C. M, R. A. S a 



(Read 6th November 18 47. ) 



PROSPERITY? 



This resplendent Saunas (1) was granted in the Year of 

 Salta 1467 (2), on Wednesday in the month of Esala (3), 

 When Suriya Hetti (4), who disembarked from the Coast, was 

 residing at Manaar r the Maharaja sent to him an order; he 

 came and staid at Puruduwela (5). Afterwards having sent 

 another order and caused Suriya Hetti to come (to MaJampe ) r 

 appointed him Mohandiram (6) to collect the tax on milk (7) 



{}}-—Sannas — the same as Sdsana in Sanskrit, a written grant bes- 

 towed by a King upon a subject. 



(2) — A. D. 1545. 



(3) — Esala — the fourth month of the Singhalese, answering to part 



of July and p^rt of August. 



(4) — Hetti— the same as Chetty in Tamil, one of the mercan- 



tile tribe. 



(b)-~-Purudmoela-—& village on the Peninsula of Calpentyn, about 

 5 miles south-west of Putlam, now called Puludiwaiyel. 



(6)— Mohandiram— an honorific title peculiar to the Singhalese. It 

 is also employed to designate a revenue officer next in rank 

 to a Modeliar. 



(?)— This was a local tax paid by the owners of cattle to the 

 Crown, consisting of a certain quantity of milk per annum 

 for every milk cow or buffalo possessed by them. The Dutch 

 commuted it into a tax on ghee, which was continued to be 

 levied as long as they were masters of Ceylon, and likewise 

 during the early part of the possession of the island by the 

 British. I have now before me an advertisement, published bjj? 

 Governor North in 1800, suspending for that year the pay- 

 ment of the tax levied on ghee within the districts of Ma- 

 naar and Putlam, in consideration of the ravages committee! 

 among the cattle by the murrain, 



