amongst the Singhalese. 237 



&5<eni®&5 3 as C£c5\£rf £0^6.35 conveys the idea of an instructor 

 of a mean or low extraction. 



Before entering upon an investigation of the terms applied 

 to the Budhist priesthood, of which Mr. Stark has treated 

 in different parts of his essay already referred to, I shall here 

 remark that Mudali, from whence we derive §§es£d®ed or 

 Modliar, is of Tamil origin, and means " chief " or " prin- 

 cipal." Amongst the Kandians Mudianse is not unfrequent 

 as an agnomen ; and they, like the Tamils of India, assume 

 it without any authority from the Crown. The Maritime 

 Natives, however, obtain it formally by an act or warrant 

 from the Governor. In this respect the British Government 

 follows the example of their predecessors, the Dutch and the 

 Portuguese. 



The Modliars or Chiefs are of two classes, 8ocso ° r i of 

 the Royal Palace or household,' (usually called the Gate, 

 after the Portuguese who gave it the appellation of Porte, 

 from a misapprehension of the Singhalese word vdsala, which 

 also means "door" or "gate") and ^?2)Od$Z5l or "Pro- 

 vincial Chiefs." There were originally two other classes, 

 which are known as Z5i<5i®& c the Royal Equerry,' and 

 <K33c5<2a or the ' Ecclesiastical' chiefs. To these may be added 

 a fifth class— ®^tf®(S or < the District Chiefs.'* Under 

 each were placed different subordinate headmen, called Mo- 

 handirams, Viddna-Aratchies, Aratchies, Kanganis and Vidara. 

 The last is derived from the word §£,20 ' commanding,' or 

 f ordering ' and means, as Clough defines it, " the person who 

 conveys the orders of Government to the people." Over all 

 the headmen is placed a " Maha Modliar," the Malta Nileme 

 of the Kandians, or " the greatest of the chiefs." If any 

 person, whether titled or untitled, can trace his descent to a 

 Modliar, he is said to be of the Mudeli pernwa, the correct 



* For a tolerably correct ' description of the duties of the chiefs of the Maritime 

 Province,' see Colombo Journal for 1832, p. 262. 



1858] 2 i 



