Transcript of an ancient copper-plate sannas 1 1 



Transcript and Translation of an ancient Copper-plate 

 Sannas, by MudaHyar Louis DeZoysa, Chief Translator to 

 Government. 



I have the pleasure to lay before the Society, an 

 ancient Copper Sannas, together with translation and 

 transcripts of the text in modern Sinhalese, and Roman 

 characters. It was discovered a few years ago, under 

 ground, in the Kadirana Cinnamon Plantation near 

 Negombo, by some women while digging edible roots. 



The Sannas bears no date, but purports to be a grant,— 

 or rather the confirmation of a previous grant of a former 

 sovereign at K u r u n egal a , — by King Vijaya Bahu, of Udu- 

 gampola in Alutkuru Kcrale, 



There are seven Kings of this name in the list of 

 sovereigns of Ceylon ; but from the forms of letters used, 

 which are similar to those engraved in the Rock Inscrip- 

 tions of the 1 4th or 15th Century, and from the allusion to 

 a previous grant made when the seat of Government was 

 at Kurunegala (between A. D. 13 19 — -1346), it is evident 

 that this grant must be ascribed, / unless indeed it was issued 

 by a Provincial Raja of Udugampola not included in 

 Tumour's List J either to King Vijaya Bahu VI., who 

 reigned (according to Tumour) at Gampola [Udugam- 

 pola?] A. D. 1398 — 1409, or to Vijaya Bahu VII., who 

 reigned at Kotte A. D. 1527— 1533. If to the former, this 

 Sannas derives a peculiar interest from the fact of its being 

 a grant made by the unfortunate monarch whose capture 

 by the Chinese is one of the strangest episodes in the 



