No. 27. — 1884.] tissamahArama archaeology. 



5 



were ignorant of the building of this structure. When, 

 however, the merely casual references to the Mahiyangana 

 and Ka^laniya dagabas— both of thein, in ancient times, 

 more sacred edifices in the eyes of a devout Buddhist — 

 are taken into consideration, it is clear that the silence 

 regarding these southern works is nothing unusual, and does 

 not afford any evidence against their presumed early con- 

 struction. There is no reason to doubt that the Maharama 

 was built by Mahanaga, the younger brother of King 

 Dewanampiya Tissa, and the inscription in it, copied by 

 Dr. Goldschmidt, leaves no uncertainty as to its bearing 

 its constructor's name in the early part of the 1st century 

 A.D. It is explicitly stated also (Ma/?. y p. 130J that 

 Mahanaga constructed the wihara bearing his name, which 

 must certainly have been close to the dagaba.* This 

 necessarily implies the residence of a considerable monastic 

 fraternity at the spot, for whom a water-supply nearer than 

 the river was plainly indispensable. There could be no 

 water at the site, except during and immediately after the 

 rainy seasons ; and I am aware of only one ancient well in 

 the neighbourhood, at the presumed royal palace. In order 

 to construct the dagaba also, as well as to prepare the clay 

 obtained on the spot for moulding the bricks of which 

 it is built, a water-supply must undoubtedly have been 

 provided. 



The only regular water-supply which has ever existed 

 has been furnished by the Tissa tank, and the conclusion 

 is inevitable that the tank is at least as old as the dagaba 

 and wihara. Possibly it may have been in existence, as a 

 small tank, from a considerably earlier date, as there is 

 some reason for believing ; but, in any case, it cannot be 

 assigned to a later one. 



This Tissa tank was extended " in like manner" (i. e. made 

 of larger area, just as the dagaba and wihara were increased 

 in size) by King Ilanaga, 38-44 A.D. (Mah. 217)— a fact 

 which will be shown to afford some proof of the age of the 

 remains now reported on. 



* The term 44 wihara" is now held to refer to and include all the 

 buildings at a Buddhist monastery ; but in former times it seems 

 often to have been reserved for the houses only. 



