No. 25—1882.] two Sinhalese inscriptions 



189 



^<50 o)$&>5®£ l} 6&x ^Qa^^d-dq ®3teca$dem 



<2D(^(5\(32n§2&3dcQC)8g (5gj^>E>G^3 C3^ ? (9^o3 33(^3? 635355* 

 3)3 S^@di^g0S -^2do^(3355t)aC553 ^CS^SSo)^ 253 



35333»<9^Sc5)3dcGc)3ei §5^8(303 Q)»(5o9^q,^gc3^^i® 



g^dq^sgj e^g^gas o^§^^3^D aoa§Q©§0 a^g 



^^- ? (3^353 (^e)o£)(^^ja) ^-^©^do) g^asDS) 8zd(3(3 3S ^ 



C) j83^i^^§35i^G35 t^sDga^sg^do^ §G<dc5)i)5Si.(2;is5 

 <^2)rf 8O03^> 2)Q55J a5 5)3 dc5c£)CD 22(^33 s5 8 CD £3 ^£352^3 

 C3desf6>^CS0(3e3?C533 q (9^25523^3 (g^30dl6jJ53SS?^33(^?p3 



©caasJSe^d eD^«D3^D^i-^dgSco(^(3 §S)3C33XB 6)1)3 casxft 



C33oSz53£) 2D J ^ScJ^ S3 6)3 e3<gf)®e)s3 ©G53f3©iSaJ 



eo3^3i(^o5 ^^03 2)6^03 ^eg^3j^3^)^j^S 85(^^^)^d^o^§ 



©3)3dotc) 2SlJCO'^0Oz©^) C55(3^5ig(*6N2)a)o3S3d ®Qf0(^S3(5e33 

 ® 2SjQ S3 5fe s5&!3X 2&@-^C3 ^ J 25X3 2) 455 (3. €3 3 § si eg (§\ 2ft 3 



"The date assigned to the King's accession is state! to have taken 

 place in the year of Buddha 1958 (A. IJ. 1415), whereas Tumour in his 

 adjustment of Sinhalese Chronology, computed from native records, has fixed 

 the date at 1953 (A. D. 1410) five years earlier. The authority of the stone 

 however, cannot be disputed, and it is in a remarkable manner confirmed 

 by the well known contemporary poem -Kmyasehhara, the author of which 

 was the most learned monk of the age, and, according to tradition, the King's 

 adopted eon. 



i; The regulations enacted for the management of the Temple establishment 

 and for the distribution of its income are also very curious, and throw con- 

 siderable light on the manners, customs, and social condition of the Island at 

 the period in question. It shows that the form of Sinhalese letters now in use 

 have not undergone any material change, during, at least, the last five or six 

 hundred years, with the exception of a few. 



' ; It is believed by many that the worship of Hindu Gods, and the practice 

 of Hindu rites and ceremonies, were introduced into Ceylon by the last 

 Malabar King who obtained the throne of Kandy, after the extinction of the 

 Sinhalese Eoyal Family about the year A. D. 1739 ; but it would appear from 

 the inscription that the innovation is of much earlier date. The King it 

 is well-known was an eminent patron of Buddhism, having built four Devalas 

 in connection with the Vihare." — Hon, Sec. 



