,t

NOTES ON A SANNAS.

by LIoNnr, tr'. Lnr, Esq., C.C. S. Horv. Srcy.

ft is well-knownhabit of bestowing upon

well as the services ofeng'raven on copper.

A description of such a grant, or Sannas, upon whiare claimed large extents of land in the Four Korales, r4aprove of interest to the reaclers of this Society's Journal.

The Sannas of which I write is remarkable for beautyworkrnanship, as well as on account of the engravings on it,of the figures of a lion and a leopard.'

The plate of copper is about fifteen inches long and fourbroad, and its thickness is sugh that it cannot easily te bent.

Rounil the plate on both sides runs an ornamentalborder of silver.

On each side is a margin. fn the margin on the oneside are figures of the sun and moon, and between them theroyal sign " Sri" ; on the other side are figures of the lion

,and leopard :

The accompanying sketch shews the figures of the sizeof the original.

The interpretation of the figures of the sun and moonis 'nanifestly " as long as the sun and moon endure."

The iion represents either the royal lion-race, or the

Sinhalese people.

Yarious interpretations haye been assigned to the figureof the leopard. The most remarkable seems to be thatthe figure stands for the word " diwir" signifyiug 'ilife''' as

well as . " leopard. "

that the kings of Kandy were intheir favcturites particular lands,tenants of royal villages, by gran

other figuresr

,"fJ Su'"""s bears date of Saka' 1665;

. The subjoio"d" t'u"Jtion wiil' I hope' oon1;1:*,?:l

"iio" i**"age employed in documents of this rtaturer

I The commrnd issuei frorn the grandeur'' anit tight of

";;;;ilge' and benevolence of our most excellentl

'

oSt gracious, anil most high lord' anointed king of ail'

lOn"r"o, Wij eyasundhra Rdji'liar unaya{a T*"' Y}i::il;;t from his earlibst: youth remained most true

;;ili to'the mosb high ioval familv; andhas,1ls1Ialf,nlur !u lue ''vvY ) our royalro.teil arr auspicious marriage in obedience tt

:uctions, with the oi"* of"p"tpet\rating O:""",':1'-11*

,"" ."""'"t which the .tine

ft* t"*,11i*::::::::il::';;o1loiuto"u ""tt"vereignty

over men atsriwar'lana-

Bura, forme,tv S"ot"iu: t:t"i d" T:l:,:::.t-:':,TJll'n;lltor"'i";ii ;;;' ; d where as wii ev asun dara Bdi a'

karunayraka U"*t Utiif""nehd is desceudeil'from *311:;ffJTiH;:&;;;;;' who wasa d-e;cmdant rrom the

t Brahmins summoned fro* Do*badiwa tiy th".-Kl"t-:-:::-

1'#;;;;;; was afterwards calledbv his majestv Bhuwa-

! noka bahu *uo ""igo""; "ib'*n"auniya;aftt'r

o:":"i llll;iliLffi "iot'i'i" "i'alot-oo*o'o

and'remrveil there the

.l divine image from ;;ttv of tfe $ds'Tt-:i:^1t;-?,|;1qrYrne r'o.gc uho-d"wulu'asinsfiuctedbyvish-'BasnalialiNilamaoft

n nu in a dream, afte" o;;*t ;;teiveil a srant,of lanl'1*::i:rru rrt.l urs4luroruv- P''- o -rer withlandr at

'elephant and various ofrces of state' togetr:.8

10

i

I

I

'lrewuke, and having marrieil a laily of the family of T[ri

'gama Terunninse, a favorite of the great and vi

' Sri'-prdkama-BAhu on account of his faithful setvices,

' the recipient of many emoluments ancl offices,liveil at

' to be [Ifere follow the names of t]re lands ancl their

' aries] posressed by Mudiyaunehd and his children and

'children from generation to generation free of all taxest tolls.'

This copper santras was granted in the year of1665, in the month Mefindina on the 5ih IMednesilay after

full moon, llars being in the ascendant.

J)

0N A SANN"S for iandsFJOURES ia tbe Four l(orales'