,t

NOTES ON A SANNAS.
by LIoNnr, tr'. Lnr, Esq., C.C. S. Horv. Srcy.
ft is well-known
habit of bestowing upon
well as the services of
eng'raven on copper.
A description of such a grant, or Sannas, upon whi
are claimed large extents of land in the Four Korales, r4a
prove of interest to the reaclers of this Society's Journal.
The Sannas of which I write is remarkable for beauty
workrnanship, 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 four
broad, and its thickness is sugh that it cannot easily te bent.
Rounil the plate on both sides runs an ornamental
border of silver.
On each side is a margin. fn the margin on the one
side are figures of the sun and moon, and between them the
royal sign
"
Sri"
;
on the other side are figures of the lion
,and
leopard
:
The accompanying sketch shews the figures of the size
of the original.
The interpretation of the figures of the sun and moon
is '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 figure
of the leopard. The most remarkable seems to be that
the figure stands for the word
"
diwir" signifyiug
'ilife''' as
well as . "
leopard. "
that the kings of Kandy were in
their 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,1ls1
Ialf,nlur
!u lue
''vvY
) our royal
ro.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;-?,|;1
qrYrne
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 taxes
t
tolls.'
This copper santras was granted in the year of
1665, in the month Mefindina on the 5ih IMednesilay after
full moon, llars being in the ascendant.
J)
0N A SANN"S
for iands
FJOURES
ia tbe Four
l(orales'