PALM LEAF MANUSCRIPTS OF SRI LANKA Part 3b
Posted on May 14th, 2026
KAMALIKA PIERIS
HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS COMMISSION.
In the 1930s, palm leaf manuscripts were held by elite families living in the Central Province. They had been handed down from generation to generation. These collections were greatly cherished. Some manuscripts showed the standing of the family under the Udarata kings, but many manuscripts were looked after simply because they showed that Sri Lanka had been an independent, monarchical state in the near past.
The Historical Manuscripts Commission (HMC) was set up in the 1930s to see whether any valuable manuscripts could be obtained from these privately owned collections. The Commission toured the Central Province and published three reports of their findings. The Commission stated that they had encountered a number of interesting documents of which a few are of prime historical importance.[1]
Historical Manuscripts Commission (1933) found at Balangoda in the large Mahavalatenne collection, copies of Rajavaliya, Lanka kadaimpota, Janawamsa, Manuvamsa (giving the names of the kings of Ceylon and the period they reigned), also another document with a list of kings up to Buvaneka bahu. [2]
Historical Manuscripts Commission (1933) found in the collection owned by T.W. Maralande, Rate mahatmaya of Vauda villi, Hatpattu, manuscripts containing the story of king Vijaya, account of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, revolt by Daskon, as well as Kurunegala vistaraya, a kadaimpota, and a manuscript of 72 leaves on Kira valiya and Bandara valiya.[3] The Bandara valiya was the highest ranking group in the Udarata kingdom, they were an exclusive elite, close to the king.
A collection at Talgodapitiya, had vittipota, Bandara valiya, Vijaya valiya.[4] The collection belonging to Jinatissa Madawela had 2 copies of Rajavaliya and 3 copies of Kurunegala vistaraya.[5]
The main emphasis in all these collections was on the political history of pre-colonial Sri Lanka. The Commission found a 19th century copy of the Dipawamsa and five copies of Mahavamsa. The HMC also found a sinhaba asna, a history of Vijaya’s arrival, a Rajalekhanaya, which was a chronology of the kings of Ceylon and several copies of Rajaratnakaraya ,a 16th century document that gives information on early royal dynasties and the religious history of Sri Lanka.
HMC found a Kadaimpota which gave a historical narrative of the Sinhala kings from Vijaya onwards. One palm leaf manuscript had a historical narrative of Sinhalese kings from Vijaya to Parakramabahu. It also contains names of places and their boundaries.[6] The Commission found heaps of ‘Kurunegala vistaraya’. It was repeatedly listed in the HMC reports for both 1933 and 1951.[7] Kurunegala was the capital of the island in the 13th and 14 th century.
Lanka ithihasaya (1876 ) gave the history of Ceylon to Portuguese time. Parangi hatana was found in a personal collection at Ratnapura. A manuscript giving the history of a vihara at Gunadahe in Tumpane frorm time of Vikramabahu, also emerged. Two collections had copies of Matale Maha Disava lekam pota which contained a historical and statistical account of Sri Lanka in time ofRajasinha II .
There was a Vittipota with kings from Vijaya to Kirti sri. It had names of cities in which the ministers of Vijaya had lived. It also had names of the chiefs who were given grants of village by kings up to Rajasinha I.
The Commission was shown manuscripts which gave the history of the island to the end of the Udarata kingdom.[8] A manuscript giving the exact dates and hours of death of Udarata kings such as Rajadhi Rajasinghe, Wimaladhamasuriya II and Kirti Sri Ranasinghe was found in a collection in Polgahawela . The manuscript had notes in Sinhala attached to it. In 1951, they found a second manuscript giving dates of the deaths of Udarata kings, including Kirti Sri Rajasinghe. [9]
The last Udarata king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe was not forgotten. Two manuscripts describing battles between Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe and British were found in two separate collections.
There was a liking for the monarchy. One private collection had ‘Kav katura’ a poem on the marriage customs of Sinhala royalty. The Commission found at least two manuscripts which contained panegyric songs for various Udarata kings. A manuscript with Sinhala verses sung at the coronation of Kandyan kings was listed separately. A copy of Sringara alamkaraya (1842) containing Sinhala verses sung at coronation of Narendrasinha was also listed. Pandama ganna kavi contains 5 verses sung to invoke the blessing of the gods before the dancers approach the road.[10]
A few documents on Buddhism were listed in the Commission report. The Commission found a leather-bound book of Visuddimagga in Sinhala script on Dutch paper, beautifully illuminated in Andun deli” which was more durable than ordinary ink. After 150 years the writing is still very clear, said the report. The decorative ornaments are in the best tradition of Kandyan art in line and colour.
The Commission also found a pirit pota written in the black vegetable dye used for frescoes. The letters are as black today as when they written a century ago. The color illuminations of flowers are also in the same vegetable dye, said the report.[11] The commission also found a copy of Milinda prasnaya and a commentary on the jataka katha.[12]
The Commission found just one manuscript which contained a poem to Kataragama deviyo with stanzas in a very rare meter. The emphasis was not on literature, it was on Sinhala grammar. The Commission found copies of Sidat sangarava, Kav mini kondala getapadaya,Kav mini maldama getapadaya, Kav mutu hara and Aksara adhikariya .
A copy of Gangarohana Varnanawa was found. This is significant. This work sparked off the ‘saw sat dam vadaya’ of the 19 century, a heated popular debate on the use of certain syllables in Sinhala writing. Sinhala scholars were determined to preserve the purity of the Sinhala language during British rule and one elite family, at least has had held on to the controversial item.
The Commission found dozens of medical manuscripts in personal collections. They found an ola manuscript which dealt with medicine, astrology, charms. They found ‘Udarata beheth pota’ with preparation of medicine prevalent in the Udarata kingdom. They also found a manuscript of medicine compiled in 1817 by Midellava Korale with prescriptions of decoctions for variety of diseases. [13]The practitioners of indigenous medicine had prescriptions which were handed down through generations.
Historical Manuscripts Commission also found three copies of Janavamsaya. Janavamsaya is about the origin of the universe and the caste system.[14]
There were manuscripts relating to administration. The Commission found dozens of lekam miti. The lekam miti pota of 1.1.1830 has a list of holdings in the eastern part of Nuwarakalaviya.The Commission found at Padiyapelella a 14th century kadaimpota , dealing with Ruhuna, Maya ,Pihiti , with names of ratas and subdivisions. There was also the Maya rata kadimpota which dealt with 28 districts in Maya rata. [15] ( continued)
[1] First report of the Historical Manuscripts Commision.1933 SP 9 of 1933 p 6
[2] First report of the Historical Manuscripts Commision.1933 SP 9 of 1933. p 22.
[3] First report of the Historical Manuscripts Commision.1933 SP 9 of 1933. p 20.
[4] First report of the Historical Manuscripts Commision.1933 SP 9 of 1933. p 54.
[5] First report of the Historical Manuscripts Commision.1933 SP 9 of 1933. p 54.
[6] 3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 85
[7] First report of the Historical Manuscripts Commision.1933 SP 9 of 1933. p 53.
3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 107
[8] . 3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 107
[9] 3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 117
[10] 3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 87
[11] 3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 26
[12] 3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 85
[13] College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka. History of surgical services in Sri Lanka p 33
[14] 3rd report of Historical Manuscripts Commission 1951, SP 19 of 1951. Pg 85 ,86
[15] First report of the Historical Manuscripts Commision.(1933 )SP 9 of 1933. p 15, 20, 25, 49, 53, 54, 72, 83, 85, 87, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 100, 120, 121