Our kings acted with good understanding to
make laws, implement those laws and to supervise
those laws when they are used practically. In the
9 th century A.D this country was ruled by a royal
lineage which belonged to the dynasty called
‘Manawamma’. The inscriptions inscribed by
those kings, mention about law institutions of
that time. In those inscriptions the two words
‘Wadala’ and ‘Sabhawa’ are found. In legal
activities officers from Wadala and Sabhawa
engaged in them. Here the word ‘Wadala’ means
the 'legislature', which is the parliament. In
ancient time it was the king’s court.
In those inscriptions the word ‘Sabhawa’ means
the ‘judiciary’. The laws imposed in a country are
implemented by the judiciary. Other inscriptions
corroborate that there was a methodical judicial
system in our country in the ancient time.
The laws are monitored among the people by
the security officers. They implement the powers
of the executive. The term ‘Mekapper’ has been
used in the inscriptions of the 9th century to
introduce such officers. It had derived from the
Tamil word ‘Mayikappar’. Its meaning is ''security
officer''. The term ‘Dandanayaka’ too was used
to name such officers. The Panakaduwa copper
plate, which was made during the time of king
Vijayabahu I, mentions that one ‘Dandanayaka’
named Sithnarubima Buddhanayake who had
provided protection to king Vijayabahu I during
the time when the king had adversities from
enemies.
The evidence, which assists us to know about
the nature of the laws that belonged to the most
ancient history of our country, is rare. However,
at least the ancient inscriptions help us to have
a certain understanding of them. Among them
the inscriptions of this country, which belonged
to the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., mention the
laws regarding the irrigation, administration
and charging taxes for using lands of the state.
One sixth of the production had to be paid to the
government as tax.
Main types of taxes charged under the tax law:- Dakapathi (Sanskrit: Udakaprapthi) – the tax
paid for using tank water. - Bojakapathi (Sanskrit: Bhojakaprapthi) – the
tax paid for cultivating the lands of the king. - Mataramajibaka
(Sanskrit: Mathrikamathsyabaga) – the tax paid
for catching fish in water courses.At times the government charged commodities
as taxes. An inscription, which belonged to the
9 th century, mentions that one nut out of ten of
the harvest should be paid to the government as
tax.Apart from agricultural activities, the tax law
was relevant to several other sections. When
the commodities were imported from foreign
countries, custom fees were charged at the
harbour. An inscription, which belonged to the
1 st century A.D., found at an ancient Buddhist
temple in Godawaya in the Hambanthota
district, mentions that a custom fee charged by
a fort which was situated close to the temple was
offered to the temple.There was a judicial system to administer
punishments not only to those who violated the
tax laws imposed in this manner but also to those
who breached other laws imposed for securing
the social justice. An inscription made by king
Gajabahu I, in Situlpawwa, mentions about such
a high court. The inscription describes that the
fines charged by the Great Hall of Justice in the
area (Mahavinichahi Labanaka Watithi) were
offered to the monks in the Sithulpawwa temple
by the king for their provisions.Our intelligent kings constantly acted to
protect the natural quality of the environment.
Therefore, they were interested in imposing
laws which were necessary to protect animals,
vegetation, water and soil which belong to the
natural environment.