The inscription consists of 39 lines engraved on the ruled surface of a stone slab. It was discovered in 1892 by the Archaeological Commissioner (Mr. H.C.P. Bell) a hundred years south of the ‘Cooly Shelter’ at Ram̆bǟva (Rambewa) and subsequently moved to Anurādhapura. Wickremasinghe describes Ram̆bǟva as a well-known village in Kǟn̆dǟ-kōrale at the junction of the two main roads from Anurādhapura and from Mihintale, about nine miles north-east of the former town. The inscription is dated to the first year of the reign of king Siri Saňg-bo Abhā, identified by Wickremasinghe with Mahinda IV. It records a grant of lands and immunities to one Kiliňgu-ra Pirivat Hämbuvan, to be held by him and his descendants for the purpose of supplying oil to illuminate the stone image of the Buddha at the Sacred Bōdhi-tree.
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Inscription ID | IN03076 |
Title | Ram̆bǟva Slab Inscription |
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Parent Object | OB03056 |
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Responsibility | |
Author | Don Martino de Zilva Wickremasinghe |
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Language | සිංහල |
Reigning monarch | Siri Saňg-bo Abhā |
Commissioner | |
Topic | records a grant of lands and immunities to one Kiliňgu-ra Pirivat Hämbuvan, to be held by him and his descendants for the purpose of supplying oil to illuminate the stone image of the Buddha at the Sacred Bōdhi-tree |
Date: | |
Min | 975 |
Max | 1025 |
Comment | Basis for dating: intrinsic. The inscription is dated to the first year of the reign of king Siri Saňg-bo Abhā. Wickremasignhe suggests that the biruda Siri Saňg-bo Abhā refers in this instance to Mahinda IV, who reigned from circa 1026 to 1042 A.D. or W. 975 to 991. |
Hand | |
Letter size | 2.54 |
Description | Letter size varies from ½ to 1 inch (1.27 to 2.54 cm). |
Layout | |
Campus: | |
Width | 139.7 |
Height | 76.2 |
Description | 39 lines inscribed on the ruled surface of a stone slab. The lines of writing are more or less worn by the action of the weather. |
Decoration | |
Bibliography | |
References | Edited by Wickremasinghe in Epigraphia Zeylanica 2 (1912-27) 64-70, no. 12. |
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