Image title: Sri Lanka: Economy and Exchange

English text:

Economy and Exchange — The influence on ancient economy in Sri Lanka by international trade was immense. Both internally produced materials as well as the goods that were of foreign origin circulated within this economic system. The memoirs kept by the ancient sailors of the Indian Ocean record Sri Lanka's contribution to the International trade of that period. Sri Lanka was well known in the Indian Ocean trade for exporting elephants and semi-precious stones. Dionysius Periegetes (4th Century CE) who sailed in the Indian Ocean had designated Taprobane as the mother of Asian-born elephants. The influx of foreign exchange into the country was one of the major determinants of the internal social development. The circulation of earliest coin of North Indian origin explicitly show how that currency system influenced the exchange medium of the maritime trade of Sri Lanka during the early period. As suggested by archaeological evidence, the use of Roman coins after the 3rd century CE was another facet of the evolution of the exchange medium in this country.

Different earthenware types and beads unearthed from the ancient urban centers in Sri Lanka reveal the nature of imported luxury items to the country through oceanic luxury trade activities. Besides internal trade, the incursion of foreign exchange had facilitated the local rulers to maintain a strong economy towards a sustained development.

A punch marked coin recovered from Sri Lanka (250 BCE)

Sinhala text (not proofread):

ආර්ථිකය සහ විනිමය — ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පුරාණ ආර්ථිකය වෙත අන්තර්ජාතික වෙළඳාම මගින් ඇති කළ බලපෑම අතිමහත්ය. මෙරට නිෂ්පාදිත ද්‍රව්‍ය මෙන්ම ඉන්දීය සාගරයේ දුරු රටවල නිෂ්පාදිත දෑ ද මෙම ආර්ථික ක්‍රියාදාමය තුළ සංසරණය විය. පුරාණ කාලයේ ඉන්දීය සාගරයේ යාත්‍රා කළ නාවිකයින් විසින් රචිත සිය මතක සටහන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව එවක පැවති ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළඳාමට දායක වූ ආකාරය සිහිගන්වයි. විශේෂයෙන්ම ඇතුන් සහ අර්ධ මැණික් වර්ග අපනයනය සම්බන්ධයෙන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව එසමයේ මහත් කීර්තියක් ඉසිලීය. ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් දෙවන සියවසේදී ඉන්දීය සාගරයේ යාත්‍රා කළ ඩයෝනීසියස් පෙරිගේට්ස් නම් වූ ග්‍රීක ජාතිකයා ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හැඳින්වූයේ ආසියානු ප්‍රභවයක් ඇති හස්තීන්ගේ මවුබිම ලෙසය. විවිධ භාණ්ඩ අපනයනය මඟින් රට තුළට ගලා ආ ධනය අභ්‍යන්තර සමාජ සංවර්ධනයේ එක් ප්‍රධාන සාධකයක් විය. මෙරට විනිමය මාධ්‍යය කෙරෙහි එවක පැවති මුහුදු වෙළඳාම කෙතෙක් දුරට බලපෑවේද යන කරුණ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ භාවිත වූ පැරණිතම කාසි උතුරු ඉන්දීය ප්‍රභවයකින් යුක්ත වීමෙන් පැහැදිලි වෙයි. ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් තුන්වන සියවසින් පසු විශාල වශයෙන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ සංසරණය වූ බවට පුරාවිද්‍යාත්මක වශයෙන් සාධක පෙනෙන රෝම කාසි මෙරට විනිමය මාධ්‍යයේ පරිණාමයේ තවත් පැතිකඩකි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පැරණි නාගරික මධ්‍යස්ථාන කැණීමෙන් සොයා ගෙන තිබෙන වළං වර්ග සහ පබළු පුරාණ කාලයේ ඉන්දීය සාගරයේ පැවති වෙළඳාම හරහා මෙරටට ආනයනය කළ ඇතැම් සුඛෝපභෝගී ද්‍රව්‍ය පිළිබඳ අදහසක් ලබා දෙයි. දේශීය වෙළඳ කටයුතුවලට අමතරව විදේශීය ධනය රට තුළට ගලා ඒම මඟින් සවිමත් ආර්ථිකයක් දිගු කාලයක් තිස්සේ පවත්වා ගෙන යාමටත් එමඟින් රටේ සංවර්ධන කටයුතු වෙත අනලස්ව දායක වීමටත් ඓතිහාසික යුගයේ

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් සොයාගන්නා ලද හස් එබූ කාසියක් (ක්‍රිස්තු පූර්ව 250)

Transcription:

ārthikaya saha vinimaya — śrī laṅkāvē purāṇa ārthikaya veta antarjātika veḷandāma magin æti kaḷa balapǣma atimahatya. meraṭa niṣpādita dravya menma indīya sāgarayē duru raṭavala niṣpādita dǣ da mema ārthika kriyādāmaya tuḷa saṅsaraṇaya viya. purāṇa kālayē indīya sāgarayē yātrā kaḷa nāvikayin visin rachita siya mataka saṭahan śrī laṅkāva evaka pævati jātyantara veḷandāmaṭa dāyaka vū ākāraya sihiganvayi. viśēṣayenma ætun saha ardha mæṇik varga apanayanaya sambandhayen śrī laṅkāva esamayē mahat kīrtiyak isilīya. kristu varṣayen devana siyavasēdī indīya sāgarayē yātrā kaḷa ḍayōnīsiyas perigēṭs nam vū grīka jātikayā śrī laṅkāva hændinvūyē āsiyānu prabhavayak æti hastīngē mavubima lesaya. vividha bhāṇḍa apanayanaya maṅgin raṭa tuḷaṭa galā ā dhanaya abhyantara samāja saṅvardhanayē ek pradhāna sādhakayak viya. meraṭa vinimaya mādhyaya kerehi evaka pævati muhudu veḷandāma ketek duraṭa balapǣvēda yana karuṇa śrī laṅkāvē bhāvita vū pæraṇitama kāsi uturu indīya prabhavayakin yukta vīmen pæhædili veyi. kristu varṣayen tunvana siyavasin pasu viśāla vaśayen śrī laṅkāvē saṅsaraṇaya vū bavaṭa purāvidyātmaka vaśayen sādhaka penena rōma kāsi meraṭa vinimaya mādhyayē pariṇāmayē tavat pætikaḍaki.

śrī laṅkāvē pæraṇi nāgarika madhyasthāna kæṇīmen soyā gena tibena vaḷaṅ varga saha pabaḷu purāṇa kālayē indīya sāgarayē pævati veḷandāma harahā meraṭaṭa ānayanaya kaḷa ætæm sukhōpabhōgī dravya piḷibanda adahasak labā deyi. dēśīya veḷanda kaṭayutuvalaṭa amatarava vidēśīya dhanaya raṭa tuḷaṭa galā ēma maṅgin savimat ārthikayak digu kālayak tissē pavatvā gena yāmaṭat emaṅgin raṭē saṅvardhana kaṭayutu veta analasva dāyaka vīmaṭat aitihāsika yugayē

śrī laṅkāven soyāgannā lada has ebū kāsiyak (kristu pūrva 250)

Transcription:

arthikaya saha vinimaya — shri lankave purana arthikaya veta antarjatika velandama magin ati kala balapama atimahatya. merata nishpadita dravya menma indiya sagaraye duru ratavala nishpadita da da mema arthika kriyadamaya tula sansaranaya viya. purana kalaye indiya sagaraye yatra kala navikayin visin rachita siya mataka satahan shri lankava evaka pavati jatyantara velandamata dayaka vu akaraya sihiganvayi. visheshayenma atun saha ardha manik varga apanayanaya sambandhayen shri lankava esamaye mahat kirtiyak isiliya. kristu varshayen devana siyavasedi indiya sagaraye yatra kala dayonisiyas perigets nam vu grika jatikaya shri lankava handinvuye asiyanu prabhavayak ati hastinge mavubima lesaya. vividha bhanda apanayanaya mangin rata tulata gala a dhanaya abhyantara samaja sanvardhanaye ek pradhana sadhakayak viya. merata vinimaya madhyaya kerehi evaka pavati muhudu velandama ketek durata balapaveda yana karuna shri lankave bhavita vu paranitama kasi uturu indiya prabhavayakin yukta vimen pahadili veyi. kristu varshayen tunvana siyavasin pasu vishala vashayen shri lankave sansaranaya vu bavata puravidyatmaka vashayen sadhaka penena roma kasi merata vinimaya madhyaye parinamaye tavat patikadaki.

shri lankave parani nagarika madhyasthana kanimen soya gena tibena valan varga saha pabalu purana kalaye indiya sagaraye pavati velandama haraha meratata anayanaya kala atam sukhopabhogi dravya pilibanda adahasak laba deyi. deshiya velanda katayutuvalata amatarava videshiya dhanaya rata tulata gala ema mangin savimat arthikayak digu kalayak tisse pavatva gena yamatat emangin rate sanvardhana katayutu veta analasva dayaka vimatat aitihasika yugaye

shri lankaven soyaganna lada has ebu kasiyak (kristu purva 250)

Automated translation (not verified):

Economy and Exchange — The impact of international trade on the ancient economy of Sri Lanka was immense. Materials produced in this country as well as those produced in distant countries in the Indian Ocean were circulated in this economic process. Memoirs written by sailors who sailed the Indian Ocean in ancient times remind us how Sri Lanka contributed to international trade at that time. Sri Lanka was famous for its export of elephants and semi-precious stones. Dionysius Perigates, a Greek who sailed in the Indian Ocean in the second century AD, called Sri Lanka the home of elephants of Asian origin. The wealth that flowed into the country through the export of various goods was one of the main factors in the internal social development. The fact that the earliest coins used in Sri Lanka were of North Indian origin is clear to what extent the sea trade at that time affected the medium of exchange in Sri Lanka. Another aspect of the evolution of the medium of exchange in Sri Lanka is Roman coins, which are archaeologically evidenced to have been widely circulated in Sri Lanka after the third century AD.

Pottery and beads unearthed from the excavations of ancient urban centers in Sri Lanka give an idea of some of the luxury goods that were imported into the country through the Indian Ocean trade in ancient times. In addition to domestic trade activities, foreign wealth flowed into the country to maintain a strong economy for a long period of time and thereby contribute to the development of the country.

Tamil text (not proofread):

பொருளாதாரம் மற்றும் செலாவனி — இலங்கையின் புராதன பொருளாதாரம் மீது சர்வதேச வர்த்தகம் செலுத்திய ஆதிக்கம் பாரியதாகும். இலங்கையில் உற்பத்தி செய்யப்பட்ட பொருட்கள் மாத்திரமன்றி இந்து சமுத்திரத்தின் நாடுகளின் உற்பத்தி செய்யப்பட்டவைகளும் இந்த பொருளாதார நடவடிக்கையின் கீழ் உள்ளடக்கப்பட்டது. புராதன காலத்தில் இந்து சமுத்திரத்தின் பயணித்த கடற்பயணிகளால் எழுதப்பட்ட ஞாபகக்குறிப்புக்கள் இலங்கை அந்த காலகட்டத்தில் இடம்பெற்ற சர்வதேச வர்த்தகத்தில் பங்கு கொண்ட விதம் தொடர்பாக நினைவுகளை எடுத்துக்காட்டுகிறது. விசேடமாக யானைகள் மற்றும் மாணிக்கக்ற்கள் ஏற்றுமதி தொடர்பில் இலங்கை அந்த காலகட்டத்தில் அதிக புகழ் பெற்று விளங்கியது. கி.பி நாங்காம் நூற்றாண்டில் இந்து சமுத்திரத்தில் கடற்பயணம் மேற்கொண்ட டயோனிசீயஸ் பெரிகேட்ஸ் என்பவர் யானைகளின் தாய்நாடு இலங்கையென்று வர்ணித்தார். பல்வேறு பொருட்களை ஏற்றுமதி செய்ததன்மூலம் நாட்டுக்கு வந்த நிதி, உள்ளுர் சமூக வளர்ச்சிக்கு பிரதானமானதொரு காரணமாக அமைந்தது. இலங்கையின் செலாவனி மீது அக்காலகட்டத்தில் இருந்த கடல் வர்த்தகம் எந்தளவு அழுத்தம் செலுத்தியதென்பதற்கு இலங்கையில் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட பழைய நாணயக்குற்றிகள் வட இந்தியாவினது என்பதன் மூலம் காட்டலாம். தொல்பொருள் ஆராய்ச்சிகள் மூலம் கண்டறிந்தபடி கி.பி 3 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டின் பின் பாரிய அளவில் இலங்கையில் ரோம நாணயகுற்றிகளை பாவனையில் இருந்ததாக காட்டுகிறது.

இலங்கையின் புராதன மத்தியநிலையங்களை அகழ்வு செய்ததன் மூலம் கண்டெடுத்த மண்பாண்டங்கள் மற்றும் முத்துக்கள், புராண காலத்தில் இந்து சமுத்திரத்தில் இடம்பெற்ற வர்த்தகங

இலங்கையில்இருந்து கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள முத்திரையிட்ட ஓர் நாணயம் (250டீஊநு)

Transcription:

poruḷātāram maṟṟum celāvaṉi — ilaṅkaiyiṉ purātaṉa poruḷātāram mītu carvatēca varttakam celuttiya ātikkam pāriyatākum. ilaṅkaiyil uṟpatti ceyyappaṭṭa poruṭkaḷ māttiramaṉṟi intu camuttirattiṉ nāṭukaḷiṉ uṟpatti ceyyappaṭṭavaikaḷum inta poruḷātāra naṭavaṭikkaiyiṉ kīḻ uḷḷaṭakkappaṭṭatu. purātaṉa kālattil intu camuttirattiṉ payaṇitta kaṭaṟpayaṇikaḷāl eḻutappaṭṭa ñāpakakkuṟippukkaḷ ilaṅkai anta kālakaṭṭattil iṭampeṟṟa carvatēca varttakattil paṅku koṇṭa vitam toṭarpāka niṉaivukaḷai eṭuttukkāṭṭukiṟatu. vicēṭamāka yāṉaikaḷ maṟṟum māṇikkakṟkaḷ ēṟṟumati toṭarpil ilaṅkai anta kālakaṭṭattil atika pukaḻ peṟṟu viḷaṅkiyatu. ki.pi nāṅkām nūṟṟāṇṭil intu camuttirattil kaṭaṟpayaṇam mēṟkoṇṭa ṭayōṉicīyas perikēṭs eṉpavar yāṉaikaḷiṉ tāynāṭu ilaṅkaiyeṉṟu varṇittār. palvēṟu poruṭkaḷai ēṟṟumati ceytataṉmūlam nāṭṭukku vanta niti, uḷḷur camūka vaḷarccikku piratāṉamāṉatoru kāraṇamāka amaintatu. ilaṅkaiyiṉ celāvaṉi mītu akkālakaṭṭattil irunta kaṭal varttakam entaḷavu aḻuttam celuttiyateṉpataṟku ilaṅkaiyil payaṉpaṭuttappaṭṭa paḻaiya nāṇayakkuṟṟikaḷ vaṭa intiyāviṉatu eṉpataṉ mūlam kāṭṭalām. tolporuḷ ārāyccikaḷ mūlam kaṇṭaṟintapaṭi ki.pi 3 ām nūṟṟāṇṭiṉ piṉ pāriya aḷavil ilaṅkaiyil rōma nāṇayakuṟṟikaḷai pāvaṉaiyil iruntatāka kāṭṭukiṟatu.

ilaṅkaiyiṉ purātaṉa mattiyanilaiyaṅkaḷai akaḻvu ceytataṉ mūlam kaṇṭeṭutta maṇpāṇṭaṅkaḷ maṟṟum muttukkaḷ, purāṇa kālattil intu camuttirattil iṭampeṟṟa varttakaṅa

ilaṅkaiyiliruntu kaṇṭupiṭikkappaṭṭuḷḷa muttiraiyiṭṭa ōr nāṇayam (250ṭīūnu)

Transcription:

porulatharam marrum selavani — ilangaiyin purathana porulatharam mithu sarvathesa varthagam seluthiya athikkam pariyathagum. ilangaiyil urpathi seyyappatta porudkal mathiramanri inthu samuthirathin nadugalin urpathi seyyappattavaigalum intha porulathara nadavadikkaiyin kizh ulladakkappattathu. purathana kalathil inthu samuthirathin payanitha kadarpayanigalal ezhuthappatta gnapagakkurippukkal ilangai antha kalagattathil idamberra sarvathesa varthagathil pangu konda vitham thodarpaga ninaivugalai eduthukkattugirathu. visedamaga yanaigal marrum manikkagrkal errumathi thodarpil ilangai antha kalagattathil athiga pugazh perru vilangiyathu. ki.pi nangam nurrandil inthu samuthirathil kadarpayanam merkonda dayonisiyas perigeds enpavar yanaigalin thaynadu ilangaiyenru varnithar. palveru porudkalai errumathi seythathanmulam nattukku vantha nithi, ullur samuga valarchikku pirathanamanathoru karanamaga amainthathu. ilangaiyin selavani mithu akkalagattathil iruntha kadal varthagam enthalavu azhutham seluthiyathenpatharku ilangaiyil payanpaduthappatta pazhaiya nanayakkurrigal vada inthiyavinathu enpathan mulam kattalam. tholporul araychigal mulam kandarinthapadi ki.pi 3 am nurrandin pin pariya alavil ilangaiyil roma nanayagurrigalai pavanaiyil irunthathaga kattugirathu.

ilangaiyin purathana mathiyanilaiyangalai agazhvu seythathan mulam kandedutha manpandangal marrum muthukkal, purana kalathil inthu samuthirathil idamberra varthaganga

ilangaiyilirunthu kandupidikkappattulla muthiraiyitta or nanayam (250diunu)

Automated translation (not verified):

Economy and Finance — The influence of international trade on Sri Lanka's ancient economy was massive. Not only products produced in Sri Lanka but also products produced in Indian Ocean countries are covered under this economic activity. Memoirs written by seafarers who traveled the Indian Ocean during ancient times highlight Sri Lanka's role in international trade during that period. Sri Lanka gained a lot of fame during that period, especially for the export of elephants and rubies. Dionysius Pericates, who sailed in the Indian Ocean in the fourth century AD, described Sri Lanka as the homeland of elephants. The income that came into the country through the export of various products became a major factor in the development of the local community. The fact that the old coins used in Sri Lanka are from North India can show how much pressure the sea trade of that time exerted on the currency of Sri Lanka. Archeological findings show that Roman coins were in widespread use in Sri Lanka after the 3rd century AD.

Pottery and pearls unearthed by excavations at ancient centers of Sri Lanka, trade on the Indus Sea during the Puranic period.

Gallery information:

These photos were taken at the Maritime Museum in Galle (Sri Lanka) which include objects recovered from the 2nd century B.C. Godawaya shipwreck. The Maritime Museum is housed in Galle's historic Dutch warehouse (built in 1671) and opened its doors on May 9, 1992. The Maritime Archaeology Museum is serving as a centre of education for various groups of visitors and researchers of Southern region of Sri Lanka.