![]() ![]() Kahapanas are reckoned to have been produced by cutting strips of metal from hammered sheets. They are commonly known as punch marked coins, due to the marks or symbols that had been struck either on one side or both sides of the coin. They are called puranas in Sanskrit and eldings in English. The earliest unit of currency known in the island is referred to as a Kahapana. Source: Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau The official who authorized the produced coins was known as “Rupawaapara”. At the time, the director in charge of coin production was known as “Rupadaka” (Periyakada Vihara Epigraph). These records suggest that the production and distribution of coins were done systematically. Epigraphs reveal a multitude of Information about trade and currency use during the Anuradhapura era. Post-Independence Period since Establishment of the Central Bank of CeylonĪnuradhapura Era Coins used in Anuradhapura EraĪnuradhapura Kingdom (377 BC– 1017AD) The Anuradhapura Kingdom named for its capital city, was the first established kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s currency-use can be divided into following periods. This information is extremely advantageous in the attempt to construct a timeline for the history of Sri Lanka’s economy. Aside from local sources, afore mentioned records by international traders and foreigners also provide information about the trade mechanisms of Sri Lanka’s past. Being primary pieces of evidence regarding the economic history of Sri Lanka, these coins and epigraphs can be found in large numbers scattered across the island. Coins and epigraphs have a special place among this evidence. Information detailing these endeavors can be found in epigraphs, ‘Vansha Katha’ (Chronicles of Dynasties), ancient texts and letters as well as in archeological evidence. The island also had an efficient trading system in place. Upon close inspection of the great irrigation projects of those times, it becomes clear that the disciplines of engineering and agriculture were highly developed in Sri Lanka. These facts reveal the Economic history of Sri Lanka. There are Greek, Roman and Chinese texts that include a multitude of information that serve as testament to this. Sri Lanka functioned as a trading center for these travelers. It was also a doorway to entering the Overland Silk Road. Traders and explorers from the East and West would converge on this island. In the past, Sri Lanka managed to garner the attention of the world partly due to the fact that it was uniquely placed at the center of the Silk Road that spanned from Far East Asia to Europe. Although it is small in length and width, the world as a whole considered Sri Lanka to be of great worth. ![]() It illustrates the recognition Sri Lanka had in the eyes of the world before and during Ptolemy’s time. However, despite his accurate depiction of the Mediterranean, Europe and the Middle Eastern regions on the map Sri Lanka appears significantly over-sized. The image depicted here is an extract from the world map by Ptolemy who lived in 150 A.D in Rome.The map is drawn to considerably precise longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates. Why does Sri Lanka appear Magnified on Ptolemy’s world MAP ? Although small in size, a coin has the ability of giving a wealth of information about the economic and cultural history of the country where it was used, through signs that remain on them. A study of that history will doubtlessly prove fruitful not only for economists but for everyone in the society. Coins used through different time periods of a country play an important role when studying the history of that country. Sri Lanka is a country with a long history and a similarly long and rich economic history. ![]()
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