page_title: Sri Lankan units of measurement
section_title: Area
hierarchical_section_title: Sri Lankan units of measurement / Traditional units / Area
caption_attribution_description: සිංහල: බදුලු ටැම් ලිපිය English: Badulla Pillar Inscription
context_page_description: A number of different units of measurement were used in Sri Lanka to measure quantities like length, mass and capacity from very ancient times. Under the British Empire, imperial units became the official units of measurement and remained so until Sri Lanka adopted the metric system in the 1970s.
context_section_description: Measurements of area used in ancient Sri Lanka was a system derived from paddy agriculture. Area was often measured in terms of the land that could be sown with a specific amount of seed or rice, including the Pǣla, Amuna, Kiriya (4 amunas), and the Riyana. In one region, a Kiriya was about 8 acres.  Following are relationships between some typical measures of area.
  In an stone inscription written by King Bhathikabhaya Abhaya at Dunumadalakanda in Anuradhapura District, it is stated that he offered a land of 1 Kareesa to a temple in the area. In another stone inscription written by King Kutakannabhaya Thissa at Horiwila in Anuradhapura District, it is stated that he offered a land of 8 Kareesa to a temple named 'Thissa' in the area.
  James Prinsep, writing in 1840, stated that "at ... Ceylon ... English measures only are used, or at least a cubit based on the English measure of 18 inches."
caption: Badulla Pillar Inscription, in which prohibition of frauds in weighing is stated
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