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Rate Mahatmaya
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>Persons were appointed to the title and office by the <a href="/facts/King/W56qBWpo">King</a> during the <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Kandy/vRqeXvU0">Kingdom of Kandy</a>, these appointees headed the administration of a large locality known as <i>Korale</i>, which was a division of the province of the Kingdom known as a <i>Dissava</i> and as such he would be subordinate to the local <a href="/facts/Dissava/Bj9Y0U09">Dissava</a>. There was no time limit for the officer holder as he held the post at the pleasure of the King, which meant throughout his life, if not incurred the displeasure of the King. It was not hereditary, although members of the same family have been appointed. They were members of the <a href="/facts/Radala/CIWnthRK">Radala Cast</a>, who were referred to as the <i>Chieftains of Kandy</i> by the <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">British</a>. Many were instrumental in the surrender of the Kandian Kingdom to the <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">British</a>. </p><p>Following the expansion of British rule into the provinces of the former Kandian Kingdom in 1815, the British retained the office of Rate Mahatmaya appointing Kandians loyal to the British Crown. Following the <a href="/facts/Uva_Rebellion/nrV2b4qy">Uva Rebellion</a> in 1818 and changers to the administrative divisions of the island with the creation of <a href="/facts/Districts_of_Sri_Lanka/2duz7T0f">Districts</a>, <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">British</a> <a href="/facts/Government_Agent_(Sri_Lanka)/Qg3crPVp">Government Agents</a> (GA) took over the duties of the Dissava, with Rate Mahatmaya becoming a subordinate to the local Government Agents and Assistant Government Agents. During the British administration a Rate Mahatmaya would head a revenue district, a <a href="/facts/Korale/e4E7LR56">Korale</a> and would e the Kandian equivalent to a <a href="/facts/Sri_Lankan_Mudaliyars/cI6mYKf9">Mudaliyar</a> in the lower country or the coastal regions. New appointments were stopped in the 1931 after the abolition of the native department, while current holders retained their posts until their retirement while transferable District Revenue Officers were appointed as replacements. The last Rate Mahatmaya to retire was in the late 1950s.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="notable-appointees">Notable appointees</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Punchi_Banda_Nugawela/97o7bULX">Punchi Banda Nugawela</a> <a href="/facts/Dissava/Bj9Y0U09">Dissava</a> - Rate Mahatmaya of Sarasiyapattuwa</li> <li><a href="/facts/Barnes_Ratwatte/yJLJdtH6">Barnes Ratwatte</a> <a href="/facts/Dissava/Bj9Y0U09">Dissava</a>Successor of S.D.N Mhawalatenne - Rate Mahatmaya of <a href="/facts/Balangoda/bbnLFLqq">Balangoda</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/William_Ellawala/tAydU2by">William Ellawala</a> - Rate Mahatmaya</li> <li><a href="/facts/S._N._W._Hulugalle/j3RnFbpl">S. N. W. Hulugalle</a> - Rate Mahatmaya</li> <li><a href="/facts/Maduwanwela_Maha_Disawe/STMIdUtB">Maduwanwela Maha Disawe</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/P._B._Elangasinha/k0aqUEDA">P. B. Elangasinha</a> - co-creator of the <a href="/facts/Sri_Lanka_Matha/mcfYwpKM">Sri Lanka Matha</a></li></ul> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Native_headmen_of_Ceylon/4MlE9Pzu">Native headmen of Ceylon</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Walauwa/uSeFSc3j">Walauwa</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Sri_Lankan_titles/fdhhHyLM">Sri Lankan titles</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Sri_Lankan_honours_system/fdhhHyLM">Sri Lankan honours system</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=29788">A vignette of British Justice in Colonial Ceylon</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: The Native Headman System <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=eUF_rS8FEoIC&pg=PA638" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=eUF_rS8FEoIC&pg=PA638</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: The Native Headman System <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=eUF_rS8FEoIC&pg=PA638" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=eUF_rS8FEoIC&pg=PA638</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>