113992242-Dravidian-Settlements-in-Ceylon-and-the-Beginnings-of-the-Kingdom-of-Jaffna-By-Karthigesu-Indrapala-Complete-Phd-Thesis-University-of-London-1965

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It is, therefore, clear that a Dernej-kbUa did not always
denote an allotment from the royal household nor was it necessarily
set apart for the maintenance of Tamil soldiers. It could only
mean an allotment in a village where Tamils lived, presumably
separated from the others. Some other references in the inscriptions
seem to lend support to this interpretation. In the Rjarnigva
inscription of }lahinda IV (956-972) it is recorded that certain
immunities were granted to the village of Kiigama The piralkkam,
who appear to have been a class of officials, were granted
certain privileges in Dem4-kiigam but not in Kiigarna. It is
clear from the context that Dem4-kiigam was not far away
from Kiigama. Deme.-kiigam (Tamil Kiigam) appears to have
been a Tmil sector which was originally part of the village of
Kiigama. This probably is an example of a Deme-kb].la. The
Colombo Museum Pillar inscription refers to an officier called
Deme-adhikra, who was presumably in charge of matters concerning
Tamils, or more probably Tamil mercenaries, for, as Paranavitana
has remarked, it is. when the edicts are concerned with the Tamil
allotments that this official takes a part in the promulgation
of edicts It is unlikely that it is one of the titles that were
1. II, I,56.
2. E.Z., III, pp. 272, 27k ; U.C.H.C., I, pt. 1, p. 372.