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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body of indirect evidence, it may not be wrong to conclude that
in the ninth and tenth centuries there were Tamils living in
separate allotments in some Sinhalese villages and that such
an allotment was known as a Deme-kbtlla. There seems t-e- he
to have been such allotments in royal as well as pmivate villages.
Similarly, the term Demea-v!lademin (lands enjoyed
by Tm11s) 1also appears to refer to the lands that were owned
by Tm11s This phrase occurs in the Giritale Pillar inscription
of Udaya III (935-936). The Anurdhapura Slab inscription of
Mahinda IV (956-972) lays down that '(the produce) of trees and
shrubs which exist ...... in the Tamil villages and lands
(Dem4 gam-bim) (situated) in the four directions shall be appropriated
in accordance with former custom' Bere the phrase 'Tamil villages
and lands' evidently refers to the villages and lands where
Tamils had settled. As mentioned before, the Clava111sa also
refers to Tanii].s living here and there in Rjaraffha The placename
evidence relating to Dravidian settlements in this period
is negligible. Besides Dem4-ki4igam, there is another place-name
with the element Deme occurring in the Ayitigvva inscription
1. I am indebted to R.A.L.H.Gunawardena for explaining this term to me.
2. E.Z., III, pp. 139, lk3.
3. LZ. , I, p. 117.
k. See supra, p. co•