The talk on Indigenous knowledge in Sri Lanka; at the Orientation program, 2024 at Faculty of Indigenous Social Sciences and Management Studies, Gampaha Wicremarrachchi University of Indigenous medicine
What
is indigenous knowledge??
Indigenous
knowledge refers to understandings, skills, and philosophies developed by local
communities with long histories and experiences of interaction with their
natural surroundings according to the UNESCO
Is
that true….?
Either
it is true or not, it is the backbone of your country, your society and your
culture. The indigenous knowledge is not static it is dynamic changing over the
time again as per the changing environment due to climate change.
Climate
change controls everything; the environment, people, society, culture, language
etc. We are products of climate change, our society is a product of climate
change, our culture is a product of climate change. World cannot be escaped
from climate change hence the indigenous knowledge. It is unique. Uniqueness
and diversity is everywhere.
For
an example take two countries such as England and Sri Lanka. England which is
cold is a European country while Sri Lanka is a tropical country. Both are located
in two different climatic zones. Think about their cultures. England people
dress black coats and ties, eat solid food such as breads, drink vine and soup
not water normally and speak fast. But Sri Lankans wear white cotton dresses,
eat rice and curries, talk rhythmically drink water frequently and take baths
daily not like Englishman. You can see how climate has defined two different
cultures.
Once highly developed country was Sri Lanka;
now today in a very difficult situation due to many issues. Sri Lanka where we
live was a self-sufficient country with good people good culture and good
society. Now everything has been vanished and spoiled. No new knowledge is
created. People are poisonous, their thoughts are poisonous, their activities
are poisonous, their interactions are poisonous. This is the real situation in
the country today.
I
should say that our culture has been developed more than 2500 years of time as
we have written evidences but it might have gone back to 6000 years in the past
where Pulasthi Rishi lived. Pulasthi rishi is the founder of Sri Lankan
indigenous knowledge. He developed a highly sophisticated technologies even the
ability of dealing with the extra-terrestrial habitats. He was able to make
connection with them and share the knowledge among each other.
As
per the hindu stories Vaidik books such as Rig, Yajur and Samman was brought to
the world by Pulasthi rishi. King Ravana was his Grandson who was a warrior,
scientist, technologist, philosopher. Innovator and inventor. He developed many
things including engineering, architecture, agriculture, space science,
garments, medicines and other sciences too. He was the disseminator of the
knowledge of Pulasthi Rishi.
The
indigenous knowledge system built in Sri Lanka was further faceted and polished
by the influence of Buddhism. That’s because Pulasthi Rishi and King Ravana
made the country sound for the establishment of Buddhism to a long run.
Those
are some facts of our ancient knowledge which is known as indigenous. Without
taking much time I will give some examples today we can observe in the country.
First
I would like to take your attention to ancient agriculture and related irrigation
technologies.
Water
was a prime concern in life, society and culture of the ancient people. We had
a mighty irrigation system where civil engineering, aerodynamics, geology,
geomorphology, soil sciences, surveying, hydrology, biology and many other sciences
have been highly applied. For example, applied technology of damming was
wonderful, hence mighty reservoirs were built; Parakrama samudray is a such
building. YODA Ela reflects the climax of engineering technology in indigenous
knowledge of ancient Sri Lanka. Selection of locations to be dammed were
perfectly understood and the knowledge on geomorphology was excellently
applied. For example, recently located damming places have been discovered as
ancient dams. It says the precise measurements in architecture and engineering
surveys. The materials to be used in
dams were well understood. Fine clay core of dam avoids the water leakages from
the dam and packing the reservoir bottom with clay confirms the impermeability
of bottom layer. The clay was caught with rubble materials to avoid the impact
of waves of the reservoirs.
Ancient
people were remarkably keen on water conservation and management. How they
conserve the water is anyone could drink water from any place of reservoir and
a canal, even from the “WAKKADA” in the paddy field. Bisokotuwa is a great
engineering innovation for the water conservation and management. Water liliy’s
in reservoirs not only for beauty but also for conservation of water in
reservoirs by cutting the evaporation lost. But ancient people think about the
need of environmental nourishment too, hence they didn’t cover the reservoir
totally. Planting Kumubuk trees gives a great support for water purification.
Those are rich in wew thawulla. Water
purification was a prime concern of the ancient people. Archaeological research
done at Jethawanaya has discovered a treatment plant made up of series of clay
pots composed of material such as charcoal and sand. Those had been used to purify the effluents
coming from toilets. Hence we may understand the knowledge and also the concern
on environmental protection during the ancient time.
The
additional rain water collected at the top reservoir of the catchment was
transferred to the next elevation level by constructing another reservoir and
it was continued until the level of elevation permits further flowing in
downward. This system is known as ELLANGAWA which is totally the indigenous
knowledge of Sri Lankan people. Ancient irrigation system developed and focused
on the agricultural activities which were enormously supported by indigenous
knowledge.
The
ancient people in the country had a greater deal with the environment and the
weather/climate. Ancient agriculturalist or farmer had fully utilized his time
in the field and lived with the environment. Preparing the field was manual
using water buffalos, from which many benefits were received, such as
fertilizer requirement from dun and urine of buffalos, avoiding loss of
existing nutrition in soil and water management. Maximum use of water was
achieved from the preparation of cascade system of fields. Cultivation of
legumes such as Cassia, Maduca (Mee) etc within the field, fulfil the
requirement of nitrate and fruits of those trees invite bats like creatures
which add phosphate to the field.
According
to some facts discovered from various research on ancient techniques of
farming, fertilizer was not a limiting factor. The farmers were well aware of
movement of sun and moon and also the earth. Hence they were able to understand
the seasonal changes occurred in the environment. The knowledge of planetary
revolving brought to the public by some cultural events. The best example of
understanding the movement of solar system is the “TELME Dance” from
“Pahatharata sampradaya”. A set of dancers dance in a circle by rotating around
their self with a slight tilt. It reflects the rotation of earth around the sun
with the tilt of 23.5 degrees. Ancient people knew this before Milutin
MIlankitch who introduced his theory in 1990s on the movement of solar system
that governs the climate of earth.
Ancient
people had a wonderful understanding of behavior of light from sun. They knew
the seven energies of sun light such as VIBGYOR. They knew time of the
different energies of the light receives the earth. Since the earth is globe,
light energy coming from sun is scattered to differentiate into the seven energies.
When the sun is on the tropic of Capricorn at south in December, the next is
turning back. Until the January we get the cold climate. Because the sun is
considerably away from Sri Lanka. Trees fall the leaves. Fallen leaves get
decomposed adding nutrition to the soil. Hence trees with left leaves are able
to grow new roots. While emerging new roots, leaves are appeared on the
branches. This is engaged with the movement of the sun. This means due to the
sun and the earth and the water vapor in the atmosphere create a prism by which
the light breaks into different colors; that mean different energies. Different
energies receive at different times influence the activities of a tree or a
plant. The ancient people had understood this changes in different times known
as “ CARANAYA”. Different CURANA represents the different stages of plant
growth. This has been well understood and followed well for the cultivating any
crop in ancient time. To disseminate the knowledge ancient people created the
“GOVI LITHA” where the times are defined for each activity to be started. This
is known as “NAKATH”. Even the ancient people has understood receiving of
different energy levels (colors) even the day time. This refers as HORAWA. In
the morning time, the vegetables of
which leaves and fruits are used are planted and in the evening, the plants of
which yams are used are planted. The change of energy levels is well
understood. And also they followed the moon calendar too for the planting
different plants in their garden. Some days in the weeks have been chosen for
planting specific vegetables and also the Time of the day (Known as WARUWA).
There
are no words called “pests and weeds” in vocabulary of ancient agriculture and
those were just part of the agricultural system. No killing of pest but only
controlling was adopted. Maintaining water level, using cactus milk, resins
etc, keeping a forest patch close by, making sound generators, bio controllers,
changing of rice varieties with seasons, ets are some of the techniques used.
Not only that, farmer got his family cooperation to control the weeds and pests
too.
Ancient
farmers had the special capability or sense to understand the change in the
weather pattern very early either short or long. They had sensed and noticed
the changes in different plant species and organisms that get ready for the
coming change in weather. Growth pattern of some plants and behavioral changes
of animals such as weaver bird, Koha and swift had been used extensively. For
an example, weaver bird gives a wonderful information on seasonal changes in
weather and it’s magnitude. They build their nests at lower branches of the
MAYILA tree at the ancient reservoirs (WEWA). It means no rain or very little
rain from the coming monsoon. If they build their nests on the branches at the
higher levels of the trees, it means heavy rain is coming hence they want to
avoid their nests to be flooded by reservoir water. The swift appeared in the
sky if the rain is coming in the evening. And very hot days define the rain in
the evening during the inter monsoons too. Some cactus such as DALUK has a
segmented body. Those segments are shorten during the rainy period. This means
they have no need of water stored. But the segments grown large if a dry period
is coming. They get ready for the dry period coming in the future. Ancient
people were keen on observing and capturing the changes in environment very
well. Those were engaged with the daily routines of life and farming.
Knowledge of plants in ancient people were enormous. As considered by them most
are herbs using for any kind of sickness or disease. The instant medicine what
they called “ATH BEHETH” were well known by everyone in the society. The
changes in the concentration of particular organic chemical that influence the
health of a person in herb with 24 hours of time was well known. Hence the
particular time was selected to extract any chemical from that particular
plant. The WEDA MAHATHAYA ; THE RISHI in the village was the expert in botany
and medicine.
The
changes in moon is also applied in many activities. They well understood the
increase of water content in a plant during the moon is appeared, especially
full moon Poyaday, the plants and trees absorb high amount of water. When the
moon is coming up, ancient people didn’t cut any tree to use for wood work
since those wood can be rotten and decomposed due to the heavy water content.
They had wonderful knowledge on Seasoning the woods. The woods were submerged
in mud where the activities of oxic environment is inhibited. But anoxic
conditions maintained, the wood get well seasoned due to removing the oxygen in
the wood. It is escaped from decomposing then. The building made of such
treated woods were long lasting. Best examples are MALIGAWA at Kandy and
EMBEKKE devalaya.
The
famous building material in ancient time was stones. The knowledge of geology
is excited. In Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods, the buildings were
dominated by stone works even the carvings and decorations. The
geoarchaeological research shows that different kind of stones (rock types)
have been used for such building construction. Long lasting building made by
stones were Buddhist temples and monasteries.
Quarrying of rocks in A’pura period characterized with mechanical
process where oval shaped wedging holes were made. But in Polonnaruwa period it
was changed totally to a chemical process by which the rocks were easily split.
It is evidenced by the rectangular shaped wedging holes. Hence it can be
identified that both period has different types of quarrying styles showing the
influence of improved indigenous knowledge.
I
should mention here that I was able to understand the statue called king or
sage is definitely a statue of a sage most probably it is PULASTHI rishi, based
on the quarrying techniques. The quarrying technique observed at the statue
belongs to Apura period but not Polonnaruwa period. This is a remarkable
finding but many doesn’t know and doesn’t care.
Most
of the industries were centralized with the agricultural activities. In brief,
ancient irrigation engineering, metal (iron, copper) extraction, stone quarrying,
clay industries were some of them. The traditional knowledge which is an asset
was well practiced, evaluated and confirmed by the ancient people and
recommended for the future generations. Interestingly, those each and every
activity had been followed in a similar way of the scientific method that has
been adopted today.
It
is well understood that traditional knowledge is how powerful, useful and
sustainable in environmental protection while utilizing them by humans, though
I was able to brief a drop of the traditional knowledge existed at the moment
in Sri Lanka. Sometime we may think this is not possible to apply the
traditional knowledge in a large scale to achieve such an economy, hence the
real challenge with us is to bring them back to fit with the global scale.
I
strongly believe more research and experiments are needed for re-establishing
the country’s traditional knowledge leading to a low carbon green growth from
which both people and environment is secured and sustained. And there may be a space within the low
carbon green growth strategies proposed by UNESCAP for empowering the
traditional knowledge of each country within the region.
I
think I have mentioned a lot about the indigenous knowledge of Sri Lanka in
brief, but there are many more to discover. We need rediscovering and you are
responsible for it. So I thank you very much for the opportunity given by the
faculty for this briefing and also thank you very much your kind attention.
Finally I think I should mention is this.
"You
have enormous opportunities in the world. Go and find and explore the
opportunities suitable for you. Win the noble prize".
Thank
you