tenance of roads as well as the control of theirs way laying those travelling up and down. Paranavitana in his definition about the ward mag-mahavar appearing as Tamaravava pillar inscription of Kassapa IV (724-730AD) rock inscription at Mihintale and Gonava-devala pillar inscription in Kurunagala district belonging to 9th century AD as un-officer employed look after the roads. The ward mag-mahavar encountered in the slab inscription of Mahinda IV (956-972 AD) at Mihintale is analysed by Wickremasinghe as people employed as labour to maintain high way and subsidiary road (Wickremesinghe, 1912). Ranawell present a contradictory explanation about the ward mag-mahavar acceding to him it is only a road tax levied from all road including the high way. Base on the contents Rambava pillar inscription of the 8th century AD, Paranavitana says that there were government officers worked upon looters.
There is evidence to say that, there was a tax collecting mechanise from carts transporting goods up and down and these taxes were stationed at city gate and entrances to villages. In Arthasastra there was a tax known as dvara-daka evade at entrance the villages, settlements and city gates. According to Badulla pillar inscription the 8th century AD. it was prohibited to collect taxes from every cats passing by other than from carts entering the trading village of Hopitigamuva. According by the 8th century AD there was a system where taxes were levied only from carts carrying goods for sale (Paranavitana,1933). Akind of an office had been setup the entrance of the villages and hamlets. Vimativinodani has mentioned about the kings who collected road taxes from carts transporting commercial goods. There was a systematic mechanism adopted to collect taxes at the entrance to cities limits. According to an inscription of the 10th century AD traced from the inner city of Anuradhapura, a tax has to be paid to the king from ever cart carrying commercial items passing the city limits and instructed in the above inscription from every sack of paddy that is calmed through the city one pata had be offered to Mahapali alms hall. Custom officers maintained city gates were known as madisa according to the pillar inscription of queen Lelyanavathie (1202-1208) in Anuradhapura. It is implied that the system existed at ferries of Kathatittha and Sahassatittha main ferries and some more unidentified ferries down of Mhavali ganga. Minvila rock inscription of Kanikkhatissa (167-186) and the slab inscription at Somavathie chaitya say that the tax collected from ferries at Kehigamakatota, Sumanagamakatota and Totagamakatota on offered to Mani-agiya rajamahavihara (Paranavitana,2001). Taxes collected from ferries down the river were allocated from the propose of road administration. A legal framework had been adopted for the proper collection of taxes, continually city gates, entrance to villages and hamlets and ferries.
Historical road network of Sri Lanka had been established from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD with the establishment of a permanent irrigation system, expansion of commercial area and stabilised powerful political situation may have helped to develop the road system to an extent of constructing strong stone bridges and with permanent highway system. As the road network was extended up to a vast area within the island the development of roads continued up to 13th century AD.
There are six main highways and main roads leaning Anuradhapura to join the main and minor ports in the island. There is a link between road network of the country and the international trade affairs, Capital cities, ports, monasteries complexes were connected to each often by a systematically planned well maintained road network. Construction, maintenance and the control of roads and highways followed the contemporary principles of road management. This task comes under the supervisor of the king a representative appointed by the king. Therefore, the infrastructure connected to roads technology had uniformity as the same principals were applied when fixing gavu pi