The Government Agents’ Diaries form very valuable records among the documents of the Kachcheri. After capturing the coastal areas, Fredric North was appointed the first Governor of Sri Lanka in 1798. The tax system, which governed in Madras was established in Sri Lanka for tax purposes. In order to facilitate tax collection, revenue distribution districts were divided into three districts such as Colombo, Trincomalee and Jaffna, and Tax Collection Service was assigned to officers sent from Madras. Their office was known as the Kachcheri, Hindu. It was a Hindu name. In 1799, the Controllers of Revenue were appointed in Colombo, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Galle by Governor Fredric North.
In 1801, he instituted a Board of Revenue and Commerce to supervise the administration of the country, and abolished the Controllers of Revenue. Under it were placed Agents of Revenue and Commerce in charge of various districts, commissioned to communicate directly with the Board. An Agent of Revenue was empowered to collect Revenue and Customs dues, and wield the powers of a Magistrate and he had a seat in the native Landraad. Later, the Government Agents of Revenue were appointed to other districts, namely, Colombo, Jaffna, Matara, Trincomalee, Batticaloe and Puttalam.
In 1806, Governor Maitland on his arrival, abolished the Board of Revenue and Commerce and instead, set up a Commissioner of Revenue. The collection of Customs dues was placed in the Controller General of Customs. The Agents of Revenue and Commerce appointed in 1801 were now termed, Collectors of Revenue with enhanced powers. The Collector, besides being the Chief Revenue Officer, was empowered on the one hand to exercise judicial power as a Sitting Magistrate and on the other, to supervise the Police Vidanes of his district in their capacity as Chief Police Officer.
In 1808, Governor Maitland issued special instructions to these Collectors which stated, “by much the most important part of his work appears to be to make himself thoroughly master of the situation and state of his district by frequent and personal inspection”. These instructions specifically enjoined the Collector to make a circuit of his district every 3 months and, he had to maintain a diary of circuit which was to be forwarded to Colombo.
In 1833, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke Cameron Commission, Ceylon was divided into five Provinces by the unification of the upcountry and low country as the only administrative unit in the country and the Revenue Officers were termed Assistant Agents of the respective provinces. The Provinces were: the North, South, East, West and the Central. Due to these provinces, the number of Government Agents dropped to five. Thus, a central civil service, known as the Ceylon Civil Service was established in 1833 to handle the administration of the island. The Board of Commissioner of Revenue was dissolved.
After the 1889 period, nine provinces were established for the convenience of administration and tax collection. The Assistant Government Agent was appointed to these districts due to the increase in administrative activities. For example, since Chilaw was the seat of the Revenue Agent from 1804 – 1833, the records originated from this agency. From 1833 – 1845 Chilaw continued to be the seat of the Revenue Collector under the new title of Assistant Government Agent, who was placed under the control of the Government Agent of the Western Province. However, in 1856 the seat of the Government Agent, North Western Province was shifted from Puttalam to Kurunegala and instead, Puttalam was made the seat of the Assistant Government Agent, North Western Province. In 1888, the Kachcheri in Chilaw was reopened and was made the seat of another Assistant Government Agent under the control of the Government Agent of the North-Western Province. On August 15 1953, these records that really had arisen from two agencies viz. Chilaw and Puttalam were formally handed over to the Department of National Archives.
At that time, the dairies have been used by the Government Agent and the Assistant Government Agents for their administration. The instructions of 1808 continued to apply to these AGAs and GAs. The Diary has been used by the GA, Trincomalee until 1969.
The GAs’ Diaries can now be accessed at the National Archives of Sri Lanka. It gives more detail in a variety of fields. In this manner, anybody can lay the foundation of the research using these diaries. A diary may include a person’s work experiences and thoughts or feelings, including comments on current events outside his direct experience. A diary is a great tool for outlining his career, setting milestones and achieving his goals.
Details of valuable information about the social, administrative and cultural framework of the British Government were revealed in the Government Agents’ diaries. Details of the local administration are given in these dairies, such as, changes that have taken place and the implementation of these activities. The GAs may obtain the attention of schools in their administrative districts for the development of government departments.
Researchers can be studied in various subjects through the Government Agents’ diaries. In the area, various administrative activities were carried out by the GAs’ diaries. Particular information can be obtained from them, e.g. information on the roads from Bandarawela to Badulla was seen in the Government Agent’s Diary entry made on April 19, 1885. The GAs mentioned the measures taken in the areas of irrigation, roads and social services, which took place in the country’s rural areas, for the survival and development of the country. This contains entries and correspondence of land sales and entries on health conditions. Sometimes, in the event of a dispute in his area, he sorted out disputes peacefully. For example, the Diary entries of the GA North Western Province mostly deal with disputes among the fishermen of Sea Street and Pitipana (1846 -1847). There was also information on salt manufacture and the difficulties caused by carts.
The Government Agents’ Diaries deposited in the National Archives are open for the public.
(The writer is Assistant Director, National Archives, Visiting Lecturer, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya and Visiting Lecturer, Records Management, FRAG Institution)