Maha Dissava

Mahâ Dissâvas of Kingdom of Kandy
A Kandyan Maha Dissava and a Buddhist monk in the early 19th century.
Member ofAmātya Mandalaya
Reports toThe Monarch
AppointerThe Monarch
Monarchical Sri Lanka
Flag of the Kingdom of Kandy
Part of a series on the politics and
government of the Sinhala kingdom

MonarchKing
Queen consortRandolis
Sub king / Heir apparent
Yuvaraja
ConcubinageYakadadoli
1st Prime MinisterPallegampahê Mahâ Nilamê
2nd Prime MinisterUdagampahê Mahâ Nilamê
Chief SecretaryMahâ Mohottâla
Provincial GovernorsMahâ Dissâvas
Royal Household OfficersDugganna Nilamês
Sons of ChiefsBandâras

The Mahâ Dissâvas was a Great Officer in the Amātya Mandalaya, or Sinhalese Council of State, in the Sinhalese Kingdoms of monarchical Sri Lanka. Like many of the existing high offices at the time it had combined legislative and judicial powers and functioned primarily equivalent to that of a Provincial governor.[1] The office of Dissava was retained under the successive European colonial powers, namely the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch East India Company and the British Empire. A Dissava was the governor of a province known as a Disavanies. Within his province, the Dissava held both executive and judicial authority.

  1. ^ Ekanâyaka 1876, p. 298.