පාරිසරික සම්පත්වල ආරක්ෂාව උදෙසා අතීත පාලකයන් විසින් අනුගමනය කළ ප්‍රතිපත්ති පිළිබඳ අධ්‍යයනයක් (අනුරාධපුර පාලන අවධිය) - A Study of the Policies Adopted by Past Rulers for the Protection of Environmental Resources during the Anuradhapura Period

This research was conducted to study the policies adopted by past rulers for the protection of environmental resources, specifically during the Anuradhapura Kingdom period. It was guided by research questions focused on the impact of political strategies adopted by these rulers on the proper management and sustainable use of environmental resources for the benefit of the people. The primary objective of this research was to identify the state policies implemented by ancient rulers for the management of environmental resources. The secondary objectives were to establish the socio-economic value of these resources and to identify the legal methods used by the rulers to protect them. Qualitative research was used in this study. An examination of literary and epigraphic sources reveals that, by this period, state policy regarding the protection and management of environmental resources had become highly developed. The prosperity and progress of ancient Sri Lanka, which had an agricultural economy, depended on the wise management of its natural and water resources, particularly in land use. Therefore, it can be concluded that the planned and sustainable use of environmental resources, such as flora and fauna, water resources, and soil, contributed to a beneficial social environment and significantly impacted state development.