This paper asks: What was the Badu number? How was it computed and applied? And why did it persist until the early 19th century? We argue that the Badu number was a dual-purpose construct: it quantified material obligations (tax, rent, tribute) to the Kandyan king or the Temple of the Tooth ( Sri Dalada Maligawa ), and simultaneously aligned those quantities with astrological cycles to determine propitious collection dates.
This means the effective tax was not fixed but rhythmically adjusted to avoid breaking Kandyan cosmic order. Colonial officers often complained that Badu numbers seemed “arbitrary and superstitious,” but from the Kandyan perspective, they harmonized state revenue with celestial will. From 121 recorded entries across 22 manuscripts, the most frequent Badu numbers were: Badu Number Kandy
| Badu Number (base-multiplier product) | Frequency | Typical use | |---------------------------------------|-----------|--------------| | 12 | 23 | Paddy tax from mid-elevation villages | | 7 | 18 | Oil for temple lamps (lowest multiplier) | | 35 | 14 | Cinnamon in highlands during Ketti season | | 0 | 11 | Debt moratorium (ritual cancellation) | This paper asks: What was the Badu number