The British used to appoint regional rulers from people among the local nobility in colonial times in Sri Lanka. Maduwanwela Maha Disawa was one of these rulers. He hated colonizers with all his heart, but couldn’t openly rebel against them, which is why he demonstrated his disrespect in an interesting way.

Found in the Ratnapura District, Maha Disawa ordered that an arch be built at the entrance to the territory of his estate, so low that the colonialists were forced to “bow” if they wanted to see him. Moreover, he added British symbols, like the portrait of Queen Victoria, the pound sterling sign, a coat of arms, and other things to the mosaic on the floor. The colonial authorities might have thought that this was how Maha Disawa expressed his loyalty, while, on the contrary, his idea was to let the house residents, servants, and visitors trample the mosaic with their feet.