26:
241:
76:
64:
94:
52:
118:
106:
1584:
1594:
335:
343:
1604:
483:
who maintained them with the approval of the
British authorities on the grounds of personal protection. The official practice of maintaining Lascarins by Mudaliyars stopped after the closure of the Native Department and with it the official role of the Mudaliyars in 1937, although the title of
512:
A Lascoreen Guard was under the command of a 'Basnayake
Muhandiram.' 'Basnayake'- derived from Dutch (baas + naik) meaning chieftain and 'Muhandiram' an honorary title conferred on the native officials of the administrative hierarchy. The Lascoreens of each
25:
496:
The full complement of the Ceylon
Government Lascoreen Guard–of-Honour consisted of thirty-six guards clad in scarlet tunics with gold embroidery, white cloth/trouser and plumed headgear. They carried
413:
Lascarins were crucial for the occupying
Portuguese forces, during their battles against local kingdoms because they knew the local geography. In almost every early battle the Portuguese fought in
488:
suspended state honours in 1956. The
Governor's contingent of Lascarins were maintained as part of the Governor's staff and continued as part of the Governor General's staff till 1956.
842:
777:
M.W. Jurriaanse, Catalogue of the
Archives of the Dutch Central Government of Coastal Ceylon, 1640–1796, Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka, Colombo, 1943
776:
232:
soldiers until the 1930s. The lascarins played a crucial role not only in the colonial armies, but also in the success of the campaigns of the local kingdoms.
1314:
1309:
471:
retained a detachment of
Lascarins including Kanganies on pay and pensionable appointment. They would provide the honour guard for visits by members of the
1587:
1304:
563:
418:
620:
1628:
835:
522:
812:
445:) and Malay mercenaries in their offensive campaigns during the latter stages of their rule. Lascarins also took part on both sides during the
417:, the majority of their army was composed of Lascarins. The Lascarin's loyalty was however quite an issue. On many occasions other than in the
723:
653:
1643:
1272:
1126:
429:, the Portuguese expedition of 1630, almost the entire contingent of Lascarcins defected. In both the formidable campaign of 1603 led by
1633:
828:
787:
854:
1607:
1277:
765:
628:
1206:
967:
857:
676:
1479:
1289:
995:
366:' in 1521 they became involved in the internal affairs and conflicts between local kingdoms. Due to the limited manpower from
917:
861:
813:'THE LASCOREEN GUARD: GOVT. PROVIDES NEW UNIFORM: THE GUARD TO FEATURE IN THE PRINCE'S PARADE', Ceylon Observer, 1 March 1922
757:
1244:
1086:
1491:
1284:
980:
605:
456:
Lascarins served on with the Dutch during the period 1640–1796. Lascarins were divided into 'ranchuwas' (randje) meaning
438:
151:
1294:
975:
1512:
1339:
1028:
468:
464:, Mohandiram, Arachchies, or Kankanis and 24 rank and file. Several 'ranchus' were under the Mudaliyar of a Korale.
1638:
1560:
1387:
1262:
922:
240:
1196:
1064:
912:
741:
578:
446:
155:
583:
485:
476:
1267:
1648:
1532:
1527:
1409:
1334:
1157:
457:
441:, the lascarins defected en masse. For this reason, the Portuguese started to rely more on Indian, African (
1517:
1359:
1354:
1201:
1033:
990:
945:
430:
69:
1522:
1432:
1398:
1007:
568:
480:
426:
645:
398:), many of the forces loyal to the king of Kotte became Lascarins and continued to hold ranks such as
1437:
1038:
907:
399:
362:
and controlled most of the inbound and outbound trade affairs. After the historical event known as '
1484:
1459:
1174:
1000:
709:
573:
558:
434:
422:
347:
1593:
985:
1507:
1179:
1114:
1023:
949:
927:
876:
1368:
761:
719:
672:
649:
624:
553:
442:
225:
99:
57:
713:
1597:
1422:
1184:
953:
395:
374:
kingdom's interests and to assist in offensive purposes. Almost all of these
Lascarins were
363:
293:
265:
253:
177:
1043:
1364:
1110:
1102:
745:
479:, to the Governor of Ceylon. Lascarins were maintained as small private units of powerful
467:
During the
British era they lost their military role becoming more of a ceremonial guard.
394:
as their faith. After the
Portuguese imposed direct control on local kingdoms (mainly the
229:
32:
The Private Lascoreen Guard of Padikara Muhandiram Arthur Silva Wijeyasinghe Siriwardena
1299:
1257:
1230:
1121:
884:
541:
302:. In Sri Lanka it was used in the military sense, which was also preserved in India as
196:
123:
81:
1622:
1565:
1555:
1252:
338:
Photograph of the Private Lascoreen Guard of Basnayake Muhandirum Richard Weerackoon.
425:
the forces of Vimaladharmasuriya doubled as a result of these defections and in the
276:'Askar (Arabic: عسكر) derived from the former, meaning 'guard' or 'soldier' (whence
1417:
1344:
1059:
892:
472:
307:
289:
245:
111:
334:
820:
668:
1550:
1348:
1147:
1142:
504:) and marched to the beat of the tom-tom band and flutes piping military music.
391:
1427:
1392:
1164:
533:
403:
342:
450:
421:, the lascarins changed sides and supported the local kingdoms. In the 1594
414:
355:
217:
1191:
1152:
1074:
537:
529:
407:
383:
375:
367:
221:
141:
1169:
501:
461:
359:
738:
688:
1079:
1069:
669:
Kandy fights the Portuguese: a military history of Kandyan resistance
526:
518:
379:
298:
277:
273:
257:
167:
370:, the Portuguese hired local soldiers to defend Portuguese and the
497:
484:
Mudaliyar was awarded by the Government of Ceylon till 1956 until
371:
239:
244:
A 16th century Portuguese watercolour, depicting Lascaris of the
387:
1454:
1225:
940:
824:
715:
Sri Lanka in the Modern Age: A History of Contested Indentities
390:. This was a time when many members of local royalty adopted
24:
521:) were commanded by the Mudaliyar, a rank corresponding to
292:
militiaman or seaman. The latter meaning is preserved in
758:
Description of the Great and Most Famous Isle of Ceylon
606:
The Portuguese in Ceylon: Before the war with the Dutch
358:
in 1505 and by 1517 they were able to erect a fort in
188:
1543:
1500:
1472:
1408:
1380:
1327:
1243:
1135:
1095:
1052:
1016:
966:
536:. The non-commissioned officers were the Cangaans (
220:to identify indigenous soldiers who fought for the
207:
147:
137:
129:
87:
45:
37:
18:
689:https://en.wiktionary.org/l%C5%A1kl#Middle_Persian
272:), meaning military camp or army — related to the
449:which ended the Portuguese occupation of coastal
540:) or Kanganies. Soldiers occupying the rank of
836:
8:
621:The Historic Tragedy of the Island of Ceilāo
718:. C Hurst & Co Publishers. p. 13.
641:
639:
637:
216:Lascoreen and Lascarine) is a term used in
1451:
1222:
937:
843:
829:
821:
608:- Colonial Voyage Web. Accessed 2015-11-25
802:. Colombo: Ceylon Government Press. 1954.
664:
662:
564:Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom
460:, each consisting of two or three native
419:Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom
601:
599:
341:
333:
616:
614:
595:
475:and the Maldivian delegation bring the
280:). The Portuguese adapted this term to
699:Oxford English Dictionary, 'Lascorine'
228:(1505–1658) and continued to serve as
15:
7:
346:Reenactment of a Lascoreen Guard at
1603:
760:by Philip Baldaeus, p. 795–9 (AES)
748:- defonseka.com Accessed 18-02-2016
269:
671:- C. Gaston Perera (Vijitha Yapa)
532:. Below him was the Muhandiram or
14:
1602:
1592:
1583:
1582:
1207:Sri Subodharama Raja Maha Vihara
788:Memorable Queens of the Maldives
679:pp. 138, 168, 228, 307 & 342
116:
104:
92:
74:
62:
50:
1629:Crisis of the Sixteenth Century
1480:Crisis of the Sixteenth Century
1290:Crisis of the Sixteenth Century
996:Crisis of the Sixteenth Century
437:, the last major battle in the
354:The Portuguese first landed in
1:
1263:Jaffna under Tambralinga rule
252:The term originates from the
1295:Jaffna under Portuguese rule
976:Malay invasions of Sri Lanka
1644:Sri Lankan ceremonial units
208:
189:
1665:
1634:Military of British Ceylon
1561:Delgamuwa Raja Maha Vihara
800:The Ceylon Civil List 1954
648:- V. Vriddhagirisan (AES)
544:were simply 'Lascoreens'.
165:
1578:
1450:
1221:
1197:Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
936:
903:
871:
200:
181:
23:
1492:Sinhalese–Portuguese War
1285:Sinhalese–Portuguese War
981:Sinhalese–Portuguese War
584:Maldivian Annual Tribute
486:S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
477:Maldivian annual tribute
439:Sinhalese–Portuguese War
166:Not to be confused with
152:Sinhalese–Portuguese War
1268:Jaffna under Kotte rule
1518:House of Siri Sanga Bo
1360:House of Siri Sanga Bo
1355:Aryacakravarti dynasty
1202:Kotte Raja Maha Vihara
1158:Yapahuwa rock fortress
1034:House of Siri Sanga Bo
946:Kingdom of Dambadeniya
351:
339:
249:
70:Dutch period in Ceylon
29:
1433:Kotagama inscriptions
1399:Yalpana Vaipava Malai
1008:Convention of Malvana
569:Battle of Randeniwela
427:Battle of Randeniwela
345:
337:
243:
28:
1438:Madawala inscription
1258:Pandyan Principality
991:Kandyan independence
710:Wickramasinghe, Nira
579:Dutch–Portuguese War
500:and 'sesath' (white
447:Dutch–Portuguese War
156:Dutch–Portuguese War
1460:Kingdom of Sitawaka
1305:Portuguese conquest
1175:Gadaladeniya Vihara
858:Transitional period
623:- J. Ribeiro (AES)
574:Battle of Gannoruwa
559:Campaign of Danture
435:Battle of Gannoruwa
431:Jerónimo de Azevedo
423:Campaign of Danture
348:Mount Lavinia Hotel
314:and the English to
1180:Lankatilaka Vihara
1087:Irrigation network
928:Polonnaruwa period
877:Dambadeniya period
744:2011-09-28 at the
433:as well as in the
352:
340:
250:
30:
1639:Portuguese Ceylon
1616:
1615:
1574:
1573:
1464:
1446:
1445:
1369:Portuguese puppet
1278:Liberation battle
1235:
1217:
1216:
958:
739:Our Man in Cochin
725:978-1-85065-807-8
654:978-81-206-0996-9
646:Nayaks of Tanjore
554:Portuguese Ceylon
246:Kingdom of Cambay
206:
187:
161:
160:
100:Portuguese Empire
58:Portuguese Ceylon
1656:
1606:
1605:
1596:
1586:
1585:
1485:Vijayabā Kollaya
1462:
1452:
1423:Cankilian Thoppu
1273:Kotte's campaign
1233:
1223:
1185:Embekka Devalaya
1001:Vijayabā Kollaya
956:
938:
896:
888:
880:
845:
838:
831:
822:
815:
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729:
706:
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697:
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686:
680:
666:
657:
643:
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618:
609:
603:
396:Kingdom of Kotte
364:Wijayaba Kollaya
271:
211:
205:romanized:
204:
202:
192:
186:romanized:
185:
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122:
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68:
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16:
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1617:
1612:
1570:
1539:
1496:
1468:
1467:
1442:
1404:
1376:
1365:Don Constantine
1340:Kalinga dynasty
1323:
1239:
1238:
1213:
1131:
1127:Popular culture
1103:Guththila Kawya
1091:
1048:
1012:
962:
961:
932:
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891:
883:
875:
867:
866:
849:
819:
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811:
807:
798:
797:
793:
786:
782:
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771:
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752:
746:Wayback Machine
737:
733:
726:
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332:
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117:
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105:
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102:
93:
91:
75:
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63:
61:
60:
51:
49:
33:
12:
11:
5:
1662:
1660:
1652:
1651:
1649:Private armies
1646:
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1342:
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1329:
1325:
1324:
1322:
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1320:
1319:
1318:
1317:
1312:
1302:
1300:Mannar martyrs
1292:
1287:
1282:
1281:
1280:
1275:
1265:
1260:
1255:
1249:
1247:
1241:
1240:
1237:
1236:
1231:Jaffna kingdom
1227:
1226:
1219:
1218:
1215:
1214:
1212:
1211:
1210:
1209:
1204:
1194:
1189:
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1161:
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1150:
1145:
1139:
1137:
1133:
1132:
1130:
1129:
1124:
1122:Anavamadarshin
1119:
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1097:
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1089:
1084:
1083:
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1020:
1018:
1014:
1013:
1011:
1010:
1005:
1004:
1003:
993:
988:
986:Ming–Kotte War
983:
978:
972:
970:
964:
963:
960:
959:
942:
941:
934:
933:
931:
930:
925:
920:
915:
910:
904:
901:
900:
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889:
885:Gampola period
881:
872:
869:
868:
865:
864:
851:
850:
848:
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817:
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750:
731:
724:
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658:
656:p. 80 & 91
633:
610:
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571:
566:
561:
556:
549:
546:
509:
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493:
490:
331:
328:
310:adapted it to
237:
234:
226:Portuguese era
162:
159:
158:
149:
145:
144:
139:
135:
134:
131:
127:
126:
124:British Empire
89:
85:
84:
82:British Ceylon
47:
43:
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39:
35:
34:
31:
21:
20:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1661:
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1601:
1599:
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1589:
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1580:
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1567:
1566:Hanwella fort
1564:
1562:
1559:
1557:
1556:Sitawaka fort
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1346:
1343:
1341:
1338:
1337:
1336:
1333:
1332:
1330:
1326:
1316:
1315:1591 invasion
1313:
1311:
1310:1560 invasion
1308:
1307:
1306:
1303:
1301:
1298:
1297:
1296:
1293:
1291:
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1286:
1283:
1279:
1276:
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1271:
1270:
1269:
1266:
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1259:
1256:
1254:
1253:Kalinga Magha
1251:
1250:
1248:
1246:
1242:
1232:
1229:
1228:
1224:
1220:
1208:
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1199:
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1027:
1025:
1022:
1021:
1019:
1015:
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1006:
1002:
999:
998:
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992:
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987:
984:
982:
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926:
924:
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919:
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886:
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839:
834:
832:
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826:
823:
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795:
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781:
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766:81-206-1172-1
763:
759:
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702:
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678:
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629:81-206-1334-1
626:
622:
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349:
344:
336:
329:
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295:
291:
288:, meaning an
287:
283:
279:
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267:
263:
260:, pronounced
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255:
248:and his wife.
247:
242:
235:
233:
231:
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219:
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179:
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169:
163:Military unit
157:
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113:
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86:
83:
71:
59:
48:
44:
40:
36:
27:
22:
17:
1418:Mantri Manai
1397:
1345:Chandrabhanu
1115:in Sinhalese
1065:Caste system
1060:Alagakkonara
1039:Capital city
913:Bibliography
893:Kotte period
808:
799:
794:
783:
772:
753:
734:
714:
704:
695:
684:
677:955-1266-773
514:
511:
495:
473:Royal Family
466:
455:
412:
410:or Kankani.
353:
323:
319:
315:
311:
303:
297:
285:
281:
261:
251:
213:
212:or Lascareen
193:
173:
172:
112:Dutch Empire
1608:WikiProject
1551:Avissawella
1528:Rajasinha I
1463:(1521–1594)
1349:Tambralinga
1234:(1232–1620)
1148:Dambadeniya
1143:Polonnaruwa
1107:Literature
957:(1232–1597)
879:1232 – 1341
631:p 20, 91–92
392:Catholicism
224:during the
201:லசுக்காரின்
148:Engagements
41:1500s–1930s
1623:Categories
1533:Rajasuriya
1501:Government
1428:Yamuna Eri
1393:Setu coins
1328:Government
1165:Kurunegala
1044:Rājākariya
1017:Government
895:1412– 1592
887:1341– 1412
590:References
534:Lieutenant
481:Mudaliyars
404:Muhandiram
378:converted
304:Gun Lascar
236:Derivation
222:Portuguese
209:Lacukkāriṉ
190:laskiriñña
182:ලස්කිරිඤ්ඤ
88:Allegiance
1544:Landmarks
1523:Mayadunne
1410:Landmarks
1136:Landmarks
538:sergeants
530:regiments
451:Sri Lanka
415:Sri Lanka
356:Sri Lanka
324:lascoreen
320:lascarine
316:lascariin
312:lascorijn
282:lasquarim
218:Sri Lanka
174:Lascarins
19:Lascarins
1588:Category
1513:Monarchs
1508:Monarchy
1335:Monarchs
1192:Kelaniya
1153:Yapahuwa
1075:Salagama
1029:Monarchs
1024:Monarchy
918:Timeline
742:Archived
712:(2006).
548:See also
527:European
469:Governor
408:Arachchi
384:Karaiyar
376:Catholic
368:Portugal
350:in 1997.
286:lascarim
230:colonial
142:Infantry
1473:History
1381:Culture
1245:History
1170:Gampola
1111:in Pali
1096:Culture
1053:Society
968:History
950:Gampola
908:Outline
860:topics
542:Private
523:Captain
508:Command
502:parasol
492:Uniform
462:headmen
458:company
443:Kaffirs
360:Colombo
330:History
326:, etc.
294:English
266:Persian
262:Lashkar
254:Persian
178:Sinhala
46:Country
1598:Portal
1080:Durava
1070:Karava
952:&
764:
722:
675:
652:
627:
519:county
515:Korale
498:lances
400:Mudali
380:Karava
306:. The
299:Lascar
278:Askari
274:Arabic
258:Lascar
168:Lascar
130:Branch
121:
109:
97:
79:
67:
55:
38:Active
954:Kotte
923:Years
388:Nairs
372:Kotte
308:Dutch
290:Asian
256:word
197:Tamil
1388:Flag
762:ISBN
720:ISBN
673:ISBN
650:ISBN
625:ISBN
386:and
270:لشکر
138:Type
133:Army
525:in
296:as
284:or
1625::
1113:,
948:,
661:^
636:^
613:^
598:^
453:.
406:,
402:,
382:,
322:,
318:,
268::
203:,
199::
184:,
180::
1371:)
1367:(
1351:)
1347:(
862:→
855:←
844:e
837:t
830:v
728:.
517:(
264:(
214:,
194:,
176:(
170:.
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