331:
85:), usually record grants of land or lists of royal lineages carrying the royal seal, a profusion of which have been found in South India. Originally, texts were recorded on palm leaves, but when the records were legal documents such as title-deeds they were etched on a cave or temple wall, or more commonly, on copper plates which were then secreted in a safe place such as within the walls or foundation of a temple, or hidden in stone caches in fields. Plates could be used more than once, as when a canceled grant was overstruck with a new inscription. These records were probably in use from the first millennium.
169:, individually or collectively. The inscriptions followed a standard formula of identifying the royal donor and his lineage, followed by lengthy honorifics of his history, heroic deeds, and his extraordinary personal traits. After this would follow the details of the grant, including the occasion, the recipient, and the penalties involved if the provisions were disregarded or violated. Although the profusion of complimentary language can be misleading, the discovery of copper plate inscriptions have provided a wealth of material for historians.
346:
273:
89:
261:
50:
454:
62:
292:(implying repeated copying and recopying) or through oral transmission, making direct dating impossible. External chronological records and internal linguistic evidence, however, indicate that extant works were probably compiled sometime between the 4th century BCE and the 3rd century CE. Epigraphic attestation of Tamil begins with rock inscriptions from the 3rd century BCE, written in
40:
Donative inscriptions engraved on copper plates, often joined by a ring with the seal of the donor, were legal documents registering the act of endowment. It was probably necessary to produce them when required to prove ownership/ the claim to the rights. The retrievability of the copper plates was
883:
The 'Sasan' lands were granted to temples and members of certain castes such as
Brahmans ,Charans...They were for all practical purposes in perpetuity and were held rent free. Usually the ancient practice of issuing a copper plate, on which the conditions of grant, the names of the grantor and
1008:
Dating of Indian literature is largely based on relative dating relying on internal evidences with a few anchors. I. Mahadevan’s dating of
Pukalur inscription proves some of the Sangam verses. See George L. Hart, "Poems of Ancient Tamil, University of Berkeley Press, 1975,
211:
of villages, plots of cultivable lands or other privileges to private individuals or public institutions by the members of the various South Indian royal dynasties. The study of these inscriptions has been especially important in reconstructing the history of
232:
as they give us an insight into the social conditions of medieval South India; they also help us fill chronological gaps in the connected history of the ruling dynasties. For example, the Leyden grant (so called as they are preserved in the Museum of
996:
In southern states, every inscription of an early date and majority even of modern-day inscriptions were written in
Sanskrit...In the Tamil country, on the contrary, all the inscriptions belonging to an early period are written in Tamil with some
863:...medieval period in Mewar, about twelve percent of the land went into the hands of Brahmins and Charans. Their villages were now regarded as the tamba-patra (the State order issued on the copper plate) villages and were exempted from revenue...
283:
Unlike the neighbouring states where early inscriptions were written in
Sanskrit and Prakrit, the early inscriptions in Tamil Nadu used Tamil along with some Prakrit. Tamil has the extant literature amongst the
119:
and the
Kalawan copper-plate inscriptions (c. 1st century CE or earlier) are among the earliest known instances of copper plates being used for writing in the Indian subcontinent. However, these are not proper
131:
king
Ehuvala Chamtamula. The oldest known copper-plate charter from northern India is probably the Kalachala grant of Ishvararata, dated to the late fourth century on palaeographic basis.
1190:
567:
330:
158:
period have been found in North India. The use of copper plate inscriptions increased and for several centuries they remained the primary source of legal records.
96:
A group of nine inscribed copper plates has been identified by Shinde in 2014 as the oldest such objects in the Indian subcontinent. They date to the
636:
1215:
100:
era, and contain inscriptions up to 34 characters long. Place of origin unknown. They are thought to have been used for copper plate printing.
1173:
856:
744:
691:
345:
245:
are among the most important, although the most useful part, i.e., the genealogical section, of the latter's plates seems to have been lost.
761:
1086:
Iravatham
Mahadevan (2003). Early Tamil Epigraphy from the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. Cambridge, Harvard University Press.
41:
perhaps crucial in the newly settled lands. Detailed information on land tenures and taxation available from these copper plate grants.
1054:
804:
54:
898:
195:
552:
547:
493:
127:
The oldest known copper-plate charter from the Indian subcontinent is the
Patagandigudem inscription of the 3rd century CE
1225:
914:
820:
492:
Collections of archaeological texts from the copper-plates and rock-inscriptions have been compiled and published by the
1210:
370:
216:. The grants range in date from the 10th century C.E. to the mid 19th century C.E. A large number of them belong to the
172:
557:
288:, but dating the language and the literature precisely is difficult. Literary works in India were preserved either in
489:
and several other Indian languages). Because copper does not rust or decay, they can survive virtually indefinitely.
260:
272:
572:
878:
British
Paramountcy in Rajputana: A Case Study of Relation of the Sirohi State with the British, 1823-1905 A.D.
562:
433:, awarded by Bhaskara Ravi Varman I Perumal (962-1019 A.D.), is a Sasanam outlining the grant of rights of the
111:, is a precursor to the later copper-plate inscriptions. However, it is actually written on a small plaque of
1220:
392:
388:
321:
305:
542:
183:
658:
154:, which have been dated to 444 according to a 2004 Indian newspaper report. Rare copper plates from the
151:
289:
470:
462:
430:
380:
352:
336:
285:
249:
225:
116:
88:
66:
34:
530:
991:
1018:
George Hart, "Some
Related Literary Conventions in Tamil and Indo-Aryan and Their Significance"
771:
1195:
1169:
1163:
1066:
852:
800:
740:
732:
687:
681:
404:
78:
583:
648:
902:
420:
411:, the date of which has been determined with accuracy. It is engraved on copper plates in
176:
128:
97:
1044:
Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002)
985:
301:
70:
735:. In Alessandro Bausi; Christian Brockmann; Michael Friedrich; Sabine Kienitz (eds.).
304:, a work on poetics and grammar which describes the language of the classical period,
1204:
960:
895:
442:
400:
396:
317:
297:
108:
104:
940:"History and Culture of Tamil Nadu : As Gleaned from the Sanskrit Inscriptions"
49:
453:
293:
242:
155:
876:
846:
683:
The Archaeology of Early Historic South Asia: The Emergence of Cities and States
637:"A New Type of Inscribed Copper Plate from Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilisation"
438:
61:
918:
824:
434:
412:
213:
208:
766:
229:
217:
204:
179:
150:
words are used to describe land boundaries, are the Tumbula inscriptions of
987:
A comparative grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian family of languages
939:
526:
record that mentions famine relief efforts. It is one of the very few pre-
522:
The earliest known copper-plate, known as the Sohgaura copper-plate, is a
252:
Tamil Copper Plate Inscriptions at the Dharmeshwara Temple, Kondarahalli,
17:
486:
161:
Most copper plate inscriptions record title-deeds of land-grants made to
143:
962:
Epigraphia Carnatica: Volume IX: Inscriptions in the Bangalore District
577:
374:
373:, a lost set of copper plates awarded to Knai Thoma and his followers (
253:
238:
166:
147:
139:
135:
121:
653:
527:
523:
458:
424:
408:
234:
221:
162:
112:
134:
Some of the earliest authenticated copper plates were issued by the
324:) on copper plates, known as Cheppeds, or Royal Grants or Sasanam.
623:, The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300.
610:, The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300.
452:
416:
384:
175:
have a unique collection of about 3000 copper plates on which the
103:
The so-called Sohgaura copper-plate inscription, inscribed in the
92:
Copper plates. Mature Harappan period, 2600–1900 BC (Shinde, 2014)
87:
60:
48:
1191:
A new copper-plate grant of Harsavardhana from the Punjab, year 8
360:
Iravikorthan Sassanam, awarded by Shri Veera Raghava Perumal (in
1062:
965:. Mysore State, British India: Mysore Department of Archaeology
896:
Epigraphical lore of Tirupati published in Saptagiri magazine.
33:
are historical legal records engraved on copper plates in the
737:
Manuscripts and Archives: Comparative Views on Record-Keeping
415:
and signed by 25 witnesses. Names of fifteen of them are in
473:
are the royal records of grants engraved on copper-plates (
1147:
Thapar, Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryas,2014, pp. 10
915:"Nature and Importance of Indian Epigraphy - Chapter IV"
845:
Trikha, Madhav Hada Translated by Pradeep (2020-12-07).
733:"Indian Copper-Plate Grants: Inscriptions or Documents?"
316:
Between the eighth and tenth centuries, rulers on the
1033:
Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature
469:
One of the most important sources of history in the
320:
awarded various rights and privileges to Nazranies (
308:
between the 5th century BCE and the 2nd century CE.
146:. An example of early Sanskrit inscription in which
635:Shinde, Vasant; Willis, Rick J. (8 October 2014).
57:, the earliest known of its kind, 3rd century BCE
686:. Cambridge University Press. pp. 212–215.
568:History of metallurgy in the Indian subcontinent
884:grantee were engraved was given to the grantee.
124:, unlike the later copper-plate inscriptions.
138:dynasty kings in the 4th century, and are in
8:
718:
706:
821:"Nature and Importance of Indian Epigraphy"
799:. New York: Grove Press. pp. 155–157.
499:Approximate dimensions of copper plate is 9
407:. It is the first important inscription of
377:) sometime between the 4th and 9th century.
300:. The earliest extant literary text is the
107:, and is possibly from the 3rd century BCE
652:
1020:Journal of the American Oriental Society
596:
519:inch high × 1/10 (to 1/16) inch thick.
326:
247:
790:
788:
680:F. R. Allchin; George Erdosy (1995).
7:
612:Penguin Books, 2002. 295-96 and 339.
604:
602:
600:
437:and 72 other properietary rights to
1196:Vaisnavism in Upper Mahanadi Valley
1022:, 94:2 (Apr-Jun 1974), pp. 157-167.
383:, awarded in 849 CE by the King of
186:and his descendants are inscribed.
1125:(Malayalam), Volume I. p. 105-109.
241:) of Parantaka Chola and those of
25:
228:kings. These plates are valuable
55:Sohgaura copper plate inscription
1061:. UCLA International Institute,
770:. Chennai, India. Archived from
762:"Ancient inscriptions unearthed"
344:
329:
271:
259:
31:Indian copper plate inscriptions
387:, Ayyan Atikal Tiruvatikal, to
201:Tamil copper-plate inscriptions
196:Tamil copper-plate inscriptions
190:Tamil copper-plate inscriptions
1136:Orthodox Christianity in India
1123:History of the Marthoma Church
1059:The Language Materials Project
553:Jewish copper plates of Cochin
548:Laguna Copperplate Inscription
494:Archaeological Survey of India
399:in the 5th regnal year of the
1:
1216:Archaeological artefact types
990:. Trübner & co. pp.
959:Rice, Benjamin Lewis (1894).
361:
371:Thomas of Cana copper plates
173:Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
1138:. p. 85, 126, 127, 444-447.
1097:Syrian Christians of Kerala
760:N. Havalaiah (2004-01-24).
739:. De Gruyter. p. 389.
558:Quilon Syrian copper plates
1242:
193:
984:Caldwell, Robert (1875).
731:Emmanuel Francis (2018).
625:Penguin Books, 2002. 409.
573:South Indian Inscriptions
496:during the past century.
351:The inscription from the
296:, an adapted form of the
563:Thiruvalla copper plates
207:copper-plate records of
27:Historical legal records
1168:. Motilal Banarsidass.
533:inscriptions in India.
322:Saint Thomas Christians
312:Copper plates of Kerala
243:Parakesari Uttama Chola
1031:Kamil Veith Zvelebil,
543:Early Indian epigraphy
466:
465:copper plate of 949 CE
184:Tallapaka Annamacharya
115:(a copper alloy). The
93:
74:
58:
1162:D. C. Sircar (1996).
875:Kumar, Vijay (1991).
456:
381:Tharissapalli Chepped
290:palm leaf manuscripts
152:Western Ganga Dynasty
91:
64:
52:
1226:Archaeology of India
1108:A. Sreedhara Menon.
1211:Indian inscriptions
1134:Cheriyan, Dr. C.V.
795:Keay, John (2000).
471:Indian subcontinent
463:Harsola copperplate
431:Jewish Copper Plate
337:Tharisapalli plates
286:Dravidian languages
69:, 1st century BCE (
67:Taxila copper plate
35:Indian subcontinent
901:2003-02-16 at the
851:. Vani Prakashan.
467:
94:
75:
59:
1175:978-81-208-1166-9
1099:(1970). p. 32-33.
858:978-93-89915-90-7
746:978-3-11-054139-7
719:D. C. Sircar 1996
707:D. C. Sircar 1996
693:978-0-521-37695-2
405:Sthanu Ravi Varma
393:Syrian Christians
16:(Redirected from
1233:
1179:
1165:Indian Epigraphy
1148:
1145:
1139:
1132:
1126:
1119:
1113:
1106:
1100:
1093:
1087:
1084:
1078:
1077:
1075:
1074:
1065:. Archived from
1051:
1045:
1042:
1036:
1029:
1023:
1016:
1010:
1006:
1000:
999:
981:
975:
974:
972:
970:
956:
950:
949:
947:
946:
936:
930:
929:
927:
926:
917:. Archived from
911:
905:
893:
887:
886:
881:Books Treasure.
872:
866:
865:
842:
836:
835:
833:
832:
823:. Archived from
817:
811:
810:
797:India: A History
792:
783:
782:
780:
779:
757:
751:
750:
728:
722:
716:
710:
704:
698:
697:
677:
671:
670:
668:
666:
657:. Archived from
656:
654:10.5334/aa.12317
632:
626:
619:
613:
606:
518:
517:
513:
508:
507:
503:
485:means copper in
391:, the leader of
366:
363:
348:
333:
275:
266:Plate 1 and Back
263:
21:
1241:
1240:
1236:
1235:
1234:
1232:
1231:
1230:
1201:
1200:
1187:
1182:
1176:
1161:
1157:
1152:
1151:
1146:
1142:
1133:
1129:
1120:
1116:
1107:
1103:
1094:
1090:
1085:
1081:
1072:
1070:
1053:
1052:
1048:
1043:
1039:
1030:
1026:
1017:
1013:
1007:
1003:
983:
982:
978:
968:
966:
958:
957:
953:
944:
942:
938:
937:
933:
924:
922:
913:
912:
908:
903:Wayback Machine
894:
890:
874:
873:
869:
859:
844:
843:
839:
830:
828:
819:
818:
814:
807:
794:
793:
786:
777:
775:
759:
758:
754:
747:
730:
729:
725:
717:
713:
705:
701:
694:
679:
678:
674:
664:
662:
661:on 21 July 2018
634:
633:
629:
620:
616:
607:
598:
593:
539:
515:
511:
510:
505:
501:
500:
457:Paramara ruler
451:
385:Venadu (Quilon)
364:
355:
349:
340:
334:
314:
306:dated variously
279:
276:
267:
264:
198:
192:
129:Andhra Ikshvaku
98:Mature Harappan
81:inscriptions (
47:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1239:
1237:
1229:
1228:
1223:
1221:Copper objects
1218:
1213:
1203:
1202:
1199:
1198:
1193:
1186:
1185:External links
1183:
1181:
1180:
1174:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1150:
1149:
1140:
1127:
1114:
1112:(1999). p.54.
1110:Kerala History
1101:
1088:
1079:
1046:
1037:
1024:
1011:
1001:
976:
951:
931:
906:
888:
867:
857:
848:Meera Vs Meera
837:
812:
805:
784:
752:
745:
723:
721:, p. 107.
711:
699:
692:
672:
627:
621:Thapar, Romila
614:
608:Thapar, Romila
595:
594:
592:
589:
588:
587:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
538:
535:
450:
447:
446:
445:
443:Ousepp Irabban
428:
423:, and four in
378:
368:
357:
356:
350:
343:
341:
335:
328:
313:
310:
281:
280:
277:
270:
268:
265:
258:
256:
230:epigraphically
194:Main article:
191:
188:
71:British Museum
46:
43:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1238:
1227:
1224:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1214:
1212:
1209:
1208:
1206:
1197:
1194:
1192:
1189:
1188:
1184:
1177:
1171:
1167:
1166:
1160:
1159:
1154:
1144:
1141:
1137:
1131:
1128:
1124:
1118:
1115:
1111:
1105:
1102:
1098:
1092:
1089:
1083:
1080:
1069:on 2007-10-11
1068:
1064:
1060:
1056:
1050:
1047:
1041:
1038:
1034:
1028:
1025:
1021:
1015:
1012:
1005:
1002:
998:
993:
989:
988:
980:
977:
964:
963:
955:
952:
941:
935:
932:
921:on 2007-09-28
920:
916:
910:
907:
904:
900:
897:
892:
889:
885:
880:
879:
871:
868:
864:
860:
854:
850:
849:
841:
838:
827:on 2007-09-28
826:
822:
816:
813:
808:
806:0-8021-3797-0
802:
798:
791:
789:
785:
774:on 2004-02-18
773:
769:
768:
763:
756:
753:
748:
742:
738:
734:
727:
724:
720:
715:
712:
709:, p. 79.
708:
703:
700:
695:
689:
685:
684:
676:
673:
660:
655:
650:
646:
642:
638:
631:
628:
624:
618:
615:
611:
605:
603:
601:
597:
590:
586:
585:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
540:
536:
534:
532:
529:
525:
520:
509:inch long × 3
497:
495:
490:
488:
484:
480:
476:
472:
464:
460:
455:
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
429:
426:
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
398:
397:Malabar Coast
394:
390:
386:
382:
379:
376:
372:
369:
365: 774 CE
359:
358:
354:
347:
342:
338:
332:
327:
325:
323:
319:
318:Malabar Coast
311:
309:
307:
303:
299:
298:Brahmi script
295:
291:
287:
274:
269:
262:
257:
255:
251:
248:
246:
244:
240:
236:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
210:
206:
202:
197:
189:
187:
185:
181:
178:
174:
170:
168:
164:
159:
157:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
132:
130:
125:
123:
118:
114:
110:
109:Maurya Empire
106:
105:Brahmi script
101:
99:
90:
86:
84:
83:tamarashasana
80:
72:
68:
63:
56:
51:
44:
42:
38:
36:
32:
19:
1164:
1155:Bibliography
1143:
1135:
1130:
1122:
1121:N.M. Mathew
1117:
1109:
1104:
1096:
1091:
1082:
1071:. Retrieved
1067:the original
1058:
1049:
1040:
1032:
1027:
1019:
1014:
1004:
995:
986:
979:
967:. Retrieved
961:
954:
943:. Retrieved
934:
923:. Retrieved
919:the original
909:
891:
882:
877:
870:
862:
847:
840:
829:. Retrieved
825:the original
815:
796:
776:. Retrieved
772:the original
765:
755:
736:
726:
714:
702:
682:
675:
663:. Retrieved
659:the original
644:
641:Ancient Asia
640:
630:
622:
617:
609:
582:
521:
498:
491:
482:
478:
475:tamra-shasan
474:
468:
439:local Jewish
315:
294:Tamil-Brahmi
282:
200:
199:
171:
160:
133:
126:
102:
95:
82:
79:copper plate
76:
39:
30:
29:
1095:SG Pothen.
665:5 September
479:tamra-patra
302:Tolkāppiyam
226:Vijayanagar
1205:Categories
1073:2007-03-25
945:2007-03-14
925:2007-03-14
831:2007-03-16
778:2006-11-25
591:References
435:Anjuvannam
413:vatteluttu
389:Sapir Isho
250:Vijaynagar
214:Tamil Nadu
180:Sankirtans
18:Tamrapatra
767:The Hindu
419:, ten in
339:of 849 CE
218:Chalukyas
167:Brahmanas
969:5 August
899:Archived
584:Lōmāfānu
537:See also
487:Sanskrit
224:and the
205:engraved
163:Charanas
144:Sanskrit
122:charters
1055:"Tamil"
997:Prakrit
578:Stambha
514:⁄
504:⁄
421:Pahlavi
375:Knanaya
353:Sasanam
278:Plate 2
254:Hoskote
239:Holland
148:Kannada
140:Prakrit
136:Pallava
77:Indian
45:History
1172:
1035:, pp12
855:
803:
743:
690:
531:Brahmi
528:Ashoka
524:Maurya
459:Siyaka
449:Grants
441:Chief
425:Hebrew
409:Kerala
403:ruler
235:Leyden
222:Cholas
220:, the
209:grants
177:Telugu
117:Taxila
113:bronze
1009:p.7-8
483:tamra
417:Kufic
401:Chera
156:Gupta
1170:ISBN
1063:UCLA
971:2015
853:ISBN
801:ISBN
741:ISBN
688:ISBN
667:2019
203:are
165:and
142:and
65:The
53:The
649:doi
477:or
461:'s
395:in
237:in
182:of
1207::
1057:.
994:.
992:88
861:.
787:^
764:.
647:.
643:.
639:.
599:^
481:;
362:c.
73:).
37:.
1178:.
1076:.
973:.
948:.
928:.
834:.
809:.
781:.
749:.
696:.
669:.
651::
645:5
516:4
512:1
506:4
502:3
427:.
367:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
