The copper chronicles that detail the reign and deeds of Rajendra Chola I

The Hindu

2 days ago

Rajendra Chola I, the illustrious son of Raja Raja Chola I, expanded the frontiers of the Chola empire beyond the Indian subcontinent. Not only military conquests across South and Southeast Asia but also generous land grants and temple patronage marked his reign (1012-1044 CE). Among the most valuable records from Rajendra Chola's time are four sets of copper plate inscriptions discovered at different locations across Tamil Nadu. These inscriptions shed light on Chola lineage, temple endowments, and military expeditions. The books, Sozhar Ceppedugal by Ve. Mahadevan and Ka. Sankaranarayanan (Tamil University, Thanjavur) and Sozhar Kaala Ceppedugal by former IAS officer M. Rajendran (Akani Publishers), provide insights into copper plate inscriptions of various Chola kings, especially Rajendra Chola.
Tiruvalangadu Plates
The Tiruvalangadu Copper Plates were first mentioned in the Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for 1903-04. A detailed account appeared in the Madras Epigraphical Report of 1916. The plates were later published in Volume III of South Indian Inscriptions by epigraphist Rao Bahadur H. Krishna Sastri. This set comprised 31 copper plates, with the first 10 inscribed in Sanskrit and the remaining 21 in Tamil. The inscription was divided into three parts: the Sanskrit section, the first Tamil section, and the second Tamil section. According to epigraphist V. Venkayya, the Tamil parts were considered earlier, with the Sanskrit section possibly added later. The second Tamil section referred to the sixth regnal year of Rajendra Chola I, placing it around 1018 CE.
The plates were linked together by a circular copper seal with royal emblems, including two fly-whisks on either side of a royal parasol, a tiger (the Chola emblem), two fishes (the Pandya emblem), a bow (the Chera emblem), a boar (the Chalukya emblem), a Swastik, and two lamps. Weighing 93.05 kilograms, these plates recorded the royal order of Rajendra Chola gifting Palaiyanur village to the Tiruvalangadu Shiva temple (in Tiruvallur district).
The Sanskrit section, with 271 lines, traced the Chola genealogy in a mythological lineage starting from the Sun. The Tamil section contained 524 lines, of which 145 lines described the royal order, 281 lines described the boundaries of the land grants, and 98 lines outlined the tax exemptions and other privileges.
Karanthai Plates
The Karanthai Copper Plates were discovered in a field at Puthur village near Ammapettai in Papanasam taluk of Thanjavur district. Initially referred to as the Puthur Copper Plates, they were renamed after being preserved by the Karanthai Tamil Sangam at Karunthattankudi, near Thanjavur, in the late 1940s. They had reportedly been discovered six decades earlier on land belonging to Sevu Pandiyan. The Karanthai Tamil Sangam acquired the plates with assistance from a local development officer.
The set comprised 57 copper plates, weighing 111.73 kilograms, linked by two large copper rings, one of which was broken. The remaining ring bore the royal seal featuring the emblems of the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Cheras, and the Chalukyas, along with lamps, the royal parasol, and fly-whisks. Scholars identified three distinct sections, likely composed at different stages. The first section, written in Sanskrit and numbered continuously, appeared to have been compiled later. The second section, consisting of 22 plates inscribed in Tamil with 1,042 lines, detailed a major land donation. The third section, also in Tamil, comprised 32 plates and 1,456 lines, recording information about temples and listing land grants to 1,080 Brahmins. Several of the 54 Tamil plates bore the word 'Thiribu', referencing the gifted village — Thiribhuvana Mahadevi Chaturvedimangalam — named in honour of Rajendra Chola's mother. The plates were issued in 1020 CE (his eighth regnal year).
Tirukkalar Plates
The Tirukkalar Copper Plates were discovered at the Parijathavaneswarar Temple at Tirukkalar, a village nearly 20 kilometres southeast of Mannargudi, in Tiruvarur district. The temple yielded a set of five copper plates inscribed in Tamil and 23 stone inscriptions, all from the Chola period. The five plates, weighing 6.59 kilograms, were linked by a copper ring. The earliest among them was dated to around 1030 CE (the 18th regnal year of Rajendra Chola).
These plates detailed a land grant made to the Mahadevar Temple at Tirukkalar, which was part of the 'Purangkaranbai Nadu' in the 'Arulmozhi Deva Valanadu'. Of the 30 lines inscribed on the plate, 28 narrated the king's genealogy and achievements, while the final two lines detailed the land donation.
Esalam Plates
The Esalam Copper Plates were discovered at Esalam near Tindivanam on July 11, 1987, during the renovation of a Shiva temple. The finds included 15 copper plates, several bronze icons, and ritual objects. Esalam was the first site where all three types of historical artefacts were unearthed together. A similar triad was later found at Tiruindalur (in Mayiladuthurai district) in 2010.
R. Nagasamy, then Director of the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, studied the plates and confirmed that they belonged to the reign of Rajendra Chola. They were dated to 1036 CE (his 24th regnal year). Among the bronze icons was a statue of Sarva Siva Pandithar, believed to be Rajendra Chola's guru.
These plates, engraved on both sides, were bound by a copper ring with a seal bearing the emblems of the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Cheras, and the Chalukyas, along with lamps, the royal parasol, and fly-whisks. The plates contained 424 lines: 80 in Sanskrit and 344 in Tamil. The inscriptions opened with Rajendra Chola's genealogy in Sanskrit. The Tamil portion detailed his land grants to the temple built by Sarva Siva Pandithar and listed the regions conquered during his reign. His 'meikeerthi' (royal eulogy) said the famous Vidyadhara Torana was brought from Kadaram (Kedah in Malaysia) and was depicted on the seal of this set of copper plates.