Dossier HME/7/1 - Collection of Copies of Copper Plates

One bound volume

Large, bound volume containing rubbings of copper-plate Indian inscriptions. The front cover contains a label noting that the material belonged to Elliot, and an 'India Office Library' stamp. Other writing on the front with the dates 22nd April 1890 and August 1905, and the interior backing paper for the inscriptions which is watermarked 1858, would, however, suggest that the copper-plates were compiled posthumously.

The contents of the volume is a large number of copper-plate Indian inscriptions, some in Devanagari script, and others in South Indian scripts, possibly Tamil or Telugu - the languages are as yet undeciphered. Many of the inscriptions are copies of rectangular plates, all with circular hook-like shapes at their tops.

One note attached to two of the horizontal inscriptions states that they are copper-plate copies of Sasavanam (?), rewarding a grant by Tribhuvana Chakravarti in the temple of Thirupuvanam (Teruppuvanam) in the village of of Sivaganga, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu. Another note attached to a set of nine plates identifies them as again being Sasavanam(?) inscriptions at the same temple, Thirupuvanam, rewarding a grant to a village by Kulasekara Pandyan, a 13th-14th century king. The majority of plates in this volume do not, however, have English notes attached which identify them.

• anglais