Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s2.t1.38
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s2.t1.38
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c20.s2.t1.38
The two cave inscriptions of Neṭuñceḻiyaṉ at Mangulam are the oldest historical records in Tamil discovered so far.⁸ Their archaic linguistic and palaeographic features indicate a date around the 2nd century B.C. The inscriptions record the gift of a monastery to Nanta-siri Kuvaṉ, a senior Jaina monk. These are the earliest known Jaina inscriptions of South India and among the oldest of the kind in the country.