Indian Epigraphy c8.s2.t1.10

c8.s2.t1.10

The copper-plate charters of the early Coḷa kings are generally written partly in Sanskrit and partly in Tamil like the second group of Pallava grants referred to above. Mention may be made in this connection of the larger Leiden plates¹ of Rājarāja I (985-1016 A.D.), the Tiruvalangadu plates² of Rajendra-coḷa I (1012-43 A.D.) and the Anbil plates³ (c. 960 A.D.) of Sundara-coḷa. But the Tirukkalar copper-plate grant⁴ of Rājendra-coḷa I is written in Tamil and so are the Tirukkalar plates of Rājadhirāja I, Kulottuṅga I, Rājarāja II and Kulottuṅga III written in Tamil only.⁵ The Tirunelveli plate⁶ (1021 A.D.) of Bhāskara Ravivarman of Kerala is written in the Tamil language and the Vaṭṭeḻuttu script excepting the passage Oṃ namo Nārāyaṇāya namaḥ at the end, which is in the Sanskrit language and in the triangle-headed North Indian alphabet. The smaller Leiden plates⁷ of Kulottuṅga I (1070-1120 A.D.) are also written completely in Tamil. Thus Tamil was more frequently used alone in Coḷa official charters from the 11th century A. D. Early Pāṇḍya charters are written in Sanskrit and Tamil; but, unlike the Pallava and Coḷa grants, the Tamil part is written in the Vaṭṭeḻuttu alphabet instead of the Tamil script.⁸ Later Pāṇḍya documents, such as the copper-plate grant⁹ of Vira-pāṇḍya, dated Śaka 1392 (1470 A.D.), are, however, written in Tamil.