Indian Epigraphy c8.s2.t4.1

c8.s2.t4.1

Tamil was exclusively the epigraphic language of the Malayāḷam-speaking area till the 14th century A.D. and inscriptions in Tamil were engraved in that region in the Vaṭṭeḻuttu alphabet. But Malayāḷam influence is noticed in a few records of the 13th century such as the Suchindram inscription of the Kollam year 403 (1228-29 A.D.).¹ One of the earliest epigraphs in the Malayāḷam language is the Attingal inscription² of 1452 A.D. written in Vaṭṭeḻuttu characters. Another 15th century epigraph in that language is the Tonnal inscription³ of 1474 A.D., only the first two lines of which are in Sanskrit written in Grantha. Of the 16th century epigraphs in the Malayāḷam language, mention may be made of the Tripunitura inscription⁴ of 1584 A.D. Out of later records, we may refer to the Parur inscriptions⁵ of 1624 A. D., Manambur inscription⁶ of 1635 A. D., Vettikkavila inscription⁶ of 1648 A. D. and Verapoli copper-plate grants⁷ of 1718, 1760 and 1780 A.D.