Indian Epigraphy c9.t9.2

c9.t9.2

Official charters, especially grants made by kings and subordinate rulers (called tāmra-patra, tāmra-śāsana, tāmra, etc.) were generally engraved on copper plates which served the donees as title-deeds. Fa-hien's statement⁵ that, about 400 A.D., Buddhist monasteries in India possessed copper-plate grants some of which dated from the Buddha's time may not be trustworthy; but the practice of issuing copper-plate grants is certainly very old.⁶