The Pandyan Kingdom from the Earliest Times to the Sixteenth Century c5.s1.9

c5.s1.9

The archæological evidence bearing on the subject of our study is very extensive. Epigraphy is the most fruitful source of ancient history. In the variety, wealth and occasional length of both its stone and copper inscriptions, South India is remarkably fortunate. The number of Pāndyan records registered in the Epigraphical reports of Madras and Travancore are now a few thousands; but not many of these can be referred to dates prior to A.D. 1000. There are no doubt many more still awaiting discovery and registration. It may be noted in passing that, since the rejection by government of Dr. Hultzsch's suggestion to prohibit the renovation of temples till the inscriptions in them have been copied, ‘a more vigorous attempt had to be made to secure impressions of the inscriptions thus threatened with destruction.’¹ ‘It was the practice in ancient times, whenever a temple had to be rebuilt, to copy the lithic records found on its walls into a book and then re-engrave them again on the new walls’² and it would be well if this practice were followed by the renovators of temples in our own day.