The Pandyan Kingdom from the Earliest Times to the Sixteenth Century c8.13

c8.13

Before taking up the chronology of the period for discussion, something must be said about the smaller Śinnamanūr and the Madras Museum plates. These two sets are engraved by apparently the same scribe and this justifies the assumption that the records must be assigned to the same reign, especially as the writing in the smaller Śinnamanūr inscription is held to resemble that of the Madras Museum plates of Jaṭilavarman.¹ But these considerations are not as conclusive as one would wish. It must be noticed that while the smaller Sinnamanūr plates make Arikēsari the son of Jayantavarman, the Vēḷvikkuḍi grant is not so specific in the Tamil portion and indicates the relation between Arikēsari and Sēndan by the vague phrase ‘மற்றவர்க்குப் பழிப்பின்றி வழித்தோன்றி’,² and the Sanskrit portion of the Vēḷvikkuḍi grant gives no help here as it begins only with Arikēsari. After some discussion, it has become clear that the Madras Museum plates of Jaṭilavarman too must be ascribed to Parāntaka Neḍunjaḍayan of the Vēḷvikkuḍi grant. Palæographical considerations which were once held very strongly to militate against such a view have not stood the test of further criticism.¹ On the other hand, several weighty considerations can be urged in support of the view now taken of this grant. *First* several surnames of the ruling king occur in both