{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 15,
  "chapterName": "849. The Copper Plates",
  "pageFrom": 10,
  "pageTo": 12,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 10,
      "ocrText": "10\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n14. ISIDORE OF SEVILLE ON EASTERN GEOGRAPHY AND\nBARTHOLOMEW'S MISSION IN INDIA (c. 638 A.D.)\nIsidore's writings reveal the extent of European knowledge about\nIndia in the seventh century A.D. and the tradition that the Apostle\nBartholomew came to India. He also is familiar with the tradition\nof St. Thomas' martyrdom in India. Extract from Etymol. Liber.\n14.3.5-6. Patrologia Latina, 82.497. Translation cited in A. С.\nPerumalil, The Apostles in India, p. 37.\nIndia derives its name from the river Indus, by which it is\nenclosed on the West. It stretches out from the southern area to\nthe rising of the sun, and it extends on the North as far as the\nCaucasus mountain. It has many nations, towns and also the\nisland of Taprobane which is filled with elephants. It has (the\nislands of) Chryse and Argyra which are rich in gold and silver,\nand also (the island of) Tyle which is never wanting in foliage. It\nhas both rivers Ganges and Indus and Hyphasis which make the\nIndian famous.\nEtymol. Liber., 14.3.15. Patrologia Latina, 82.498. Cited in A. C.\nPerumalil, The Apostles in India, p. 44.\nThis Thomas preached the Gospel of Christ to the Parthians,\nthe Medes, the Persians, the Hyrcanians and the Bactrians, and\nto the Indians of the Oriental region and penetrating the innermost\nregions and sealing his preaching by his passion he died transfixed\nwith a lance at Calamina, a city of India, and there was buried with\nhonour.\nDe Ortu et Obitu Patrum, 74.132. Patrologia Latina, 83.152. Cited in\nA. C. Perumalil, The Apostles in India, p. 65.\nBartholomew the Apostle. translated the Gospel of Matthew\namong the Indians into their own language. Finally he was flayed\nalive by cruel and barbarous people in Albano, a city of Major\nArmenia; and so he is buried there.\n15. THE COPPER PLATES (849 A.D.)\nGrants made by Ayyanadikal, King of Venad, to the new church\nat Quilon (built by Marwan Sabriso) in 849 A.D. were inscribed on\ntwo sets of copper plates, known as the Tarisapalli copper plates.\nThese are mostly written in Tamil-Malayalam, but two plates are\nin Pahlavi and Arabić. Of the two sets, the first consists of three\nplates. One of these is in the custody of the Orthodox Church, another\nis in the custody of the Mar Thoma Church, and the third is lost. A\ntranslation is found in Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai, Studies in Kerala\nHistory, pp. 371-373. Both sets, constituting the earliest details con-\ncerning the Christian community in India from India itself, provide\nvaluable information concerning the high social position enjoyed\nby Christians in that part of India at that time.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 11,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n11\nHail Prosperity! This is the 5th regnal year of King Sthanu\nRavi who has many hundreds of thousands of years to rule, vanqui-\nshing his enemies. In this year Ayyanadikal Tiruvadi, ruler of\nVenad, in consultation with his officers, ministers, the representa-\ntives of the Anjuvannam and Manigramam, and the chief of\nPunnathala, granted this Viduperu to the Tarisappally built by\nEso da Tapir at Kurakkeni Kollam. Four families of Ezhavas,\nin which there are eight toddy tappers (the total numbering twelve)\nand one family of washermen should be exempted from the payment\nof taxes on profession, tax on thatching houses, aids for wearing\nornaments and for performing marriages, Iravuchoru (forced tax\nin times of famine) and the sales tax on oil at the rate of one nazhi\nper kudam (pot). The rights of Varakkol, Kappam and Pancha-\nkandi previously granted to the church are granted by me also.\nAll taxes to be paid by these four Ezhava families and one washer-\nman family are hereby granted, by deed engraved on copper plate,\nto the Tarisapally. The Ezhavas are permitted to take their carts\ninside the fort and the bazaar for trading purposes. The washerman\nis also permitted to carry on his profession within the bazaar and the\nfort. The Police officer, the Fort officer, and any other government\nofficial shall not prevent them on any account. The church shall\nenquire into any crime committed by these people. These rights\ngranted as Attiperu by this copper plate shall be enjoyed so long as\nthe earth, moon and the sun last. Ayyanadikal Tiruvadi made this\ngrant to the Tarisappalli through the efforts of Maruvan Sapir Eso.\nChrist will bless those who protect this grant. Signed Ayyan.\nWitnesses: Velkula Sundaran. Vijaya..\nThe second set consists of four plates, of which three are in the custody\nof the Orthodox Church and one is in the custody of the Mar Thoma\nChurch. A translation is given in Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai, Studies in\nKerala History, pp. 373-375. Cited in C. V. Cheriyan, A History of\nChristianity in Kerala, pp. 112-115.\nTwo families... four families of Vellalas and one family of\nwood cutters shall cultivate the land. They all shall cultivate the\nland of the Tevar (Christ) and supply to the church without fail oil\nand other necessaries. This land was granted to the Tarisappally\nthrough Maruvan Sapir Eso who founded this merchant guild.\nThe boundaries of this land are fixed in the presence of and in\nconsultation with the Koyiladhikari Vijayaraga Tevar, Ayyanadikal\nTiruvadi, Rama Tiruvadi (the crown-prince), ministers, officers, the\nSix Hundred, the chief of Punnathala and the chief of Polai family.\nThe boundaries are marked by walking a she-elephant with earth\nand water around the property. The eastern limit of the land is\nVayalkad, including the lake, the south-east ast boundary is the Chiru-\nvatilkal wall and the ocean in the west Toranathottam is the northern\nlimit and Andilanthottam of Punnathala is the north-eastern\nboundary. The land within these boundaries is granted perman-",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 12,
      "ocrText": "12\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nand others\nnently so long as the earth, moon and the sun exist, after consulting\nAyyanadikal Tiruvadi, Rama Tiruvadi and the Koyiladhikari.\nThe church alone shall collect taxes on professions. Our officers.\nshall not go. The church and the land shall be\nprotected by the Anjuvannam and the Manigramam. The Anju-\nvannam and Manigramam are bound to act according to instruc-\ntions contained in the copper plates so long as the earth, moon\nand the sun exist. This is granted as Viduperu to the Tarisapally\nin the presence of Vijayaraga Tevar, the Koyiladhikari, Ayyanadikal\nTiruvadi and Rama Tiruvadi. Tax of 1/60 shall not be collected\nwhen goods are brought in. No tax shall be collected on sale of\ngoods. Slave tax shall not be imposed on the slaves bought by the\nchurch. A tax of 8 Kasu can be collected from vehicles when they\ncome as well as when they go; 4 Kasu can be collected from the\nboats when they come and go. Tax on taxable commodities shall\nbe determined in the presence of the church representatives. When\nprices are fixed as well as when any matter relating to the King is\ndecided, representatives of the church must be consulted. Daily\ntax collection shall be kept sealed by the Anjuvannam and the\nManigramam. If the land within these four boundaries granted\nto the church is given Karabmai, the King's share of 1/10 shall be\npaid to the general treasury and the share of 1/10 to the chieftain\nshall be collected by the Anjuvannam and the Manigramam.\nSeventy-two privileges (usually granted to high dignitaries) carry--\ning earth and water on the back of the elephant on marriage occa-\nsions and others are granted to the church as Viduperu, in the pre-\nsence of the Koyiladhikarikal Vijayaraga Tevar, and with the consent\nof Ayyanadikal Tiruvadi, Rama Tiruvadi, ministers, officers, the Six\nHundred and the chiefs of Punnathala and Polakudi. These\nprivileges mentioned in the copper plate grant shall be enjoyed\npermanently so long as the earth, moon and the sun last. If the\nchurch has any complaint, the Anjuvannam and the Manigramam\nshall even suspend the payment of tolls, customs duties and sales.\ntaxes, and settle the complaint. If the Anjuvannam and Mani-\ngramam which are entrusted with the protection of this guild\ncommit any crime it shall be remedied by themselves. Both of\nthem shall jointly act which alone shall be binding. Sapir Eso\nwho founded this guild and who became its owner shall keep the\nVarakkol and Panchakandi already received by the church. He\nshall weigh the articles and the church shall be given the weighing.\ncharges. This right is also granted by me permanently so long as\nthe earth, sun and moon last, to be enjoyed by succeeding:\ngenerations...",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}