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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox artifact
| name = Periyapattinam Jewish Inscription
| image = File:Periyapattinam Jewish Inscription.jpg
| image_caption =
| writing = [[Tamil Script]]
| created = c. 1200-1250 AD
| material = Stone
| language = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
| symbols =
| discovered_place = Valantaravai
| image_size = 200px
}}
'''Periyapattinam Jewish Inscription''' (''c.''13th century AD), also '''Valantaravai inscription,''' is a medieval merchant guild inscription discovered from near Valantaravai''',''' [[Ramanathapuram]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] in [[South India|southern India]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=13 July 2022 |title=Stone Pillar with Inscription on Jewish Trade Links Found Near Ramanathapuram |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/jul/13/stone-pillar-with-inscription-on-jewish-trade-links-found-near-ramanathapuram-2476057.html}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Sivarajah |first=Padmini |date=13 July 2022 |title=Stone Inscription of Oldest Synagogue in Tamil Nadu Found |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/stone-inscription-of-oldest-synagogue-in-tamil-nadu-found/articleshow/92837874.cms}}</ref> The record was originally installed on the [[Periyapattinam]] beach.<ref name=":1" />

The epigraph mentions details of the land donated to certain 'Cutapalli' ('[[Jewish Synagogue|the Jewish Synagogue]]') at [[Periyapattinam]].<ref name=":0" /> It is one of the rare records mentioning early [[Judaism|Jewish]], [[Christianity|Christian]] and [[Islam|Muslim]] presence in southern India.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Reich |first=Aaron |date=14 July 2022 |title=Stone in Tamil Nadu May Shed Light on India's Oldest Synagogue, Jews |work=The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-712099}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> and dates to the period of ascendancy of the [[Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu|Ainnutruvar or Ayyavole Five Hundred]] merchant guild in south India (incorporating [[Manigiramam|manigramam]] and [[anjuvannam]]).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Subbarayalu |first=Y. |date=2015 |title=Trade Guilds of South India up to the Tenth Century |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2348448915574403 |journal=Studies in People's History |language= |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=24–25 |doi= 10.1177/2348448915574403|issn=|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The settlement of 'Peryapatnam' is traditionally listed as one of the first Jewish settlements in southern India.<ref name=":3" /> An undated [[Hebrew language]] inscription was previously found at [[Periyapattinam]].<ref name=":0" /> The Valantaravai record incidentally mentions certain "tarisapalli" or the Christian church (similar to the [[Quilon Syrian copper plates]] from Kerala).<ref name=":0" /> A <bdi>tombstone with</bdi> <bdi>a Hebrew inscription was found in an unused well in a coconut farm near Periyapattinam in 2024.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=2024 |title=Ancient Tombstone with Hebrew Inscriptions Found in Tamil Nadu |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2024/Jul/08/ancient-tombstone-with-hebrew-inscriptions-found-in-tamil-nadu |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref> The marker is dated in multiple eras (including [[Shevat|Shvat]] 1536/1537 of the [[Seleucid era]], corresponding to 1224/1225 AD).<ref name=":4" /></bdi><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jovial |first=Nirmal |date=2024 |title=Ancient Tombstone with Hebrew Inscriptions Found in TN's Ramanathapuram, May Shed Light on a Long Forgotten Jewish Community in India |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2024/07/05/ancient-tombstone-with-hebrew-inscriptions-found-in-tns-ramanathapuram-may-shed-light-on-a-long-forgotten-jewish-community-in-india.html |work=The Week Magazine}}</ref>

== Material and contents ==
[[File:Periyapattinam, Ramanathapuram District.jpg|thumb|Periyapattinam|305x305px]]
The record is inscribed on the four sides of a stone pillar (3 feet x 1 foot) in [[Tamil language]] (21+14+15+[...]). The characters on the last side are illegible.<ref name=":0" /> The inscription (undated) can be paleographically dated to ''c.'' 1200-1250 AD.<ref name=":0" /> The stone pillar (bearing the inscription) was originally situated on the [[Periyapattinam]] beach.<ref name=":1" />

The inscription begins with the traditional invocation 'Swasti Sri' ('Hail Prosperity').<ref name=":0" /> It mentions details of the land donated to certain 'Cutapalli' ('[[Jewish Synagogue|the Jewish Synagogue]]') alias '[[Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu|Ainnutruvar]] Perumpalli' ('the Great Synagogue of the [[Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu|Ainnutruvar]] Merchant Guild').<ref name=":0" />

The boundaries of the land or plot donated to the synagogue in [[Periyapattinam]] are also described.

* On the eastern border — 'Valaiceri' and the 'Mutucku Vali'<ref name=":0" />

* On the southern border — the 'garden lands' of Tirumutuccolacilai Cettiyar, 'Patinenpumi' (the Eighteen Countries) Ceyapalan and Kuttan Tevanar.<ref name=":0" />
* On the western border —
*# 'Nalunattani' (the Nanadesi) Conaccanti<ref name=":0" />
*# Sri-cola-perunteru (street)<ref name=":0" />
*# Wall or matil of the tarisapalli (the Christian church)<ref name=":0" />
*# The pilarppalli (the Muslim mosque<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 July 2022 |title=Tamil Nadu Discovers One Of Oldest Synagogue |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/travel/tamil-nadu-discovers-one-of-oldest-synagogue-news-209479 |website=Outlook Magazine}}</ref>)
*# The southern wall of the tarisapalli<ref name=":0" />

== Discovery and context ==
The record was discovered by P. Satish, analysed by V. Rajaguru, president, Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation,<ref name=":0" /> and deciphered by epigraphist S. Rajagopal.<ref name=":1" /> The stones from the [[Periyapattinam]] beach were brought to Valantaravai in the 1940s to construct sidewall of a well.<ref name=":1" /> The stone was being used for washing cloths at the time of the discovery (2022).<ref name=":1" />

=== Context ===
The settlement of 'Peryapatnam', along with 'Madayi' (in northern [[Kerala]]) and 'Cherigandaram' (unidentified), was listed as one of the first Jewish settlements on the [[Malabar Coast]] [sic] by Mosseh Pereyra De Paiva, a Portuguese Jewish trader from Amsterdam, in 1686, based on information he received from his interlocutors at [[Cochin]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Gamliel |first=Ophira |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781802701715/html?lang=en&srsltid=AfmBOorK5jlGIHTfhle-ICI6iStSFtsYyDyDyc7jIkScAvmtbLrq1TiE |title=Judaism in South India, 849–1489: Relocating Malabar Jewry |date=2023 |publisher=ARC Humanities Press |isbn=9781802701715 |pages=119 |language=en |doi=10.1515/9781802701715}}</ref> The 'Peryapatnam' of the Jewish traditions was previously identified with [[Pattanam]] near Cranganore.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jussay |first=P. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a7ZtAAAAMAAJ |title=The Jews of Kerala |date=2005 |publisher=Publication Division, University of Calicut|isbn=978-81-7748-091-7 }}</ref>

An undated [[Hebrew language]] inscription was previously found on a gravestone of certain "Mariam, daughter of David", at [[Periyapattinam]].<ref name=":0" /> The record also contained a prayer for the peace of the soul. The slab was later moved to the office of the Samsthanam Revenue officer, Ramnad (and is now lost).<ref>{{Cite journal |editor-last=Chhabra |editor-first=B. C. |title=Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy |journal=Annual Reports on Indian Epigraphy |publisher=Department of Archaeology |volume=1946-47 |pages=16–17}}</ref><bdi><ref name=":4" /></bdi> A donative record of Maravarma Sundara Pandya to the pilarpalli or the Periyapattinam Jalal Jamal Mosque can be found at the Thirupullani Temple.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rafi |first=S. Muhammad |date=12 July 2022 |title=Rāmanātapuram Arukē Kaṇṭeṭukkappaṭṭa 13-m Nūṟṟāṇṭu Kalveṭṭil Takaval |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/tamilnadu/825368-13th-century-inscription-at-ramanathapuram-3.html}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Jewish copper plates of Cochin|Jewish copper plates of Cochin (11th century)]]
* [[Viraraghava copper plates|Viraraghava copper plates of Cochin (13th century)]]
* [[Quilon Syrian copper plates|Quilon Syrian copper plates (9th century)]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:13th-century inscriptions]]
[[Category:Medieval Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Judaic inscriptions]]
[[Category:Cochin Jews]]
[[Category:Saint Thomas Christians]]

Periyapattinam Jewish Inscription - Revision history

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