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{{Short description|Concessions made by the king of Cranganore to a Syrian Christian merchant}}
{{for|9th century CE copper plates issued by Ayyan Adikal to Mar Sapir Iso|Quilon Syrian copper plates}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox artifact
| name = Viraraghava copper plate
| native_name_lang = Malayalam
| material = Copper
| writing = Early Malayalam
| created = c. 1225 CE; [[Kerala]]
| location = [[Kottayam]]
| image = Viraraghava copper plates (1225 CE).jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = Viraraghava copper plate
}}
'''Viraraghava copper plate''' (c. 1225 CE<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Narayanan |first=M. G. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0YDCngEACAAJ |title=Perumals of Kerala |publisher=CosmoBooks |year=2013 |isbn= |location=Thrissur (Kerala) |pages=222, 279 and 299 |chapter= |orig-year=1972}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Veluthat |first=Kesavan |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-early-medieval-in-south-india-9780198069140 |title=The Early Medieval in South India |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Delhi |pages=152 and 154}}</ref>) is a medieval Vattezhuthu inscription from central [[Kerala]], southern India, describing the several concessions made by Viraraghava, the ruler of "Makotaiyar Pattinam" (the port of [[Kodungallur]]), to [[Saint Thomas Christians|Syrian Christian]] merchant Iravikorttan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Venkayya |first=V. |editor-last=Hultzsch |editor-first=E. |title=Kottayam Plate of Vira-Raghava |url=https://archive.org/details/EpigraphiaIndicaVol4/page/n374/mode/1up |journal=Epigraphica Indica (1896-97) |publisher=Archaeological Survey of India |volume=4 |pages=290–97}}</ref>

The provisions include multiple commercial rights and aristocratic privileges, such as "the Rights of the [[Manikkiramam|Manigramam Merchant Guild]]", various monopolies, article brokerages and the right to use slave labour.<ref name=":0" /> The record is currently in possession of the [[Saint Thomas Christians|Syrian Christian]] community in [[Kottayam]].'''<ref name=":0" />'''

== Names ==
The Viraraghava copper plate is often called "Viraraghava copper plate of Cochin". It is also registered as "Kottayam plate of Viraraghava Chakravartin", or simply as the "Syrian Christian copper plate", or the "Iravi Kortann's Plate".<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

== Context ==
The record is engraved on both sides of a single copper-plate in the Vattezhuthu script and a modified form of the Grantha script (22 lines). An image of a conch is engraved about the middle of the left margin of the reverse side of the plate. It is dated to the day of the "Rohini star, a Saturday after the expiration of the twenty-first day of the Solar month of Mina of the year during which the Jupiter was in Makara".'''<ref name=":0" />'''

Manigiramam, along with Anjuvannam and Ainurruvar, was one of major merchant guilds in medieval south India.'''<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/a-concise-history-of-south-india-9780198099772?cc=us&lang=en& |title=A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-809977-2 |editor-last=Karashima |editor-first=Noboru |pages=16–18 |chapter=}}</ref>'''

* Viraraghava "Chakravarti" [sovereign ruler] is described as the descendant of certain Vira Kerala "Chakravarti".'''<ref name=":0" />'''
* The grant was issued from the Great Palace ("the Perum Koyilakam") at Makotaiyar Pattinam.'''<ref name=":0" />'''
* Iravikorttan of "Makotaiyar Pattinam" is described as "the Great Merchant of the [[Kerala|Chera/Kerala]] Land" and the "Lord of the City" ("Nagarattukku Karttavu").'''<ref name=":0" />'''
*The Four Temples (the Nalu Tali) are mentioned.'''<ref name=":0" />'''
* Witnesses mentioned
** Panniyur Village and Sukapuram Village.'''<ref name=":0" />'''
** Venad, Odanadu, Eranad and Valluvanad.'''<ref name=":0" />'''
* The scribe is named - Nampi Chateyan, "the Great [[Goldsmith]] of the Chera Land".'''<ref name=":0" />'''

== Rights and privileges ==
Source: {{Cite journal |last=Venkayya |first=V. |editor-last=Hultzsch |editor-first=E. |title=Kottayam Plate of Vira-Raghava |url=https://archive.org/details/EpigraphiaIndicaVol4/page/n374/mode/1up |journal=Epigraphica Indica (1896-97) |publisher=Archaeological Survey of India |volume=4 |pages=290–97}}
[[File:Insignia from Viraraghava copper plates - Plate II (1225 CE).jpg|400px|thumb|Insignia from Viraraghava copper plate]]

=== Commercial Rights ===
* Rights of the Manigramam Guild.
* The income that accrues.
* The export trade (?) and the monopoly of trade.
* Monopoly of trade in the four quarters ("the Nalu Cheri").
* Slaves (oilmongers [the Vaniya] and the five classes of artisans [the Kammala]).'''<ref name=":0" />'''
* Brokerage on articles that may be, measured with the para, weighed by the balance (nira), measured with the thread, counted or weighed and all other articles that intermediate, including salt, sugar, musk ("kasturi") and lamp oil.
* Customs levied on these articles between the [<nowiki/>[[Periyar River|Periyar]]] river mouth ("azhi") of [[Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple|Kodungallur]] and the gate ("gopura"), chiefly between the four temples ("the Nalu Tali") and the village adjacent to each temple.'''<ref name=":0" />'''

=== Aristocratic privileges ===
* The right to construct a gateway with ornamental arch and house pillars.
* The right to issue proclamations.
* The right to use a palanquin and the royal parasol.
* The right to use the "vaduga" drum.
* the right to employ forerunners.
* The right to employ the five musical instruments ("the pancha vadya")
* The right to employ a conch and to use day-time lamp.
* The right to use a cloth spread in front to walk on.
* The right to use festive clothing.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:13th-century inscriptions]]
[[Category:Vatteluttu]]
[[Category:Malayalam inscriptions]]
[[Category:1225]]
[[Category:Saint Thomas Christians]]
[[Category:Kerala history inscriptions]]

{{india-hist-stub}}

Viraraghava copper plate - Revision history

Majokthefirst: Created Entry