Copper plate of Sethupathi dynasty found in Ramanathapuram
The inscription that begins with ‘Swastishri’, mentions the Saka era 1667, Kali Yuga 4846, Tamil year Krodhana, and Vaikasi 29.;
A front view of Saylakudi Zamindar palace in Ramanathapuram district: (Inset) the copper plate grant
MADURAI: An ancient copper plate that was used 280 years ago during the reign of Sivakumara Sethupathi was discovered at Kadaladi in Ramanathapuram district.
Aditya Sampathkumar, a trader from Chennai, informed V Rajaguru, the president of Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation, that his parents owned an ancient copper plate.
Following this, the foundation examined the copper plate in the residence of the trader’s parents, Gandhi Nadar and Pandeeswari, near the Pathirakaliamman Temple, at Kadaladi.
Rajaguru, on Wednesday, said the copper plate weighs 600 grams, measures 17.5 cm in length and 30.5 cm in width, and has 52 lines written in Tamil and two lines in Sanskrit in Grantha script. An inscription on the handle reads ‘Kumaran thunai’, he added.
He further said, the inscription that begins with ‘Swastishri’, mentions the Saka era 1667, Kali Yuga 4846, Tamil year Krodhana, and Vaikasi 29.
He explained that it dates back to the Gregorian calendar year AD 1745, and the name of the king mentioned was Sri Kumara Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi, adding that, however, the year marks the Sivakumara Sethupathi era.
During the reign of Sivakumara Sethupathi, Ayvaypuli Karuthudaiyar Servaikarar of Sayalkudi in Kidathirukkai Palayam of Sethu Samsthanam established an agraharam at Vijaya Regunatha Pettai (market) in Kadaladi on Sethumargam and installed it for Venkatarama Iyengar at Srirangam. For this purpose, Ayvaypuli gave a village called Kakkaikuttam as a grant to Venkatarama Iyengar.
“Those who protect the reputation of charity will enjoy the blessings of Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma on the banks of Ganges, and if anybody donates crores of virgins and cows, during a solar or lunar eclipse, the donor will get whatever benefits it brings. It had a warning that anyone who tried to discourage the act of charity would be considered a sinner who killed a black cow on the bank of the Ganges,” Rajaguru summarised the inscription.
This copper plate also shows that the Sethupathis, like the Nayaks, had divided their country (Sethu Nadu) into several Palayams.
The land donated to the Brahmins might have been given to those who bought the copper plate as a land document when the village was sold to others, he said.