Quilon Syrian copper plates

[3][4] The inscription — notably incomplete[5] — is engraved on five copper plates (four horizontal and on vertical) in Old Malayalam[3] or early Middle Tamil, using Vattezhuthu script with some Grantha characters.[6] The charter is dated to the fifth regnal year of Chera Perumal ruler Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara (849/850 CE).The copper plates also refer to the presence of Jewish and Muslim communities in Kerala, as seen in the sections written in Arabic, Middle Persian, and Judeo-Persian languages.[9][2] It was drafted in the presence of Chera Perumal prince Vijayaraga, Venad chieftain Ayyan Adikal Thiruvadikal, junior chieftain Rama Thiruvadikal, other important officers of the chiefdom (the adhikarar, the prakrithi, the punnathala padi, and the pulakkudi padi) and the representatives of merchant guilds anjuvannam and manigramam.No Talaikkanam or Enikkanam or Manaimeypan Kollum irai or Cantan mattu menipponnu or Polipponnu or Iravu Coru or Kutanali shall be collected from any of these people.Maruvan Sapir Iso caused Ayyan Atikal Tiruvatikal to grant these privileges to the church of Tarsa.The Ancuvannam and Manikkiramam shall serve these people as mentioned in the copper-plates as long as the world, the moon and the sun endure.The Ancuvannam and Manikkiramam shall enjoy all these privileges and act according to the copper-plates as long as the world, the moon and the sun endure.[5] The interrupted content of plate 4 continues in du Perron’s French text (with the names of seventeen local notables, some of whom were mentioned earlier).[5] This grant was issued by an unidentified Chera Perumal king to the Christian merchants in the city of "Makotayar Pattinam" (Mahodayapuram, present day Kodungallur).Quilon Syrian copper plates also contain an indication to the presence of a previous grant (with rights bestowed upon the Christians by the Chera king at Mahodayapuram).[12][13][1] French text of du Perron (translation): [14] “The history of the founding of the town of Cranganore when Pattanam was the City, (he) visited, revered and requested the Emperor and the Minister at Kolla Kodungalloor for a marsh where thickets grow.The same day that place was called Makothevar pattanam (the town of the Great God), and it was made the city (capital).From there privileges such as drawbridge at gates, ornamented arches, mounted horse with two drums, cheers, conch blowing, salutes were granted in writing to the Christian foreigner called Knaye Thoma with sacred threat and libation of water and flower.