Yuvaraj Amirthapandian
போராட்டக்களங்களும் அரசியல் அதிகாரமும்:
முற்கால பாண்டியர்களில் மூத்த முதல்நிலை ஆதாரம், கி.பி. 7-ஆம்
நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்த மாறவர்மன் அரிகேசரி என்ற நெடுமாறன் என்றழைக்கப்பட்ட
கூன்பாண்டியனின் இளையான்புத்தூர் செப்பேடு. அது சொல்வது யாது?
கம்பலை எனும் ஓர் மறவன், அவனுடைய நிலத்தினை ஓர் பிராமணனுக்கு தானமாக
அரசு அதிகாரத்தால் அவனிடமிருந்து எடுத்துக் கொடுக்கப்பட்டதற்கு
வீறுகொண்டெழுந்துள்ளான். அவனை பாண்டிய மன்னன் அரிகேசரி அடக்கியுள்ளான்.
இதிலென்ன கூத்தென்றால் பட்டையம் எழுதப்பெற்ற ஏழாம் நூற்றாண்டு காலத்தில்
அப்போது நடந்த மறவர் புரட்சியால் அப்பட்டையம் இழக்கப்பட்டு பின்பு
ஒன்பதாம் நூற்றாண்டுகளில் இது பிராமணர்களால் மீட்ருவாக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டு
எழுதப்பெற்றுள்ளது.
How a Pandya ruler tackled rebellion:
http://www.thehindu.com/
.
தற்போது கதிராமங்கலத்தில் நடைபெற்று வருவதும் இதே போன்ற கொடுமை
FEBRUARY 26, 2010 00:00 IST
UPDATED: NOVEMBER 19, 2010 12:52 IST
T.S. SUBRAMANIAN
The vattezhuthu inscription on copper plates throw new light on the dynasty.
A bunch of three copper plates that throws new light on the early
Pandyas has been found in Tamil Nadu. This is the oldest of the copper
plates of the early Pandyas, and they belong to the seventh century
A.D. The charter on the plates was issued by Maravarman Arikesari
alias Nedumaran. Also called Koon Pandyan he was converted from Jaina
faith to Saivite faith by the Tamil saint Tirugnana Sambandar. The
king was later canonised as a Nayanmar. The text on the copper plates,
in both Tamil and Sanskrit, is revelatory on several counts. The Tamil
portion, in Vattezhuthu, is in chaste Tamil in the form of a poem. It
describes how Maravarman Arikesari faced “marakkedu”, that is,
rebellion from the martial Maravar community led by a man called
Kambalai when the king donated their land to a Brahmin called
Narayanabhatta Somayaji; how the king subjugated Kambalai by “wielding
the bow” and donated the land, renaming it “Ilayanputhur” to
Narayanabhatta Somayaji and how the king supported the growth of the
Saivite faith by building temples dedicated to Lord Siva and made
votive offerings such as “iranyagarbham” and “tulabharam.”
Glowing terms
The inscription talks in glowing terms about the Pandya dynasty and
delineates the history of Maravarman Parakesari and his father
Jayanthavarman alias Sezhiyan Senthan.
Importantly, the text ends with the signature of the inscriber named
Arikesari. These copper plates were found in 2007 in Madurai by the
young numismatist M. Vijayakumar. The contents of the text were first
published by a poet called S. Raju and epigraphist R. Poongunran in
the Tamil newspaper Dinamalar on March 11, 2007.
Later, Y. Subbarayalu, Head, Indology, French Institute of Pondicherry
and V. Vedachalam, retired Senior Epigraphist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology
Department, published a meticulously researched paper in Tamil on the
significance of these “Ilayanputhur” copper plates in “Avanam”
(‘Record') magazine (volume 18, 2007).
Dr. Subbarayalu and Dr. Vedachalam said: “Six copper plates issued by
the early Pandyas are so far available. But the Ilayanputhur plates
are older to Velvikudi copper plates of the eighth century A.D. So
this is the earliest of the charter issued by the early Pandyas. It
throws new light on them. The lithic inscriptions of Nedumaran
(Maravarman Arikesari) were earlier discovered on the banks of the
Vaigai in Madurai and at Yanadi in Sivaganga district.”
What was interesting was that on palaeographic grounds, the Tamil
inscription in the plates can be dated to ninth century A.D. although
Maravarman Arikesari ruled in the seventh century A.D. Dr. Subbarayalu
and Dr. Vedachalam explain this by arguing that the Brahmins, who
received the charter, could have lost the plates during the revolt of
Kambalai against the donation of their land. To re-establish their
right over Ilayanputhur, the Brahmins could have re-written the
charter on the plates about a century later. For it contains the name
of the inscriber who lived during the time of the king. A similar
instance was the ‘Pallankovil copper plates” of the Pallava king
Simhavarman, who ruled during the 6th century A.D. But the plates were
re-issued in the 8th century A.D.
Seal missing
Copper plate inscriptions, issued by almost all major dynasties in
Tamil Nadu, generally record a king's gift of land to a temple or
Brahmins or scholars, a village assembly's resolution or transactions
of merchants' guilds. There are three copper plates in the
Ilayanputhur bunch, each 24 cm long and 11.5 cm broad, with holes in
them. But the ring with the seal of the Pandyas that would have held
the plates together is missing. While two plates have inscriptions on
one side only, the third has texts on both its sides.
More on Maravarman Arikesari
The text of the Ilayanputhur copper plates give several examples of
Maravarman Arikesari nurturing Saivism. It often refers to Siva, the
guardian deity of the Pandyas, as ‘Chandrasekarar' (one who wears the
moon on his crown) and talks about how Maravarman Arikesari built the
temple called ‘Arikesari Eswaram' at Kalakkudi and other places for
the Lord. Kalakkudi is near the present-day Ukkirankottai in
Tirunelveli district.
The text mentions how the king put down the rebellion of Kambalai when
the lands belonging to the Maravar community were donated by him (the
king) to Narayanabhatta Somayaji. It deals with the officer appointed
to execute the king's charter, and mentions the name of the inscriber
called Arikesari, son of Pandi Perumpanaikkaran. “This Arikesari, who
is named after the king himself, was a great inscriber of the Pandya
kings. The text mention this Arikesari as the son of Pandy
Perumpanaikkaaran. Perumpanaikkaaran means Perunthatchan, that is, a
great inscriber,” explained Dr. Subbarayalu and Dr. Vedachalam.
The text is so precise that it gives the boundaries of Ilayanputhur on
its four sides and mentions that it was situated in the “Asinadu”
(division). Asinadu must have situated near the present-day Kovilpatti
and Sankarankovil, and Ilayanputhur must have existed near
Tirumangalakurichi.
போராட்டக்களங்களும் அரசியல் அதிகாரமும்:
முற்கால பாண்டியர்களில் மூத்த முதல்நிலை ஆதாரம், கி.பி. 7-ஆம்
நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்த மாறவர்மன் அரிகேசரி என்ற நெடுமாறன் என்றழைக்கப்பட்ட
கூன்பாண்டியனின் இளையான்புத்தூர் செப்பேடு. அது சொல்வது யாது?
கம்பலை எனும் ஓர் மறவன், அவனுடைய நிலத்தினை ஓர் பிராமணனுக்கு தானமாக
அரசு அதிகாரத்தால் அவனிடமிருந்து எடுத்துக் கொடுக்கப்பட்டதற்கு
வீறுகொண்டெழுந்துள்ளான். அவனை பாண்டிய மன்னன் அரிகேசரி அடக்கியுள்ளான்.
இதிலென்ன கூத்தென்றால் பட்டையம் எழுதப்பெற்ற ஏழாம் நூற்றாண்டு காலத்தில்
அப்போது நடந்த மறவர் புரட்சியால் அப்பட்டையம் இழக்கப்பட்டு பின்பு
ஒன்பதாம் நூற்றாண்டுகளில் இது பிராமணர்களால் மீட்ருவாக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டு
எழுதப்பெற்றுள்ளது.
How a Pandya ruler tackled rebellion:
http://www.thehindu.com/
.
தற்போது கதிராமங்கலத்தில் நடைபெற்று வருவதும் இதே போன்ற கொடுமை
FEBRUARY 26, 2010 00:00 IST
UPDATED: NOVEMBER 19, 2010 12:52 IST
T.S. SUBRAMANIAN
The vattezhuthu inscription on copper plates throw new light on the dynasty.
A bunch of three copper plates that throws new light on the early
Pandyas has been found in Tamil Nadu. This is the oldest of the copper
plates of the early Pandyas, and they belong to the seventh century
A.D. The charter on the plates was issued by Maravarman Arikesari
alias Nedumaran. Also called Koon Pandyan he was converted from Jaina
faith to Saivite faith by the Tamil saint Tirugnana Sambandar. The
king was later canonised as a Nayanmar. The text on the copper plates,
in both Tamil and Sanskrit, is revelatory on several counts. The Tamil
portion, in Vattezhuthu, is in chaste Tamil in the form of a poem. It
describes how Maravarman Arikesari faced “marakkedu”, that is,
rebellion from the martial Maravar community led by a man called
Kambalai when the king donated their land to a Brahmin called
Narayanabhatta Somayaji; how the king subjugated Kambalai by “wielding
the bow” and donated the land, renaming it “Ilayanputhur” to
Narayanabhatta Somayaji and how the king supported the growth of the
Saivite faith by building temples dedicated to Lord Siva and made
votive offerings such as “iranyagarbham” and “tulabharam.”
Glowing terms
The inscription talks in glowing terms about the Pandya dynasty and
delineates the history of Maravarman Parakesari and his father
Jayanthavarman alias Sezhiyan Senthan.
Importantly, the text ends with the signature of the inscriber named
Arikesari. These copper plates were found in 2007 in Madurai by the
young numismatist M. Vijayakumar. The contents of the text were first
published by a poet called S. Raju and epigraphist R. Poongunran in
the Tamil newspaper Dinamalar on March 11, 2007.
Later, Y. Subbarayalu, Head, Indology, French Institute of Pondicherry
and V. Vedachalam, retired Senior Epigraphist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology
Department, published a meticulously researched paper in Tamil on the
significance of these “Ilayanputhur” copper plates in “Avanam”
(‘Record') magazine (volume 18, 2007).
Dr. Subbarayalu and Dr. Vedachalam said: “Six copper plates issued by
the early Pandyas are so far available. But the Ilayanputhur plates
are older to Velvikudi copper plates of the eighth century A.D. So
this is the earliest of the charter issued by the early Pandyas. It
throws new light on them. The lithic inscriptions of Nedumaran
(Maravarman Arikesari) were earlier discovered on the banks of the
Vaigai in Madurai and at Yanadi in Sivaganga district.”
What was interesting was that on palaeographic grounds, the Tamil
inscription in the plates can be dated to ninth century A.D. although
Maravarman Arikesari ruled in the seventh century A.D. Dr. Subbarayalu
and Dr. Vedachalam explain this by arguing that the Brahmins, who
received the charter, could have lost the plates during the revolt of
Kambalai against the donation of their land. To re-establish their
right over Ilayanputhur, the Brahmins could have re-written the
charter on the plates about a century later. For it contains the name
of the inscriber who lived during the time of the king. A similar
instance was the ‘Pallankovil copper plates” of the Pallava king
Simhavarman, who ruled during the 6th century A.D. But the plates were
re-issued in the 8th century A.D.
Seal missing
Copper plate inscriptions, issued by almost all major dynasties in
Tamil Nadu, generally record a king's gift of land to a temple or
Brahmins or scholars, a village assembly's resolution or transactions
of merchants' guilds. There are three copper plates in the
Ilayanputhur bunch, each 24 cm long and 11.5 cm broad, with holes in
them. But the ring with the seal of the Pandyas that would have held
the plates together is missing. While two plates have inscriptions on
one side only, the third has texts on both its sides.
More on Maravarman Arikesari
The text of the Ilayanputhur copper plates give several examples of
Maravarman Arikesari nurturing Saivism. It often refers to Siva, the
guardian deity of the Pandyas, as ‘Chandrasekarar' (one who wears the
moon on his crown) and talks about how Maravarman Arikesari built the
temple called ‘Arikesari Eswaram' at Kalakkudi and other places for
the Lord. Kalakkudi is near the present-day Ukkirankottai in
Tirunelveli district.
The text mentions how the king put down the rebellion of Kambalai when
the lands belonging to the Maravar community were donated by him (the
king) to Narayanabhatta Somayaji. It deals with the officer appointed
to execute the king's charter, and mentions the name of the inscriber
called Arikesari, son of Pandi Perumpanaikkaran. “This Arikesari, who
is named after the king himself, was a great inscriber of the Pandya
kings. The text mention this Arikesari as the son of Pandy
Perumpanaikkaaran. Perumpanaikkaaran means Perunthatchan, that is, a
great inscriber,” explained Dr. Subbarayalu and Dr. Vedachalam.
The text is so precise that it gives the boundaries of Ilayanputhur on
its four sides and mentions that it was situated in the “Asinadu”
(division). Asinadu must have situated near the present-day Kovilpatti
and Sankarankovil, and Ilayanputhur must have existed near
Tirumangalakurichi.
கருத்துகள் இல்லை:
கருத்துரையிடுக