Kurumathur inscription
| Kurumathur Inscription | |
|---|---|
 Kurumattur inscription (9th century AD) | |
| Material | Granite |
| Writing | Sanskrit |
| Created | 871 AD; Kerala |
| Present location | Kurumathoor Vishnu temple |
Kurumathur inscription (871 AD), also romanized as Kurumattur, is a mid-9th century inscription from Kurumathur, near Areacode in Kerala, south India.[1] The Sanskrit inscription in Pallava Grantha script is engraved on a loose granite slab from the Kurumathoor Vishnu Temple.[2][1][3] It is one of the rare Sanskrit inscriptions from Kerala.[2]
The inscription relates to the rule of medieval Chera king Rama Rajasekhara (9th century AD) in north-central Kerala.[2][4] It is dated to 24 May 871 AD as a Kali Day chronogram. Composed in shardula-vikridita metre in Sanskrit, the three-stanza inscription states that the king Rajasekhara belonged to the "illustrious" Ikshvaku dynasty of lord Rama.[1] It wishes that king Rajasekhara's glory be spread across the oceans. Further, he is praised as "having ruled the country with justice and never deviated from the Laws of Manu".[1] During the "righteous rule" of Rajasekhara, twelve Brahmanas constructed a temple pond and also installed an idol of god Vishnu in the temple [the Kurumathoor Vishnu Temple].[1][3]
The record was excavated during a renovation of Kurumathoor Vishnu temple (south of Areacode) in February, 2011.[1][3] The discovery of the inscription was first reported by M. R. Raghava Varier.[2] The record notably helped historians to revise the medieval Chera chronology (locating Rama Rajasekhara after king Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara).[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Tewari, R.; Dimri, D. N.; Prakash, I., eds. (2016). "Chera Inscription, Kurumattur, District Allapuram" (PDF). Indian Archaeology 2010-2011 – A Review. Archaeological Survey of India: 118.
- ^ a b c d Veluthat, Kesavan (2018). "History and Historiography in Constituting a Region: The Case of Kerala". Studies in People's History. 5 (1): 13–31.
- ^ a b c "Ancient Inscription Throws New Light on Chera History". The Hindu. Malappuram. 2011.
- ^ a b Devadevan, Manu V. (2020). "Changes in Land Relations and the Changing Fortunes of the Cēra State". The ‘Early Medieval’ Origins of India. Cambridge University Press. p. 128.