Tamil Nadu: A copper plate has been found in the Palani estate of Ramanathapuram, containing information about donations made to the Akkusal Muruga family in the 18th century.
Some families from Ayodhyapatti in Madurai asked Sakthivel Pandian of the Pandian Nadu Historical Research Centre for information about the copper plate they had preserved. Following this, Palani archaeologist Narayana Murthy, retired Principal Income Tax Commissioner Krishnasamy, and retired Principal Archaeological Officer Murthyswari examined the copper plate and released the information on Monday.
Archaeologist Narayana Murthy said:
Based on some data, the plate, measuring 22 x 13.5 cm and weighing 175 grams and containing 52 lines of writing, was probably written between 1782 and 1795 AD. In the 18th century, Muthuramalinga Sethupathi I of the Ramanathapuram kingdom and Bangaru Thirumalai II, who were then fighting for the throne of Madurai, jointly presented this plaque to the Akusala Muruga Kudumban.
When Muthuramalinga Sethupathi of the Ramanathapuram kingdom fell seriously ill in his youth, Minister Muthu Irulap Pillai summoned a doctor and asked him to come. He said he could not cure the illness and that only the Akusala Muruga family in Surangudi had the power to heal the king. The Muruga family, who had come from their hometown of Surangudi to the Ramanathapuram palace, prepared a Surana and Palpa from 50 Ajkalan Chittu sparrows and the breast milk of two people and gave it to the king. Subsequently, Sethupathi recovered completely. The king and minister were pleased and asked the Akusala Muruga family to resolve the long-standing dispute between the Valangai-Idangai sect. Akusala resolved the issue of the left- and right-hand sections of the kingdom. The king and ministers, further pleased, informed Thirumalai Nayakar, who was then contesting the throne of Madurai, and appointed him the leader of the caste in his jurisdiction. They also arranged for him to receive a footstool and accept and manage any increase or decrease, and he received 3 paise annually for the house he built, 2 paise for marriage, and a kita for Pongal and other festivals, and recorded this in the form of a copper charter. The charter bears the signatures of Thirumalai Nayakar and Muthuramalinga Sethupathi. Since he is called Akusala, it can be assumed that he was an expert in the metal industry. The copper plate praises him as “the one who serves alone,” a term referring to a warrior who has the strength to defeat a hundred men single-handedly in battle.
The charter was witnessed by the then Pudukkottai Thondaiman Sivathamby, Thiruppuvanam Palaniappillai, and Thiruchuzhikai Muthu Soora. The charter was written by the Mahalingam priest of Vadakkudavasal. The charter cursed that anyone who destroyed it in the future would be punished in the same way as those who killed Karampasu and the Brahmin. Finally, Meenammal and Gurupadam were appointed as assistants to complete the charter.
