HISTORY THROUGH THE EYES OF
EPIGRAPHY
N.Nandhivarman
In Paris not in Chennai two conferences on Tamil Epigraphy
:Historical Sources and multi-disciplinary approach took place in 2005 and 2006
at Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudies [EPHE] . The groundbreaking works of several
generations of pioneering scholars on Tamil epigraphy have proved beyond doubt
that inscriptions constitute one of the most important sources for a better
understanding of the historical, cultural and social evolution of the past,
opines historian Romila Thapar.
Daud Ali focused his research
paper on Gangaikondacholapuram temple inscriptions. This temple was
first visited by Meckenzie between 1818
and 1826. Subsequent surveys till 1993 yielded an epigraphic corpus, which was
updated by Daud Ali.
Philology is a study of the language together
with its literature and the historical and cultural contexts which are
indispensable for an understanding of the literally or other culturally
significant texts defines Becker. Y.Subburayalu employed philology and lexical
semantics in interpreting and understanding the epigraphic texts. There is an
ancient Tamil word Pazhanam which means fields. The name Pazhani came
to that temple town because it was situated in midst of fields. Unless one
knows the word Pazhanam the correct meaning could not be imparted.
Rachel Loiseau turned her eyes
to the abandoned Naganatheswara temple
of the tenth century. Supplementing epigraphic sources with structural and
iconographic observations, her study the first of its kind in stylistic
evolution of a single monument. Rachel Loiseau finds out that the iconographic
programmes of this Chola temple bear the influence of Sembiyan Madevi
model.
Ten pottery inscriptions of
Tamilnadu and two such from West Bengal in Sinhala-Prakrit script found by
Iravatham Mahadevan sheds new light on long distance trade routes between
Srilanka, Tamilnadu and West Bengal.
Anthropologic decoding of epigraphy
of two inscriptions of Rajaraja from
Thanjavur temple undertaken by Tiziana Leucci which focuses on socio-religious
aspects of Devadasi system is
noteworthy.
Charlotte de Percin-Sermet
chose to deal with Chandesa, one of the important Nayanars of the
Bhakthi movement. She finds pan-indian nature in the Tamil saiva nayanar.
“ She establishes Chandesa’s presence as a violent deity or asura in ancient sources like Mahabharatha or
Agnipurana. She contrasts how Tamil literary sources depict a contrary
image of the nayanar as an ideal devotee” says Appasamy Murugaiyan in
his introduction to the book New Dimensions in Tamil Epigraphy . Because he
teaches epigraphy in Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudies [EPHE] Paris , he and his friends organized two conferences on Tamil epigraphy.
Foreign country evincing
interest in Tamil epigraphy is because recent Survey on Indian Epigraphy (1996)
places inscriptions of Tamil Nadu at the top of the list. The categories of
language, alphabet and number of inscriptions on both stone and copper plates
also indicate Tamil Nadu as the first among Indian States. From this survey it
can easily be understood that Tamil Nadu has the bulk of inscriptions found in
India. It has been estimated with a fair degree of accuracy that the
inscriptions written in Tamil occupy the first position in volume, amounting
nearly to 20,000, followed by those in Kannada (10,600), Sanskrit (7,500) and
Telugu (4,500). Inscriptions in Tamil language are noticed from the third
century BCE onwards. (Source: Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India
Volume 19 : 1993)
Tamilnadu Government started The
State Department of Archaeology in the
year 1961 .The aim of the department is to showcase the rich heritage and
glorious traditions of Tamil Nadu with its classical Tamil language,
magnificent monuments, exquisite temples, art and sculpture and diversified
traditions The Department has 14 site
museums, the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Centre at
Chepauk, Chennai besides the Institute of Epigraphy. A separate epigraphy wing
was started during the year 1966. The primary function of this wing is to copy
inscriptions on boulders, stone pillars, stones, temple walls and on copper
plates. The inscriptions are deciphered, edited and published. So far, about 14,000 inscriptions are copied
and preserved in this wing. Some
original copper plates and old palm leaf manuscripts are also under the custody
of this department.
The Department of Archaeology
has been recognized as a Centre for doing research in history and archaeology
leading to Ph.D by the University of Madras during the year 2003.
At national level The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under
the Ministry of Culture regulates all archaeological activities in the country
as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and
Remains Act, 1958. It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
Publications
of the ASI was started by A. Cunningham, the first Director General, who along
with his associates, documented vigorously all the results of their tour
from1862-63 onwards. In 1874, a new series entitled ‘New Imperial Series’ was
launched which continued up to 1933 containing exhaustive research on
antiquarian remains.
John Marshall introduced Annual Reports published in two parts from 1902 onwards. He also started the publication of a new series ‘Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India’, of which the first number appeared in 1919 and the latest (ninety-eight) in 2003. ‘Ancient India’ the Bulletin of the Archaeological Survey of India was started in 1946, which contained general and research articles on different aspects of archaeology in India and adjacent countries. The most important among them, ‘Epigraphia Indica’ for Sanskrit inscriptions was first published in 1892. So far 42 volumes have been published. In the field of Arabic and Persian inscription, ‘Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica’ is being brought out. The ‘Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy’ has been brought out from 1887 till 1995-96, which contains the reports on the epigraphical discoveries made each year. In addition to these, inscriptions of various dynasties were also published under the series ‘Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum’. For the epigraphical records of South India, a separate series ‘South Indian Inscriptions’ is also being published since 1890. The south Indian inscriptions are also dealt with from 1905 to 1946 in another series called ‘Annual Report of South Indian Epigraphy’ which contains brief notes on inscriptions of south India collected during a particular year. The Epigraphy Branch of the Survey caters to the needs of the Sanskrit & Dravidian inscriptions and coins (Headquarters at Mysore) and Arabic & Persian inscriptions and coins (Headquarters at Nagpur)
John Marshall introduced Annual Reports published in two parts from 1902 onwards. He also started the publication of a new series ‘Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India’, of which the first number appeared in 1919 and the latest (ninety-eight) in 2003. ‘Ancient India’ the Bulletin of the Archaeological Survey of India was started in 1946, which contained general and research articles on different aspects of archaeology in India and adjacent countries. The most important among them, ‘Epigraphia Indica’ for Sanskrit inscriptions was first published in 1892. So far 42 volumes have been published. In the field of Arabic and Persian inscription, ‘Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica’ is being brought out. The ‘Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy’ has been brought out from 1887 till 1995-96, which contains the reports on the epigraphical discoveries made each year. In addition to these, inscriptions of various dynasties were also published under the series ‘Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum’. For the epigraphical records of South India, a separate series ‘South Indian Inscriptions’ is also being published since 1890. The south Indian inscriptions are also dealt with from 1905 to 1946 in another series called ‘Annual Report of South Indian Epigraphy’ which contains brief notes on inscriptions of south India collected during a particular year. The Epigraphy Branch of the Survey caters to the needs of the Sanskrit & Dravidian inscriptions and coins (Headquarters at Mysore) and Arabic & Persian inscriptions and coins (Headquarters at Nagpur)
Underwater Archaeology Wing
India has 7,516 km long
coastline, 1197 islands and 155,889 sq. km of territorial waters and 2,013,410
sq. km exclusive economic zone. The vast water area of the country is rich in
underwater cultural heritage. The importance of underwater archaeology was
realized as early as in the VI five-year plan. Beginning of underwater
archaeology in India can be traced back to 1981. Off shore explorations in the
country have generated a lot of popularity to this discipline. Establishment of
the Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW) in the Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI) in 2001 marked a major step towards the development of the subject. Since
its inception the UAW is actively engaged in conducting underwater archaeological
studies in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
Protection of underwater
cultural heritage and regulation of underwater activities aimed towards the
cultural heritage is one of the main concerns of the UAW. Adoption of
“Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage” by UNESCO in
2001 displays the global concern about the protection and management of
underwater cultural heritage. UAW has initiated steps for the protection and
preservation of the underwater cultural heritage.
So far what steps both Central
and State Governments had taken to preserve our cultural heritage including
conferences held in Paris reveal painstaking efforts but sad part is various
universities and Tamil scholars show no interest in inscriptions. Temple
authorities forget these are treasure troves of history. They focus on deities
neglecting temple history.
Archaeological Survey of India
in its Annual Report of Epigraphy 1895 had brought to notice 12 inscriptions,
numbering 53 to 64 in the series. In Annual Report on Epigraphy 1930-1931, they
have brought to notice 88 inscriptions numbering 121 to 208. The lethargy comes
while publishing such inscriptions, whereas out of 100 inscriptions only 50
have been read deciphered and published. A place called Thiruchotruththurai in
Mayiladuthurai-Kumbakonam road 4 kilometers near Thirukalliyur , in spite of
copying 50 , in its Second Volume of
Annual Report of Epigraphy only 50 inscriptions are published .50 copied but
not published had been the target of study by Dr.Vijayavenugopal, epigraphist
and multi disciplinary Tamil genius . So he revisited Thiruchotruthurai and
deciphered these inscriptions which are going to see the light of the day.
Photo 1 : A sample page of
Annual Report on Epigraphy
The above page of the ARE
mentions some of 70 inscriptions found in 1903 and 1924 in Piranmalai of Trichy
district, in a temple under Kunrakudi Atheenam.
Piranmalai was known in earlier days as Thirukodunkunram. South Indian
Inscriptions Volume 8 shows 70 stone
inscriptions as noticed but less than 30 only deciphered and published. A team
of epigraphists led by Dr.Vijayavenugopal and photographers Ravi and Babu
associated with French Government organization Ecole Francaise de Extreme
Orient visited 4 times in between 2009 and 2014 to Piranmalai to find new
inscriptions, or precisely re-find inscriptions noticed in South Indian
Inscriptions book. The poojari of Mangaipagar Koil refused to let them in in
spite of the team saying published report mentions in 435 serial number about
an inscription by Kulothunga Chozhan. During 4th visit, thanks to
the new pujari, the team could read that Kulothunga Chozhan inscription.
Picture 1. Temple poojari in
camphor light shows the wall behind the deity and says there is no inscription.
Photo 2 and 3 : The
epigraphists argue that South Indian Inscriptions mentions 425 th inscription
by Kulothunga Chozhan....
Photo
4 : 4th visit successful, and team finds that Kulothunga Chozhan
inscription in the temple.
This one incident will reveal
how much efforts are needed even to trace an inscription once found. The
application of sandal paste in walls, santhanakkappu had hidden this
Kulothunga Chozhan inscriptions.
The team led by Dr.Vijayavenugopal
are currently in search of new inscriptions in Karnataka state, more
particularly which were once Tamil territories. There ancient inscriptions are
in Tamil, later day inscriptions being Tamil but written in Kannada script and
recent period inscriptions are in Kannada. This shows waning influence of Tamil
Kings over these adjoining Tamil territories, where Kannada officials gradually
replaced Kannada with Tamil in inscriptions.
Photo
5 and 6 : In Someshwara Temple Karnataka Village Gudihalli of Kolar District. Dr.Vijayavenugopal
and photographer Babu inspecting a monument
EFEO team visited Karnataka to
verify the authenticity and to update the 300 or so inscriptions noticed by
Archaeological Survey of India. In that process found few new inscriptions,
which they have deciphered and going to publish.'
All such new discoveries are
getting published in a journal Avanam published for over 25 years or so by a
private association Thamizhaga Tholliyal Kazhagam sponsored by
Department of Epigraphy and Archaeology of Tamil University Thanjavur with
financial support from Indian Council of Historic Research.
Photo
7 : Avanam journal recent 2013 issue, 24th issue.
Photo 8 and 9 Along
with the team out of curiosity to know how they are deciphering inscriptions,
the author of this article visited Senthalai temple in Tiruvaiyaru region of
Thanjavur District.
This temple during renovation
the masons who undertook the work had thrown the order of inscriptions out of
gear, and between one inscription and next continuity is missing, hence to
re-read it and suggest proper chronological order of the inscriptions in
grantha and devanagiri scripts, team of epigraphists must re-visit
such temples.
Photo10
: Dr.Vijayavenugopal inspecting Irumbai Mahaleswar Temple inscription in Vanur
Taluk Villupuram District of Tamilnadu
It is a great blunder that
Tamilnadu which housed around 70000 inscriptions in Ooty allowed its transfer
to Mysore, where Tamil related inscriptions faced decay and destruction. Even
the request by Tamil University to have Xerox copies of those inscriptions
being turned down, was a thorny issue which recently had been resolved. ASI and
Tamilnadu Archaeological department have joined hands to bring out a
publication deciphering such monuments, which will throw new light on South
Indian history much to the delight of Tamils...
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