Relevance: GS-1 (Indian Heritage & Culture, Ancient History) | Source: The Hindu

1. The News

In a major diplomatic victory, the Netherlands has handed back the 11th-century Anaimangalam copper plates (popularly known as the Leiden Copper Plates) to India.

These historical records were kept at Leiden University for almost 200 years. This return marks a huge success in India’s ongoing efforts to bring back stolen cultural heritage from foreign countries.

2. About the Artifacts (The Leiden Plates)

The Leiden plates are crucial government records from early medieval South India.

• Structure & Language: It is a complete set of 24 plates (21 large and 3 small). The text is bilingual, written in both Sanskrit and Tamil.
• The Royal Seal: A heavy bronze ring ties the plates together.
• The Emblems: The seal prominently displays the Chola Tiger in the centre, with the Pandya Fish and the Chera Bow on the sides. This was a political statement showing Chola supremacy over rival kingdoms.
• The Issuers:
  • The Large Plates: Issued by King Rajendra Chola I. It officially recorded a verbal land grant made by his father, Raja Raja Chola I, to a Buddhist monastery (Vihara).
  • The Small Plates: Added later by King Kulottunga Chola I, recording extra donations of paddy and land to the same monastery.

3. Historical & Cultural Significance

These plates give us a clear window into Chola governance, foreign policy, and society:

• Religious Tolerance: The Chola emperors were devoted Saivite Hindus. Yet, they generously funded and donated land for the Chudamanivarma Vihara, a Buddhist institution in Nagapattinam.
• International Diplomacy: Interestingly, this Buddhist monastery was funded by the King of the Srivijaya Empire (present-day Indonesia and Malaysia). This proves the existence of deep maritime, trade, and diplomatic links between the Cholas and Southeast Asia.
• Colonial Destruction: The historical tower of this Buddhist monastery was sadly destroyed by Jesuit priests in 1867, with the official permission of the British colonial government.

4. UPSC Value Box

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): The main administrative body under the Ministry of Culture tasked with tracing and bringing back stolen Indian antiquities from abroad.
• Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972: India’s central domestic law that strictly regulates the export of historical artifacts and stops the smuggling of art treasures.
• 1970 UNESCO Convention: An international treaty (signed by India) designed to globally stop the illegal import, export, and transfer of cultural properties.

Consider the following statements regarding the Chola-era Leiden Copper Plates (Anaimangalam plates):

1. The inscriptions on the plates are strictly monolingual, written entirely in ancient Tamil.
2. The plates record land grants made by Saivite Chola kings to a Buddhist vihara in Nagapattinam.
3. The royal seal on the plates exclusively features the Chola Tiger, with no representation of the Chera or Pandya kingdoms.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The Leiden plates are bilingual, carrying inscriptions in both Tamil and Sanskrit.
• Statement 2 is correct: The plates primarily serve as a legal record granting the Anaimangalam village to the Chudamanivarma Vihara, a Buddhist monastery.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The royal seal features the Chola Tiger along with the Pandya Fish and the Chera Bow, symbolizing Chola political dominance over the other two regional powers.