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↑ Up one levelCollection of Copies of Copper Plates
Identity area
Reference code
GB 891 HME-HME/7-HME/7/1
Publication status
Published
Level of description
File
Extent and medium
One bound volume
Date(s)
- [1827-1905] (Creation)
Context area
Name of creator
(1808-1853)
Biographical history
Sir Henry Miers Elliot was a civil servant and historian who worked with the East India Company in India for 26 years. He is most well known for a compilation of his papers, 'The History of India, as Told by its own Historians', which was compiled and published posthumously in eight volumes by John Dowson, between 1867 and 1877.
After being appointed to the position of Assistant to the Magistrate and Collector of Bareilly in May 1828, Elliot advanced to a number of administrative positions within the East India Company, moving largely around Northern and Central India. His papers, which were written and collected during his time spent in India, comprise largely of research towards his various job postings.
Repository
Royal Asiatic Society Archives
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Large, bound volume containing rubbings of copper-plate Indian inscriptions. The front cover contains a label noting that the material belonged to Elliot, and an 'India Office Library' stamp. Other writing on the front with the dates 22nd April 1890 and August 1905, and the interior backing paper for the inscriptions which is watermarked 1858, would, however, suggest that the copper-plates were compiled posthumously.
The contents of the volume is a large number of copper-plate Indian inscriptions, some in Devanagari script, and others in South Indian scripts, possibly Tamil or Telugu - the languages are as yet undeciphered. Many of the inscriptions are copies of rectangular plates, all with circular hook-like shapes at their tops.
One note attached to two of the horizontal inscriptions states that they are copper-plate copies of Sasavanam (?), rewarding a grant by Tribhuvana Chakravarti in the temple of Thirupuvanam (Teruppuvanam) in the village of of Sivaganga, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu. Another note attached to a set of nine plates identifies them as again being Sasavanam(?) inscriptions at the same temple, Thirupuvanam, rewarding a grant to a village by Kulasekara Pandyan, a 13th-14th century king. The majority of plates in this volume do not, however, have English notes attached which identify them.
Conditions of access and use area
Language of material
- English
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