Netherlands hands over 11th-century Chola artefacts to India

In a landmark cultural restitution, the Netherlands has returned the 11th-century Chola dynasty copper plates, known as the Leiden Plates, to India. The artefacts, comprising 21 large and 3 small plates inscribed in Tamil and Sanskrit, record grants made by Rajendra Chola I formalising his father Rajaraja Chola I’s oral commitments.

The Hague: The Netherlands on Saturday handed back 11th-century Chola dynasty copper plates to India, in an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signifying the strengthening of ties between the two countries.

PM Modi, who arrived in the Netherlands on Friday after a brief stopover in the UAE on the second leg of his five-nation tour, described the occasion as “a joyous moment for every Indian”.

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India has been pursuing the return of the Anaimangalam Copper Plates, known in the Netherlands as the Leiden Plates, since 2012.

“A joyous moment for every Indian! Chola Copper Plates dating back to the 11th Century will be repatriated to India from the Netherlands,” Modi said in a social media post after attending the restitution ceremony.

He said the copper plates comprise a set of 21 large plates and three small plates containing texts largely in Tamil and relating to Rajendra Chola I, formalising an oral commitment made by his father, King Rajaraja I.

“They also showcase the greatness of the Cholas. We in India are immensely proud of the Cholas, their culture and their maritime prowess,” Modi said.

The prime minister thanked the Government of the Netherlands and Leiden University, where the plates had been kept since the mid-19th century.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a social media post, said the copper plates highlight the legacy of the Chola dynasty and their return is “yet another step in the homecoming of Indian cultural artefacts from abroad”.

The Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten was also present at the restitution ceremony, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“​Chola Copper Plates, a set of 21 large plates and 3 small plates, are royal charters issued by Chola Kings during the 11th century CE,” it said.

These charters formalise the gifting of Anaimangalam village to a Buddha vihara called Chulamanivarma-vihara in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, the release said, adding that the plates contain texts written in Tamil and Sanskrit.

“​The restitution of these Chola copper plates assumes significance since they are not merely artefacts of the past, but an invaluable story of India’s heritage and civilisation. The homecoming of these plates has a deep emotional appeal for the people of India,” the ministry said.

The copper plates are considered the most significant surviving records of the Chola dynasty and are among the important artefacts of Tamil heritage held anywhere outside India.

They weigh approximately 30 kg and are bound together by a bronze ring bearing the royal seal of the Chola dynasty.

The plates are divided into two sections: one has texts in Sanskrit, the other in Tamil. Rajaraja Chola I was a Hindu emperor who provided revenue endowments for a Buddhist monastery.

While Rajaraja Chola I gave the original verbal order, which was recorded on palm leaves, it was his son, Rajendra Chola I, who had the grant amount etched on durable copper plates to preserve it. The bronze ring that binds the plates bears Rajendra Chola’s seal.

The plates were brought to the Netherlands in the 1700s by Florentius Camper, who was in India as part of a Christian missionary in the period when Nagapattinam, the city mentioned in the plates, was under Dutch control.

The 24th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Return and Restitution found that India’s claim as the nation of origin for the plates was valid.

The committee encouraged the Netherlands to engage in constructive bilateral dialogue with India regarding the return of the plates.

The Netherlands decided to hand over the plates during the Prime Minister’s visit.