Tharisapalli plates

Tharisapalli plates or "Tharisapalli shasanangal"(തരിസാപള്ളി ശാസനങ്ങള്‍‍ or തരിസാപ്പള്ളി ചേപ്പേടുകള്‍) are a set of copper-plate grants that were given to the Nestorian Bishop Mar Sapro Easho by Venad King Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal in the year 895 AD. The plates document a land grant of "Tharisapalli", near "KorukeNikollam" [probably near present Kollamaccording to [http://www.marthomasyrianchurch.org/heritage.htm Marthoma Church website.] ] to the Nestorian merchants who had taken refuge under the king after escaping the Islamic conquest from the Persian Sassanid Empire.

Background

The Nestorians were accomplished merchants and had trade links with India and other countries in Southeast Asia, mainly China. Increasing pressure from the Islamic conquests led a few of them to settle in these places. The plates give information about the arrival of people from Persia, led by the merchant Marwan Sabriso in the year AD 825, together with two bishops named Mar Sapro and Mar Prodh. [ [http://www.marthomasyrianchurch.org/heritage.htm Marthoma Church Website] ] The Nestorians had improved trade in Kollam, raising it to a major port in South India, which led the king to grant them free land.

The plates

There were two sets of plates ["Five of these plates still exist -- Three of these are still in the Old Seminary in Kottayam and two are at the Mar Thoma Church Head Quarters, Tiruvalla." according to [http://www.marthomasyrianchurch.org/heritage.htm Marthoma Church website.] ] as part of this document, and both were incomplete. The first set documented the land while second set documented the conditions. The signatories signed the document in Hebrew, Pehlavi, and Kufic languages.

ignificance

This is a major record in the history of Kerala.

References

Sivasankaran Nair, K ,"VeNadinte pariNamam" (വേണാടിന്റെ പരിണാമം), D C Books, 2005.

Notes