- Tamil and Sanskrit inscriptions in Malaysia
A good number of Tamil inscriptions as well as
Hindu andBuddhist icons emanating fromSouth India have been found inSoutheast Asia (and even in parts of south China). On theMalay Peninsula , inscriptions have been found atTakuapa , not far from theVishnuite statues of Khao Phra Narai inSouthern Thailand . It is a short inscription indicating that an artificial lake named "Avani-naranam" was dug by "nangur-Udaiyan" which is the name of an individual who possessed amilitary fief at Nangur, being famous for his abilities as awarrior , and that the lake was placed under the protection of the members of the Manikkiramam (which according to K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, was a merchant guild) living in the military camp. Since Avani-narayana is a surname of thePallava king Nadivarman III who reigned from 826 to 849, we can deduce the approximate date of this inscription. In the capital of Tabralinga there is a sanctuary in which there is a bronze image of ganesa bearing a Tamil inscription "Majapisedesa" in modern characters.cite journal | author = Sastri, K.A. Nilakanta | year = 1949| title = Takuapa and its Tamil Inscription Part I. | journal = Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society| volume = Vol. 22]Ligor Inscription
An inscription dated 779 A.D. has been found in Ligor, Malaya peninsula. This refers to the trade relationship between the
Tamil country and Malaya.cite book | last = Arokiaswamy| first = Celine W.M.| title = Tamil Influences in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines| year = 2000| publisher = | location = Manila s.n.| pages = pp. 37, 38, & 41]Kedah Inscription
In ancient Kedah there is an important and unmistakably
Hindu settlement which has been known for about a century now from the discoveries reported by Col. Low and has recently been subjected to a fairly exhaustive investigation by Dr. Quaritch Wales. Dr. Wales investigated no fewer than thirty sites round aboutKedah . The results attained show that this site was in continuous occupation by people who came under strongSouth Indian influences,Buddhist andHindu , for centuries.cite book | last = Sastri| first = K.A. Nilakanta|title = South Indian Influences in the Far East| year = 1949| publisher = Hind Kitabs Ltd.| location = Bombay| pages = p. 82 & 84]An inscribed stone bar, rectangular in shape, bears the ye-dharmma formula in South Indian characters of the fourth century A.D., thus proclaiming the Budhist character of the shrine near the find-spot (site I) of which only the basement survives. It is inscribed on three faces in "Pallava script", or
Vatteluttu rounded writing of the sixth century A.D., possibly earlier.In
Kedah an inscription in Sanskrit dated 1086 A.D. has been found. This was left by Kulothunka Cholan I (of theChola empire,Tamil country ). This too shows the commercial contacts the Chola Empire had with Malaya.Borneo Inscription
In Kutei district of the island of Borneo, 7 inscriptions have been found. They all relate to the Kundungan clan’s rule over Borneo.cite book | last = Coedes| first = Georges|title = Indianized States of Southeast Asia| year = 1968| publisher = East-West Center| location = Honolulu] Kundungan is a Tamil name hence, it is supposed that his princely family migrated from Tamil Nadu and established a kingdom in the island of Borneo. All these inscriptions belong to 400 A.D.
All these inscriptions, both Tamil and
Sanskrit ones, relate to the activities of the people and rulers of theTamil country ofSouth India . The Tamil inscriptions are at least 4 centuries posterior to theSanskrit inscriptions, from which the early Tamils themselves were patronizers of theSanskrit language.From the contents of the inscriptions it shows that the Tamils, who through trade had established a strong political control on the Southeast Asian region, and had taken great efforts to spread their religious beliefs in the same region. The Tamils were responsible for the spread of
Hinduism andBuddhism in Malaya andIndonesia .Inscriptions of Tanjore
In the ancient city of
Tanjore inTamil Nadu are inscriptions dating from 1030 A.D. which mentions the victory ofRajendra Chola I over the Southeastern countries. The following are the places of Rajendran conquered:*Sri Vijaya (
Palembang )
*Malaiyur (the Malayu of the 7th century, i.e. jami) (referring to the ancientMelayu Kingdom . Known asJambi today.)
*Mayuradingan (the Je-lo-ting of the Chinese on theMalay Peninsula )
*Ilangosagam (Langkasuka )
*Mappapalam, (Papphaal, placed by the Sinhalese chronicle "Mahavamsa " on the coast of Pegu in Burma)
*Mevilimbangan (identified with Karmaranga or Kamalanka on the isthmus of Ligor inSouthern Thailand )
*Valaippanaduru (Pandurang, in Champa)
*Talaittakkolam (Takkola ofPtolemy and the Milindapandha, On the isthmus of Kra)
*Madalingam (Tambralingga, Chinese Tan-ma-ling, of which the center was at Ligor inSouthern Thailand )
*Ilamuridesam (Lamuri of theArab s, Lambri ofMarco Polo at northernSumatra )
*Kadaram (Kedah )ee also
*
Tamil Place Names in Malaysia References
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