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SUPTIMBER, 1024] KOTTAYAM PLATE OF VIRA-RAGHAVA CHAKRAVARTI
191
of Malabar, its headship from the very beginning till the nineteenth century rosted with the family of Pakalomarram. We see the Archdoacons of the Pakalomarram family holding the reins of this community from the very earliest period, of which we have any clear history, till the beginning of the last century. Tho headship of the St. Thomas Christian commu. nity, therefore, was hereditary all through that period. The donee's name is given thrice in this grant. He is called Iravi Korttanan once and Iravi Korttan twice. Iravi Korttagan therefore must be a mistake. Korttan is probably derived from the word Karttan, i.e., Lord. The clergymen of this community are called Kattanars now, and we see from tho Synod of Diamper that during the sixteenth century they were called Kattanars and their wives Kattattiars. (Session VII, decree X, XVIII.)
Kattanár is no doubt Karttanar. Karttanár is the honorific forin of Karttan. Korttan, therefore, may be the old form of the modern Kattanár.9
Date of the Inscription. As to the date of this document the difference of opinion is so wide that it ranges from the third to the fourteenth century.
I shall now discuss the dato of the grant from (1) the historical, (2) astronomical, (3) linguistic and (4) paleographic standpoints respectively.
1. Historical Evidence. 1. Wo see from the Tanu Iravi copper plates that the St. Thomas Christians during the ninth century were called Manigramam, and that the Manigrâinam mentioned in Tâņu Iravi plates and Iravi Korttan, on whom the title of Manigrâmam was conferred by Vira Raghava, were Christians.
“It was supposed by Dr. Burnell," says Mr. Venkayya," that the plate of Vira Raghava created the principality of Manigramam, and the Cochin plates that of Añchuvannam, and that consequently the existence of these two grants is presupposed by the plates of Sthâņu Ravi, which mention both Anchuvaņņam and Manigramam very often. The Cochin platos did not create Añchuvannam, but conferred the honours and privileges connected there with on a Jew named Joseph Rabban. Similarly, the rights and honours associated with the other corporation, Manigramam, were bestowed at a later period on Ravikkoiran .... It is just possible that Ravikkorran was a Christian by religion." (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. IV, page 294).
The Christians of Malabar, during the ninth century, were evidently called Manigramam and had a head of their own. If another Christian in the fourteenth century received the title of Manigrâmam, as Mr. Venkayya says, we must suppose that there were two communities of local Christians here in the fourteenth century. There is no evidence whatever for this. On the other hand, we find the local and the foreign Christians all under one rule at the beginning of the sixteenth century, from which period we have a regular history. Thó tradition, too, is that tho Christian Church of this coast was not divided till the middle of the seventeenth century. We, therefore, cannot but concludo that the Christian community received the title of Mangrâmam from Vira Raghava Chakravarti sometime before the ninth century.
2. Further, in tho Tanu Iravi plates of tho ninth century the local Christians are called Manigramam. How and when they camo by this namo is not said in those plates ; but this namo cortainly was given them beforo the ninth ocntury. We find from tho copper plato under discussion a local Christian-Iravi Korttan is undoubtedly an Indian naine ---receiving the title of Manigramam. What doubt is there then that the copper plate in question is earlier than the ninth century ?
"The name Iravikkorttan," says Mr. Venkayya," is evidently a vulgar form of the Tamil Iravikkorran which means the sun-king" (Epigraphia Indioa, Vol. IV, p. 202). I cannot find my way to accept this viow.
