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SEPTEMBER, 1924) KOTTAYAM PLATE OF VIRA-RAGHAVA CHAKRAVARTI
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least interes tod in making this known to others. We should also bear in inind that the Malayala Brahmans are reputed for their honesty, and cheating is, as a rule, unknown among them.
The grantha of Kuļikkattu Matham, therefore, affords us a very strong piece of presumptivo evidence to show that Vira Kerala Chakravartti lived during the middle of the first century B.C.
This grantha further says that after two years on the 19th Mêtam a Thursday, 15th asterism, and the 12th tithi, Garuda, a minor idol, was dedicated. Here everything except the week day is wrong. It is the 19th asterism, an inauspicious one, instead of the 15th. This mistake must be due to the copyist. The figure two (of "after two years ") roust be a clerical error of the copyist. The week day might have been set right by somebody be. cause it is a very easy business. This mistake is a further proof of the genuineness of tho chronogram “Chêraman patakata." If it were a forgery they would have made the above date also correct. Further, this grantha, after recounting the circumstances in which the chief idol was dedicated and giving the date of its dedication in the chronogram "Chêrsmånpatakata," says "It is simply appended below the horoscope of the date of the god at Tiruvalla," written by Cheruvalli Kulikkattu. Here follow in chronograms the longitudes of the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Kêtu. The person who is said to have caloulated these longitudes is not known, and must have lived some centuries back. These statements are given as an addition. This too is a proof of the genuineness of the above grantha.
Mr. Venkayya suggests that the Vira Kerala Chakravartti may be Jayasinha alias Vira Keralavarman of the thirteenth century (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. IV, page 293).
Jayasimha alias Vira Kerala varman was unquestionably a king of Vênåtu ruling at Quilon, whoreas Vira Kerala Chakravartti, being one of the predecessors of Vira Raghava, an "emperor" of Keralam, ruling at Cranganore, must have been also an "emperor " ruling at Cranganore. So the Vira Kerala Chakravartti, mentioned in the copper plate, has nothing to do with Jayasim ha. Since Mr. Venkayya could not find the name Vira Kêrala Chakravartti of Keralam in any other reoord, he went to the royal family of Vêņâţu, who were Vassals of the "emperors" of Keralam, to find out a similar name. The impossibility of such a contention is more than evident.
Since Vira Raghava makes mention of Vira Kerala Chakravartti as the greatest of his predecessors, the intervening period cannot be very many centuries.
Perkara Iravi Varmar in his copper plate does not make mention of this Vira Kerala Chakravartti. Vira Raghava, therefore, is most probably earlier than Pârkara Iravi.
5. Among the witnesses to the grants of Vira Raghava and Pårkara Iravi, we do not find Perumpatappu, i.e., the king of Coohin. It follows, therefore, that when these two Sasanams were executed, Perumpatappu was not in existence. But in the Hebrew version of the Parkara Iravi plates the following note is added :-"Perumpatappu, king of Cochin, is not recorded in this. list, because he (the Perumal) sottled him as his heir in his stead." (Madras Journal of Lit. and Science, Vol. XIII, part II, page 13.) This explanation is quite untenable on the face of it..
In the Vira Raghava plate Venpoli Natu (the country near the Voinpanatu Lako), Thekkumkur and Vatakkumkåy. and Netumpurayar Naţu (Palghat) are not mentioned, but they are mentioned in the Parkara Lravi plates. When certain privileges are given to a people, all the petty kings, in whose land these people dwell, should be made witnessed, i.e., informed of it. Witnesses are mentioned in the Vira Raghava and the PÅrkara Iravi plates with the following words respectively " with the knowledge of " 80 and so,-10 and so "knows this." Venpoli Natu is unquestionably a very ancient contre of Christians.
