User:RajeshUnuppally/Vazhapally Plates

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Vazhappally Inscription
The Vazhappally Inscriptions or Vazhappally Sasanams are a set of copper-plate grants issued by Kulasekhara Mahodayapuram king, Rajashekhara Varman (820–844). The Vazhappally Inscription is said to be the oldest inscription of the Chera (Kulasekhara) kings (who had Mahodayapuram as their capital) discovered in the state.

According to the inscription, the first Kulasekhara king was Rajasekharan. The inscription was written in the twelfth year of his rule in AD 830. It says about the decision taken by the local rulers of the "nantuzhainadu" in the presence of Rajasekhara Perumal that those responsible for the failure to offer the nithyabali (Muttabali) at the Thiruvatta temple should give "100 deenaram" fine to the Perumal. The inscription is cited as a proof for the command of the Perumal over local rulers.

The inscription provides valuable insights into the Kulasekhara dynasty. While other inscriptions begin as "Swasthisree", the Vazhappally inscription begins with "Namasivaya" and describes the king as "Parameswara Bhattarakan" which strengthens the assumption that Rajasekharan was a Lord Shiva devotee. There is a claim that Cheraman Perumal Nayanar, a Shaiva Sidha, and Rajesekharan are the same person.

The inscriptions discovered in the state that date back up to the eighth century are in the Vattezhuthu alphabet. But during this period, Sanskrit words were written in the Grantha alphabet.

The Vazhappally inscription begins with the wordings: "Namassivaya Sree Rajarajadhiraja Parameswara Bhattaraka Rajasekaradevarku". Though the Tamil alphabet became popular in Tamil Nadu by the eleventh century, Vattezhuthu alphabet was in use in Kerala till fifteenth century. The Grantha alphabet underwent modifications to become Arya alphabet in Kerala.

The Vazhappally inscription has a reference to Deenariyas coin which points to the existence of commercial relations between Kerala and the Roman empire during the period.