Consider the following statements regarding the Tharisapalli Copper Plates issued in 849 CE: 1. They were granted during the reign of the Later Chera king Ayyan Atikal Tiruvadikal. 2. They documented tax privileges and land endowments bestowed upon the Christian church and merchant guild led by Mar Sapir Iso at Quilon. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Both statements are correct because the Tharisapalli copper plates are foundational epigraphical documents issued by Ayyan Atikal Tiruvadikal, recording privileges given to Syrian Christian settlers in Quilon. These copper plates are inscribed in four languages including Tamil, Pahlavi, Kufic, and Hebrew, reflecting the cosmopolitan trade environment of medieval Kerala. They provide invaluable evidence of autonomous merchant guilds operating under royal patronage.