SII 12.5: original edition by V. Venkatasubba Ayyar

Alternative title: Section I. No. 5. (C.P. No. 1 of 1933-34). VIḺAVAṬṬI GRANT OF SIṀHAVARMAN: 10TH YEAR.

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This is a copper plate grant of the Pallava king Siṁhavarman, engraved in archaic characters on five plates strung together by a ring bearing a circular seal with the Pallava emblem of a couchant bull facing the proper left and another figure resembling an anchor above it. The inscription opens with an invocation to Bhagavat (Vishṇu), like the Māṅgaḷūr and Pīkira grants of the same king. The genealogy of Siṁhavarman, son of Yuva-Mahārāja Vishṇugōpa, is traced from Vīravarman, the great-grandfather. The record is dated in the 10th year of the king in the month of Śrāvaṇa, śu., pañchamī and registers a royal grant of the village Viḻavaṭṭi in Muṇḍa-rāshṭra with all the taxes due on it, to Vishṇuśarman of the Gautama-gōtra and the Chhandōga-(sūtra), for securing long life, strength of arms and victory to the king.

From this record it is learnt that the king collected taxes from metal and leather workers, cloth-dealers, rope-jugglers or dancers, Ājīvikas, water-diviners, weavers, gamblers, barbers, etc.

The grant was issued from Paddukkara which has been identified with Paḍugupāḍu in the Kovur taluk of the Nellore district. The oral order of the king regarding this gift was committed to writing by the Rahasyādhikṛita (Private Secretary) Achyuta.

The village Viḻavaṭṭi in Muṇḍa-rāshṭra has been identified with either Vavvēru where the plates were discovered, or with greater probability, with Viḍavalūru, both situated in the Kovur taluk of the Nellore district.

Language: Undetermined (und) [Script (unspecified) (script_unspecified)].

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv12p0i0005.

File path: SII_B_clean/SII12/DHARMA_INSSIIv12p0i0005.xml.

Version: 2026-09-21 19:02 (7cb2c73), last modified 2026-09-09 14:14 (cc65e6d).

Commentary

Published¹ in Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XXIV, p. 296 ff.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 12.5 by Venkatasubba Ayyar & Krishnamacharlu 1943 converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Venkatasubba Ayyar, V. & C. R. Krishnamacharlu. 1943. South Indian inscriptions. Volume XII: The Pallavas (with introductory notes in English). South Indian Inscriptions 12. Madras: Government Press. Page 2, item 5.

Notes

1. See also Journal of the Madras University, Vol. XII, No. 1.

Display Options Word Wrap Line Numbers Comments Processing Instructions

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<?xml-model href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/erc-dharma/project-documentation/master/schema/latest/DHARMA_Schema.rng" type="application/xml" schematypens="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0"?>

<?xml-model href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/erc-dharma/project-documentation/master/schema/latest/DHARMA_SQF.sch" type="application/xml" schematypens="http://purl.oclc.org/dsdl/schematron"?>

<?xml-model href="https://epidoc.stoa.org/schema/latest/tei-epidoc.rng" schematypens="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0"?>

<?xml-model href="https://epidoc.stoa.org/schema/latest/tei-epidoc.rng" schematypens="http://purl.oclc.org/dsdl/schematron"?>

<title>SII 12.5: original edition by V. Venkatasubba Ayyar</title>

<title type="alt">Section I. No. 5. (C.P. No. 1 of 1933-34). VIḺAVAṬṬI GRANT OF SIṀHAVARMAN: 10TH YEAR.</title>

<resp key="creator">author of digital edition</resp>

<forename>Emmanuel</forename>

<surname>Francis</surname>

</persName>

</respStmt>

<funder>European Research Council (ERC), grant agreement no 809994</funder></titleStmt>

<authority><ref target="https://dharmalekha.info">DHARMA</ref></authority>

<pubPlace>Paris, CEIAS</pubPlace>

<idno type="filename">DHARMA_INSSIIv12p0i0005.xml</idno>

<repository>DHARMAbase</repository>

<idno/>

</msIdentifier>

<p>This is a copper plate grant of the Pallava king <hi rend="bold">Siṁhavarman,</hi> engraved in archaic characters on five plates strung together by a ring bearing a circular seal with the Pallava emblem of a couchant <hi rend="bold">bull</hi> facing the proper left and another figure resembling an anchor above it. The inscription opens with an invocation to Bhagavat (Vishṇu), like the Māṅgaḷūr and Pīkira grants of the same king. The genealogy of Siṁhavarman, son of Yuva-Mahārāja Vishṇugōpa, is traced from Vīravarman, the great-grandfather. The record is dated in the <hi rend="bold">10th year</hi> of the king in the month of Śrāvaṇa, śu., pañchamī and registers a royal grant of the village <hi rend="bold">Viḻavaṭṭi</hi> in Muṇḍa-rāshṭra with all the taxes due on it, to Vishṇuśarman of the Gautama-gōtra and the Chhandōga-(sūtra), for securing long life, strength of arms and victory to the king.</p>

<p>From this record it is learnt that the king collected taxes from metal and leather workers, cloth-dealers, rope-jugglers or dancers, Ājīvikas, water-diviners, weavers, gamblers, barbers, etc.</p>

<p>The grant was issued from <hi rend="bold">Paddukkara</hi> which has been identified with Paḍugupāḍu in the Kovur taluk of the Nellore district. The oral order of the king regarding this gift was committed to writing by the <hi rend="italic">Rahasyādhikṛita</hi> (Private Secretary) Achyuta.</p>

<p>The village Viḻavaṭṭi in Muṇḍa-rāshṭra has been identified with either Vavvēru where the plates were discovered, or with greater probability, with Viḍavalūru, both situated in the Kovur taluk of the Nellore district.</p>

</summary>

</msContents>

<p/>

</handDesc>

</physDesc>

</msDesc>

</sourceDesc>

</fileDesc>

<change who="part:emfr" when="2025-05-05" status="draft">Further conversion of digital encoding to DHARMA encoding scheme according to EGD (Encoding Guide for Diplomatic Editions)</change>

<change who="part:mime" when="2025-04-29" status="draft">Conversion of digital encoding to DHARMA encoding scheme according to EGD (Encoding Guide for Diplomatic Editions)</change>

</revisionDesc>

</teiHeader>

<body>

<p>Published<note>See also <hi rend="italic">Journal of the Madras University,</hi> Vol. XII, No. 1.</note> in <hi rend="italic">Epigraphia Indica,</hi> Vol. XXIV, p. 296 ff.</p>

</div>

<p>Digital edition of SII 12.5 by <bibl><ptr target="bib:VenkatasubbaAyyar1943_01"/></bibl> converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.</p>

</bibl>

</listBibl>

<bibl/>

</listBibl>

</div>

</body>

</text>

</TEI>