Four of the newly discovered plates date from the brief 13-month reign of Vikramaditya II, providing rare insights into a previously little-understood period.
Published Aug 30, 2025 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 30, 2025 | 12:00 PM
Kodad's 9 copper plate sets
Synopsis: The Archaeological Survey of India in July unearthed nine sets of copper plates at a Muslim graveyard in Kodad, Telangana, dating to the 9th and 10th centuries CE. Inscribed in Sanskrit using Telugu script, the plates shed light on the Vengi Chalukyas and early Kakatiyas. Dr K Munirathnam Reddy, Director of Epigraphy at the ASI, discusses the discovery, the painstaking restoration, and the historical significance of these long-hidden artefacts.
In July, a team from the Archaeological Survey of India discovered nine sets of copper plates in a Muslim graveyard in Kodad, southeastern Telangana, near the Andhra Pradesh border. The plates, inscribed in Sanskrit using Telugu script, date back to the 9th and 10th centuries CE. They offer insights into the reign of the Vengi Chalukyas and the early Kakatiyas.
Dr Munirathnam
“Our team was in Gundaram forest, studying some stone inscriptions. On our way back, I received a call that copper plates had been uncovered at a Muslim graveyard in Kodad. By the time I boarded my flight back to Mysuru, I had already begun examining the photos that had been shared with me,” says Dr K Munirathnam Reddy, Director of Epigraphy at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
“Once we had a sense of their significance, members of our team were sent to Kodad to study the site and the artefacts. We must thank the local Collector and Superintendent of Police; without their initiative, we might not have been able to act so quickly. Preliminary analysis suggested the plates had been buried about 500 years ago. Interestingly, while the graveyard itself may only be about 100–150 years old, these copper plates predate it by centuries. They had remained hidden all this while, waiting to be unearthed.”
A native of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, Dr Munirathnam has been with the ASI for nearly three decades, overseeing discoveries ranging from inscriptions in temples to those in mosques, published two books on coinage–The Gold Coins of Srivaru and The Silver Coins of Srivaru–and guided his department to produce 44 publications in just the past year.
“Whenever they find something, I get the first call to decipher it,” he says with a hint of pride. In a conversation with South First, Dr Munirathnam shares what the discovery tells us about the era it belongs to, and the painstaking work that goes into restoration and translation.
Edited excerpts follow.
Q: What makes Kodad special? How did the plates end up there?
If we go back to the scriptures of the Vengi Chalukya era, we see references to Nelakondapalli–just a short distance from modern-day Kodad–as an administrative hub. Both the early Kakatiyas and the Vengi Chalukyas ruled from that region. That gives us a historical framework for why these plates might have been buried there.
Kodad’s nine copper plate sets
As to why they were hidden, we don’t have conclusive evidence. But from what we know, I theorise it has something to do with transitions in kingship. Our estimates suggest these plates were buried around the time the Nizams began their rule. It’s possible they were hidden either out of fear of religious persecution or simply to safeguard them from confiscation. Without doubt, they were considered valuable records, worth protecting even if that meant burying them in secrecy.
Q: What do these nine sets tell us about the era they belong to?
These copper plates essentially functioned like today’s land deeds. They were legal documents, inscribed on durable metal, recording ownership and transfers of land. That makes them immensely important for understanding the administrative and social systems of their time.
Greenish copper plate before restoration
Till now, we have found about 140–150 copper plates relating to the Vengi Chalukyas. To suddenly come across nine more is extraordinary, especially because they fill gaps in our knowledge about rulers for whom we had very little evidence.
For instance, four of these plates come from the reign of Vikramaditya II, a king who ruled for barely 13 months. Until now, we have had very few artefacts from his short reign. These plates change that. A few others narrate the story of a warrior who fought valiantly for the Vengi Chalukyas, earning not only their recognition but also land grants.
These plates give us a glimpse into the society of the 9th century–the political churn, the valorisation of warriors, and the systems of landholding. Such stories deserve to be preserved and celebrated. They form part of our shared history, something that future generations should cherish.
Q: What was the process of restoring the plates and copying the inscriptions like?
Restoration is a delicate and costly process. Copper, when buried for centuries, develops a greenish corrosion. We had to use chemical treatments to clean these plates. Since the facilities weren’t available locally, the artefacts were moved to the ASI’s Science Wing in Hyderabad.
Personnel working on the inscription copying process
The nine sets together weighed nearly 29.4 kilograms. We spent about ₹3.5 lakh and 45 days on their restoration. ASI personnel worked closely with the state’s archaeology department to ensure the process was scientifically sound.
Once cleaned, we moved to the inscription-copying stage. Interestingly, we still follow the method first introduced by the British in 1886. We take a special paper, soak it in water, and press it carefully over the inscription. Then, by applying ink and gently tapping, we transfer the letters. For each plate, we make at least three copies to ensure accuracy.
These copies are then transported to Mysuru, where we house records of inscription copies dating all the way back to 1886. It’s a living archive of our past.
Q: Were there any challenges in translating the copper plates?
Translation wasn’t particularly challenging in this case. Most of our epigraphy experts come in with a foundation in ancient scripts and continue to deepen their knowledge on the job. The plates were inscribed in Sanskrit, using the local script of that time.
Scripts evolve, but usually over a span of 100–150 years. Such changes are manageable for us. When parts of inscriptions are physically damaged, we rely on grammar and syntax to reconstruct missing words or letters. It’s a bit like solving a puzzle, guided by linguistic logic.
So, while the restoration demanded time and resources, the deciphering itself was straightforward.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
