On 6 July 2023, the Indian government submitted a request to Leiden University to return the Chola Plates (object numbers Or.1687 and Or.1688), which are the property of the university and are held by the UBL.
Courtesy ULB
The repatriation of the Chola-period copper inscriptions, also known as the Leiden Plates, follows years of diplomatic engagement between India, the Dutch government and Leiden University, where the artefacts had remained for more than a century.
In advance, Leiden University had declared itself willing to commit to the outcome of the recommendation of the Colonial Collections Committee.
The copper plates record important agreements about the right of a Buddhist shrine and a number of monasteries in Nagapattinam in India to the revenue of villages.
- One object (Or.1687) comprises 21 copper plates held together by a bronze ring bearing the seal of King Rājendra Chola I, who reigned in the 11th century.
- Five plates contain Sanskrit inscriptions.
- 16 Plates contain inscriptions in Tamil.
- The other object (Or. 1688) comprises three copper plates also held together by a bronze ring – this time bearing the seal of King Kulōttunga Chola I (who reigned from 1070 to 1120) – and containing Tamil inscriptions.
The provenance investigation demonstrated that the Chola Plates were most likely excavated during the construction of Fort Vijf Sinnen and the redevelopment of the site at the ‘Chinese’ Pagoda in Nagapattinam in South Indiaby the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) between 1687 and 1700. The VOC exercised territorial authority in and around Nagapattinam.
The Colonial Collections Committee has determined that the Chola Plates left the area without the consent of the owners or rights holders at the time. The Chola Plates were carefully buried in the ground, most likely to protect them during a period of upheaval.
The committee considers it likely that the objects were subsequently brought to the Netherlands in 1712 by the Camper-Kettinghs – Florentius Camper was a pastor in Batavia.
PM Narendra Modi:
- A joyous moment for every Indian! The Chola Copper Plates are a set of 21 large plates and 3 small plates and largely contain texts in Tamil, one of the most beautiful languages of the world. They relate to the great Rajendra Chola I formalising an oral commitment made by his father, King Rajaraja I. They also showcase the greatness of the Cholas. We in India are immensely proud of the Cholas, their culture and their maritime prowess.
In the Dutch national daily, Trouw Vijay Kumar, who tracks down looted art with his organization India Pride Project,adds:
- The return of the Chola records is a “historic moment. But that alone is not enough. They must be preserved, digitized, translated, exhibited and explained. Because even today, villagers still name their children after [Chola prince] Rajendra. His memory is not dead. It lives on in the land, the temples and the names of the people.”
On 7 September 2026, the transfer took place in New Dehli:
Picture Tristan Mostert
