The Kollam (Quilon) Syrian copper plates, also known as the Kollam Tarisappalli copper plates, or Kottayam inscription of Sthanu Ravi, or Tabula Quilonensis[1] (c. 849 CE[2]) is an Indian copper plate inscription which documents a royal grant issued by Ayyan Adikal, the chieftain of Kollam, to a Syrian Christian merchant in Kerala named Mar Sapir Iso.

[3][4] The inscription — notably incomplete[5] — is engraved on five copper plates (four horizontal and on vertical) in Old Malayalam using Vattezhuthu script with some Grantha characters.

[6] The charter is dated to the fifth regnal year of Chera Perumal ruler Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara (849/850 CE).

The copper plates also refer to the presence of Jewish and Muslim communities in Kerala, as seen in the sections written in Arabic, Middle Persian, and Judeo-Persian languages.

[11][2] It was drafted in the presence of Chera Perumal prince Vijayaraga, Venad chieftain Ayyan Adikal Thiruvadikal, junior chieftain Rama Thiruvadikal, other important officers of the chiefdom (the adhikarar, the prakrithi, the punnathala padi, and the pulakkudi padi) and the representatives of merchant guilds anjuvannam and manigramam.

[11][2] Sapir Iso also recruited two merchant guilds (the anjuvannam and the manigramam) as the tenants of the nagara (the karanmai).

This included personnel like agricultural laborers (the vellalars), carpenters (the thachar), the ezhavar and salt-makers (the eruviyar[8]).

No Talaikkanam or Enikkanam or Manaimeypan Kollum irai or Cantan mattu menipponnu or Polipponnu or Iravu Coru or Kutanali shall be collected from any of these people.

Maruvan Sapir Iso caused Ayyan Atikal Tiruvatikal to grant these privileges to the church of Tarsa.

The Ancuvannam and Manikkiramam shall serve these people as mentioned in the copper-plates as long as the world, the moon and the sun endure.

Ayyan Atikal Tiruvati, Rama Tiruvati, Prakriti, Adhikarar, Arunurruvar, Punnaittalai Pati, and Pulaikkuti Pati sitting together with Koyil Adhikarikal Vijayaragadeva, conferred on these people the seventy two privileges beginning with earth and water on elephant back for marriages.

The Ancuvannam and Manikkiramam shall enjoy all these privileges and act according to the copper-plates as long as the world, the moon and the sun endure.

The Ancuvannam and Manikkiramam who took up the tenancy of the Nagaram with libation of water shall themselves enquire into offences committed by their people.

[5] The interrupted content of plate 4 continues in du Perron’s French text (with the names of seventeen local notables, some of whom were mentioned earlier).

[5] This grant was issued by an unidentified Chera Perumal king to the Christian merchants in the city of "Makotayar Pattinam" (Mahodayapuram, present day Kodungallur).

Quilon Syrian copper plates also contain an indication to the presence of a previous grant (with rights bestowed upon the Christians by the Chera king at Mahodayapuram).

[14][15][1] French text of du Perron (translation): [16] “The history of the founding of the town of Cranganore when Pattanam was the City, (he) visited, revered and requested the Emperor and the Minister at Kolla Kodungalloor for a marsh where thickets grow.

The same day that place was called Makothevar pattanam (the town of the Great God), and it was made the city (capital).

From there privileges such as drawbridge at gates, ornamented arches, mounted horse with two drums, cheers, conch blowing, salutes were granted in writing to the Christian foreigner called Knaye Thoma with sacred threat and libation of water and flower.