A stunning archaeological find of Chalukya copper plates in Telangana has raised more than just historical curiosity. Nine copper plates dating back to the Chalukyas of Vengi were unearthed from a Muslim graveyard in Kodad village. Moreover, these plates are believed to record ancient land grants and royal decrees. Currently, they are under conservation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). However, questions lingers: how did sacred Hindu relics end up buried in Islamic burial grounds?
Chalukya Legacy Unearthed in Suryapet
The ASI has begun cleaning and conserving nine rare Chalukya-era copper plate inscriptions recently unearthed. These plates are from a Muslim graveyard in Kodad village, Suryapet district. The ASI findings could add to the understanding of Bharat’s past, and the discovery could rewrite parts of Telangana’s early medieval history.
Preliminary analysis confirms these plates belong to the Chalukyas of Vengi, a dynasty that ruled large swathes of present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana between the 7th and 12th centuries CE.
According to ASI Epigraphy Director K. Munirathnam Reddy, once the chemical cleaning is completed, experts will take estampages. These are exact impressions of the inscriptions – for detailed study and transcription. Why is this significant? Because copper plates in ancient India were legal documents. Kings issued them to Brahmanas, temples, and institutions to record land grants, tax exemptions, or religious endowments.
Thus, these copper plates are not just historical records – they are symbols of state authority, continuity, and cultural memory.
The plates found in Kodad may contain vital information about land ownership, village structures, religious affiliations, and the administrative apparatus of the Chalukya era. Such inscriptions have helped historians trace dynastic lineages, local governance, and even language evolution in Southern India.
Muslim Grave Mystery: Why Were They Buried Here?
The copper plates were not discovered in a museum or a Hindu temple. They were found buried inside a Muslim graveyard. This fact opens a floodgate of questions. How did priceless Brahmanical land grants from a Hindu dynasty end up under Islamic burial grounds? Two plausible theories emerge:
- Historical Land Grab: The land on which the Muslim graveyard stands could have originally been part of a Hindu settlement. When Islamic rule expanded or conversions occurred, the land may have been forcefully taken or quietly repurposed. The plates -possibly discarded, buried, or concealed during this transition.
- Cultural Memory Preserved: An equally compelling theory is that a converted Hindu, whose ancestors were recipients of the grants, buried the plates out of reverence. Even after adopting Islam, he might have chosen to emotionally preserve his lineage’s legacy, hiding it in what is now a Muslim space.
Either way, the discovery suggests that the graveyard was once been Hindu land. It also reignites the debate on how religious transitions affected property, memory, and heritage across the Indian subcontinent.
Should the Graveyard Be Reclaimed or Reclassified?
The buried Chalukya era plates prove the land once held Hindu religious or administrative significance. Therefore, does the Hindu community have a claim to the site? Or should the ASI take full control to preserve the historical integrity of the find?
One thing is clear: this is not just about archaeology.
It’s about identity, continuity, and justice for forgotten legacies.
The presence of 800-year-old Hindu land grants in a Muslim graveyard is more than a coincidence. Instead, it’s a buried truth waiting to be acknowledged. As the inscriptions are deciphered and secrets unravel, India must ask: How many more such histories lie hidden under layers of silence?