Netherlands Returns 1,000-Year-Old Chola Copper Plates to India
During an official visit to the Netherlands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with the 11th-century Chola Copper Plates by Leiden University authorities. These historic royal charters, known as the Leiden Copper Plates, had been preserved at the University’s Asian Library for over a century and represent a significant achievement in cultural cooperation and heritage restitution between India and the Netherlands. The collection, comprising inscriptions in Sanskrit and Tamil, offers invaluable insights into the Chola Empire’s administration, economy, and its extensive maritime and diplomatic ties with Southeast Asia.
John Q. Hosedrinker