Chola-era Anaimangalam Plates, in possession of Leiden University since 1862, returned to India

Chola-era plates, currently in the possession of Leiden University in the Netherlands, has been returned to India. The plates were presented on Saturday (May 16, 2026) during a formal ceremony in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in The Hague. They will be officially transferred to India at a later date.

The plates, also known as the Anaimangalam Plates, were lost around 300 years ago and have reportedly been in the possession of the university since 1862. They are considered important sources of royal charters in south India and provide valuable historical information about the relationship between the Chola and Srivijaya Empires. The plates together weigh around 30 kg.

The charter contains two sections — one in Sanskrit and another in Tamil — and the 21 copper plates are held together by a massive bronze ring bearing the royal seal of Rajendra Chola. The inscriptions deal with the genealogy of the Chola dynasty and the reign of King Rajaraja I (985–1014 CE), the father of Rajendra Chola I (1012–1044 CE). The charter records that 26 villages surrounding Anaimangalam were donated for a Buddhist shrine (vihara), known as Chulamanivarmavihara, built by the Malay king of Srivijaya in Nagapattinam, a port town on the Coromandel Coast.

In the summer of 2023, the Indian government submitted a request to Leiden University seeking the return of the plates. An investigation found that the plates were likely excavated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Nagapattinam between 1687 and 1700 and removed from India without the consent of the rightful owners. The Colonial Collections Committee concluded that the removal amounted to involuntary loss of possession and recommended their unconditional return to India. Leiden University accepted the recommendation.

“For more than a decade, we have campaigned for the return of the two sets of Chola copper plates housed at Leiden University Library in the Netherlands,” said S. Vijay Kumar, cultural enthusiast and co-founder of India Pride. “In June 2018, I had the opportunity to see the plates in person. It was a deeply moving experience. For years, I have read about them, written about them and argued for their return. But standing before the plates was something else,” he said.

He said the provenance records at Leiden leave several questions unanswered. “The records state that the charters were brought from India to the Netherlands, but the circumstances surrounding their removal remain unclear. The provenance note says the two charters were brought to the Netherlands by Florentius Camper, a Minister of Faith in Batavia in the early 18th Century. However, it does not explain how he acquired them, from whom, under what authority, or with whose consent,” he said.

The plates will be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in New Delhi. The ASI, which functions under the Union Ministry of Culture, will decide whether and where the objects will be exhibited in India.

“The record is important not only for Chola history but also for the history of Indian Ocean connections. It shows a Tamil Saivite imperial court supporting a Buddhist institution linked to Southeast Asian royalty. It is evidence of religious coexistence, maritime diplomacy, and cultural exchange in the 11^th Century. The plates therefore cannot be understood merely as antiquities. They are part of the documentary archive of a maritime empire,” Mr. Vijay Kumar added.

‘A joyous moment’

Reacting to the return of the Anaimangalam Plates on a social media post later in the day, Mr. Modi termed it a “joyous moment for every Indian” and thanked the Government of the Netherlands and Leiden University.

(With inputs from PTI)