# Old Malayalam

Old Malayalam, or Early Malayalam, the inscriptional variety found in Kerala from c. mid-9th to c. 13th century CE, is the earliest attested form of Malayalam language. The language was employed in several administrative records and transactions (at the level of the medieval Chera kings as well as the upper-caste village temples). Old Malayalam was mostly written in Vatteluttu script (with additional Pallava/Southern Grantha characters). Old Malayalam was called "Tamil" by the people of south India for many centuries.
The existence of Old Malayalam is sometimes disputed by scholars. They regard the medieval Chera inscriptional variety [of the vernacular] as a diverging dialect or variety of medieval Tamil. Thus Old Malayalam was also described by as "Tamil", or as "the western dialect of Tamil" or as the "mala-nattu Tamil" (a "desya-bhasa").

## History

The start of the development of Old Malayalam from a dialect of contemporary [medieval] Tamil can be dated to c. 7th - 8th century CE. It remained a west coast dialect until c. 9th century CE or a little later.
The formation of the language is mainly attributed to geographical separation of Kerala from the Tamil country and the influence of immigrant Tulu-Canarese Brahmins in Kerala (who also knew Sanskrit and Prakrit).
The later evolution of Old Malayalam is visible in the inscriptions dated to c. 9th to c. 12th century CE.

### Literature

There is no Old Malayalam literature preserved from this period (c. 9th to c. 12th century AD). Some of the earliest extant Malayalam literary compositions appear after the early medieval period. Malayalam was historically noted for its diglossia, or existence of different varieties of the language (the prestige form, literary form, formal variety, and common colloquial dialect).

## Differences from medieval Tamil

Although Old Malayalam closely resembles contemporary [medieval] Tamil it also shows characteristic new features. Major differences between Old Malayalam (the Chera inscriptional language) and contemporary [medieval] inscriptional/literary Tamil of the eastern country are:
* Nasalization of adjoining sounds
* Substitution of palatal sounds for dental sounds
* Contraction of vowels
* Rejection of gender verbs

## Old Malayalam inscriptions

Some of the discovered inscriptions in Old Malayalam are listed below on the basis of their expected chronological order, also including their locations and key contents. Most of them are written in a mixture of Vatteluttu and Grantha scripts.
| Inscription | Location | Notes |
| Quilon Syrian copper plates- near Kollam (849/850 CE) | Kollam Port | A royal grant issued by the chieftain of Kollam (Ayyan Adikal) to a Syrian Christian merchant magnate (Mar Sapir Iso) in Kerala. The sixth plate contains a number of signatures of the witnesses to the grant in Arabic (Kufic script), Middle Persian (cursive Pahlavi script) and Judeo-Persian (standard square Hebrew script). Also mentions about the Jews and Muslims of Kerala in the signatures in Arabic (Kufic script), Middle Persian (cursive Pahlavi script) and Judeo-Persian (standard square Hebrew script) scripts. |
| Vazhappally copper plate Inscription - near Vazhappally (882/883 CE) | The inscription was discovered by V. Srinivasa Sastri from Talamana Illam near Changanassery. The plate is owned by Muvidathu Madham, Thiruvalla. | King Rajasekhara is described as "Sri, Raja Rajadhiraja, Parameswara Bhattaraka, Rajashekhara Deva" and "the Perumal Atikal". The fines for those who obstruct the daily worship in the temple are also prescribed. Also mentions a coin called "dinara". |
| Sukapuram inscription - near Ponnani (9th/10th century CE) | Sukapuram Dakshinamoorthy Temple | Recently discovered from Sukapuram. |
| Chokkur inscription (Chokoor, Puthur village) - near Koduvally (920 CE) | Single granite slab in courtyard of the Chokkur Temple. | A person known as Karkottupurathu Kadamba Kumara establishes "Kumara-Narayana-Pura Temple" by a land grant. Earliest record to refer the 'Agreement of Muzhikkulam'. |
| Nedumpuram Thali inscription, Thichoor Wadakkanchery (922 CE) | Thali inscriptions of Cochin State - two granite slabs fixed into the half wall in the entrance corridor on the left side of Nedumpuram Thali. | Dated in Kali Year 4030 (=929/30 CE) Two halves of the record on two separate slabs (one with the regnal year and the other one with the date in Kali Era) were initially registered separately. Council is the chieftain of Vembanadu (Alappuzha) called Goda Ravi. Mentions the Nangaimar (dancing girls) of the Nedumpuram Thali. |
| Avittathur inscription (925 CE) | Single granite slab paved in the courtyard of the Avittathur Temple near the sopana. | Mentions the Cheraman Maha Devi (the Chera queen) - only record mentioning a Chera queen from Kerala. Council is attended by the chieftain of Valluvanad (the Rayira Ravar). |
| Ramanthali/Ezhimala-Narayankannur inscription (Plate I - 929 CE and Plate II - 1075 CE) | Ramanthali, near Ezhimala. A single granite slab in the courtyard of the Narayankannur Temple. | Mentions Mushika Validhara Vikrama Rama. The so-called Agreement of Muzhikkulam is quoted in the record. Merchant guild manigramam is appointed as the guardian of the Narayankannur Temple. Mentions the King Kunda Alupa, the ruler of Alupa dynasty of Mangalore. |
| Triprangode inscription (932 CE) | Originally in Sri Krishna shrine, Triprangode Shiva Temple - Triprangode- now in Archeological Museum, Trichur. | Mentions the Agreement of Thavanur. Council is attended by the Ala-koyil (a Chera prince). |
| Poranghattiri inscription (Chaliyar) (932 CE) | Single granite slab in the courtyard of the Poranghattiri Temple. | Cites the Agreement of Muzhikkulam. Council is attended by the Koyil and the Ala-koyil (members of the Chera royal family). |
| Indianur inscription (Kottakkal) (932 CE) | Originally at Indianur Temple - now in Department of History, Calicut University. | A slab with inscriptions two separate Chera-Perumals on either side. Council is attended by the Koyil (a Chera prince). |
| Thrippunithura inscription (935 CE) | Originally from Santhana Gopalakrishna Temple, Thrippunithura - now in Archeological Museum, Trichur. | Latest regnal year Kota Ravi mentioned in the inscriptions. Council is attended by Ravi Aditya, a minister and a Chera prince. Kota Ravi was initially identified as the brother-in-law of Jatavarman Kulasekhara Deva. |
| Panthalayani Kollam inscription (973 CE) | Single stone slab in the upper frame of the srikoyil (central shrine) entrance in Tali temple. | Name of the king – probably Bhaskara Ravi Manukuladitya (962–1021 CE) – is built over by the present structure. |
| Mampalli copper plate inscription (974 CE) | Originally owned by Mampalli Madhom, near Thiruvananthapuram (now at Padmanabhapuram Museum). | Contains two royal deeds by the chiefly family of Venad. Records a donation from the chiefly family of Venad to the Chengannur Temple. The inscription is the earliest found epigraphical record to mention the Kollam Era. |
| Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque inscription (10th century CE) | On the granite blocks built into the steps of the ablution tank of the Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque | A rare surviving document recording patronage by a Hindu king (Bhaskara Ravi) (961-1021 CE) to the Mappila Muslims of Kerala. It also mentions about a merchant guild. |
| Eramam inscription (1020 CE) | Eramam, near Payyanur. A single slab in the site of the ruined Chalappuram Temple. |
| Pullur Kodavalam inscription (1020 CE) | Pullur, near Kanhangad. | Engraved on a single stone slab in the courtyard of the Pullur Kodavalam Vishnu Temple Mentions Chera Perumal king Bhaskara Ravi Manukuladitya (962–1021 CE). Identified king Manukuladitya with king Bhaskara Ravi. |
| Tiruvadur inscription (c. 1020 CE) | Partly in the courtyard of the temple on either side of the sopana. Partly in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. | Creation and endowment of a grama (Brahmin settlement) with members chosen from some old grama settlements from central Kerala (Vaikom, Paravur, Avittathoor, Irinjalakuda and Peruvanam). The engraver is mentioned as Rama Jayamani, the "royal goldsmith of the Mushika king [Jayamani]". |
| Trichambaram inscription (c. 1040 CE) | Three blocks of granite on the base of the central shrine of the temple. | Mentions Chera Perumal king Raja Raja (c. 1036–1089 CE). Mentions Chera Perumal king Bhaskara Ravi Manukuladitya (962–1021 CE) and Iramakuta Muvar Kantan Karivarman (Srikantha Kartha) (c.1020 CE). Mentions the merchants guilds of Valanchiyar and Nanadeyar. Mentions Rajendra Chola Samaya Senapati from Katappa Palli. |
| Maniyur inscription (c. 11th century) | Single stone slab outside the prakara (outer wall) of the temple. | Confirms the extension of the so-called Agreement of Muzhikkulam to Mushika country. |
| Kinalur inscription (c. 1083 CE) | Both sides of a single granite slab in site of the ruined (now lost) Kinalur Jain Temple near Kozhikode. The estampage can be found in Government Epigraphist's Office, Mysore. | Mentions Arappan Kunchi, the chief of Kurumbranad. Arappan Kunchi, the chief of Kurumbranad, donated lands to Kunavaynallur (Jain temple) and leased them out to Chathan Arukkadi of Tiruvanchikkalam, and Kuntan Chirunankai and Chathan Chirukanthan. Manukulai-chekara-nallur (Jain temple) is mentioned. Munnutruvar, the Three Hundred (probably the second Hundred of Kurumbranad), and Muvayiravar (the Three Thousand) are mentioned. |
| Panthalayani Kollam inscription (c. 1089 CE) | Single granite slab in the courtyard of the Panthalayani Kollam Bhagavati temple. The record was destroyed. | Mentions Chera Perumal king Rama Kulasekhara (1089–1122 CE). The location given as "Kollathu Panthalayani". |
| Tiruvalla Copper Plates (Huzur Treasury Plates) (10th-11th centuries CE) | Tiruvalla | Presence of a Ramakuta Muvar (as a donor to the Tiruvalla temple). |
| Kannapuram inscription (beginning of the 12th century) | Single stone slab fixed on a platform outside the prakara (outer wall) of the Kannapuram temple. | Ramakuta Muvar Udaya Varma is mentioned. |
| Muchundi Mosque inscription (Kozhikode) (beginning of the 13th century) | The highly damaged, worn and fragmentary donative inscription is engraved on a granite stone slab (slab is seen as fixed on the wall at Mosque Muchundi). | Written in a mixture of Old Malayalam (Vattezhuthu and Grantha scripts) and Arabic language. The Old Malayalam portion of the inscription describes the assignment of revenues accruing from certain lands for the expenditure of Muchundi Mosque. Mentions two local place names, "Kunnamangalam and "Pulikkizhu". The second half, which is the Arabic portion, starts with the opening prayer from Qur'an. The inscription says that certain Shahab al-din Raihan purchased the piece of land and constructed thereon the mosque, and made provision for its imam and mua'dhdhin. |
| Viraraghava copper plates inscription (1225 CE) | Near Kodungallur. | Describe the concession made by the local king Viraraghava to a merchant Iravikorttan (Syrian Christian merchant) the chief of Manigramam, a prominent merchant guild, in Makotaiyar Pattinam (modern Kodungallur). Mentions about the Nambudiri Brahmins of Panniyur and Chovvara. The small states of Eranad, Odanad, Valluvanad, and Venad, are also mentioned. Viraraghava is described as the descendant of certain Virakerala and Iravikorttan is described as "the Great Merchant (Chetti) of the Chera/Kerala Land". |

## Gallery

* Maniyur inscription
* Muchundi Mosque inscription (Kozhikode)
* Vazhappally copper plate (Rama Rajasekhara)
* Quilon Syrian copper plates (Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara)
* Quilon Syrian copper plates (plates 1 and 4)
* Quilon Syrian copper plates (plate 6)
* Tiruvalla copper plates
* Perunna inscription (Rama Kulasekhara)
* Viraraghava copper plates (Viraraghava)
* Mampalli copper plate (Srivallabhan Kotha)