The world renowned
Copper plate is the greatest honor received by the Jewry of Malabar. Granted to
the Yemeni Jewish merchant Joseph Rabban, the privileges were granted to him
and his successors who took abode in coast of Malabar. It was always my long desire
to see these copper plates. I believe seeing this copperplate itself is a
privilege, ultimately I got a chance to see those copper plates. Unfortunately
I couldn’t procure a photograph of that, either explain much about the event;
as per the humble request from the present custodian of the copper plate. Might
be due to some security reasons, anyway I am bound to do so. It was a great
experience to examine the copper plates, Elkan. N. Adler’s narration about it
was similar to what I saw there.
Jacky Cohen with the Copper plates.
Photo courtesy www.glowimages.com
“It consists of three
strips of copper, one of which is blank, one etched on both sides, and the
third on one side only. The characters are made legible by being rubbed with
whitening. The copper plates have a round hole in the corner, through which a
string was passed to tie them together under seal, but the seal is lost. They
are now kept together by a thin and narrow copper band, which just fits."
This legendary scene of
grant is always shrouded with mystery and contradictions. The contradiction
would have turn out after the arrival of “Big Sahib from London.”
Rev. Claudius Buchanan
It was during 1806-07,
Rev/Dr. Claudius Buchanan visited Jews of Malabar. He had collected (in 1806
AD) many manuscripts from them and deposited (in 1809 AD) in Cambridge
University. But those manuscripts, even though some are of great antiquity
could be counted along with the other Syrian manuscripts that he procured from
Syrian Christians of Malabar, worthwhile as it is preserved and well documented
in University of Cambridge.
Dr. Francis Day’s
comment in his book “The Land of perumal”, (Page 341)
“The white Jews possess
three copper plates,* looking as if they had been taken from a ship’s side, ¼
by 1/8 of a yard in size. The
outer one has no inscription.”
For foot note to the
copper plate:
“*The Rev. C. Buchanan,
states that the original plate was of brass, and engraved on both sides. He had
facsimile made from it, on two copper plates, which he deposited in the
University of Cambridge. The carving of the original, is said to have looked
very old that on the present plates, certainly does not do so. If the plate at
Cambridge is of brass, and engraved on both the sides, it may perhaps be
concluded, that Dr. Buchanan returned the new plates to Jews, and kept the old
one.”
This comment of Francis
Day makes us to rethink about the authenticity of the copper plate in
possession of Paradesi Jews.
The narration of
Claudius Buchanan in his book “Christian researches in Asia: with notices of
the translation of the scriptures into the oriental
languages.” (Page 220 and Page 222)
made to think the same.
‘On my inquiry into the
antiquity of the White Jews, they first delivered to me a narrative, in the
Hebrew language, of their arrival in India, which has been handed down to them
from their fathers and then exhibited their ancient brass Plate, containing
their charter and freedom of residence, given by a King of Malabar. The
following is the narrative of the events relating to their first arrival……”
“I had employed,
by their permission an engraver at Cochin to execute a facsimile of the
original plate, on copper*”
With a mark of foot note
added later mentioning “*the original is engraved on both sides of the
plate, the facsimile forms two plates. These are now deposited in the Public
Library at the University of Cambridge.”
The scope of suspicion
is in the usage of words “Brass” and “Copper”. And he mentions that the
original brass was forms one plate by etched on both sides and copper forms
two.
Was it purposefully used
here? To make a point that the original charter is made of brass and the
facsimile of it made at Cochin is of copper, to create an ambiguity to the
antiquity of the plate. He clearly mentions
“ancient brass plate”
and
“to execute a
facsimile of the original plate, on copper”
So what with the
brass plate as mentioned by him, is that a general ignorance or any constituted
conspiracy?
Getting a lead from
this, I enquired to Cambridge University. Ms. Catherine Ansorge, Head of Near
Eastern Department, (manuscripts and printed Collections, Cambridge University
Library) replied by a personal mail about the MsOo.1.14, Charter of Jews of
Cochin, which was submitted by Dr. Claudius Buchanan.
“Oo.1.14 - the texts are
all written on rectangles of copper. I do not know of any studies which have
been carried out on these” thus confirmed the plate
deposited by Claudius Buchanan is also copper.
We could have consider
it as a general ignorance or confusion happened to a foreigner, as in ancient
India the grants were generally etched in copper plates, known as Tamra
sasanam, Tamra pathram, Sasanam, Cheppad etc where Tamra or Tamram means
copper. Because in Michael Sargon’s note ( probably would have happened in 1820
AD) on “account of their history by an old black Jew” (From Chinotta now known
as Chennamangalam) mention the same plate as brass plate.
“that they had a brass
plate and various books, which they had preserved and kept in this (Chinotta)
synagogue, from whence the white Jews came with power and took away from them,
when the Dutch were in possession of Cochin”
Here the usage of word
“brass” by Sargon would be a general ignorance as we could not find that
neither the Jew from chinotta nor Sargon would have any benefit like Buchanan.
But Buchanan mentions about both copper and brass, in the very same book it could
not counted as a general ignorance or confusion. We have to really look into
that to understand more about his intentions…..
But a rare Dutch
abstract record of the “Hebrew Chronicles” found in custody Jews of Cochin,
translation by Leopold Emanuel Jacob Van Dort (AD 1757), a Jewish convert to
Christian says in his note that “The ruler of land
Sheram Perimal welcomed them, and favoured them with various privileges, which
were engraven on two table of copper, which are to this day in Cochin, and are
kept by Joseph Halogua, the present Nasi among the people, which I saw
translated.”
Van Dort, had seen the
copper plate in the possession of Paradesi Jews and it was during the reign of
Dutch in cochin. We could read those lines of the Jew from chinotta and of Van
Dort together, that Joseph Halogua the Nasi/Mudaliyar came with power and took
the copper plate with them. Were in records it belonged to white Jews.
Elkan Nathan Adler
Concerning this
copper-plate, Mr. Adler (1909 AD) writes that “the white Jews say that they
have always held it; the black Jews contend that it was originally theirs. The
title-deed is quaint in many ways.”
Here again Adler takes
us to a different point but concerning the antiquity of the copper plate “The title-deed is
quaint in many ways”
Ruby Daniel’s claim
about the plate makes us to think more about it and finally nails the issue
“Non-Paradesi Jews will
tell you that when officials visited the Paradesi synagogue it was custom to
borrow the copper plates from the other Jewish community to show off, as if the
copper plate actually belonged to the Paradesis. Thus it happened when one
British officer visited the Paradesi synagogue, he was shown the copper plate
as usual. But this fellow, unlike the others, took a great interest in them and
would not hand them back. He said that such things of historical value should
be under the direct protection of the government. He wanted the plates to be
taken to London. When Paradesis protested, he said that he would make a copy of
them and send the original back. But the big sahib (Englishman) did not keep
his word. The true owners of the plates started pressing the Paradesis, and in
turn they pressed the sahib, till at last he sent the copy to them and kept
original, which he said is in a museum in London. When Paradesis gave the copy
to the owners, the latter refused to accept the copy and insisted on the
original, which the Paradesi people could not obtain. So Paradesis kept the
copy while the true owners were left with nothing- neither the original nor the
copy. In course of time the whole affair was forgotten, and the copper plates
stayed in the Paradesi synagogue and no one challenged their authenticity or
which community was the legitimate owner of the original copper plates.
Something to this effect
was published in the book from Cochin to the land of Israel by the people of
Nevatim Moshav, when they celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of their
immigration to Israel. I heard a protest from a Paradesi family here in Israel.
They said that the official who was mentioned did not take the copper plates
away with him and that what they have got now in the Paradesi synagogue in
Cochin is the original, and the copper plates originally belonged to the
Paradesis. If there is anymore who really cares to know the truth, I suggest
they go and check”
Analyzing all these
together we could relate that British officer/Big Sahib (Englishman) mentioned
by Ruby is the very same Claudius Buchanan. And it is clear that the museum
mentioned is Cambridge University library (A catalogue titled "Hebrew
manuscripts at Cambridge university library: a description and
introduction" 1997, which had listed a Charter of Jews of Cochin as
Oo.1.14, SCR 1005, HL1000, Malayalam.).
But why he has to
mention about a “single piece of brass plate” were Van Dort’s testimony made 50
years before him clearly mentions it is two tables of copper. Were we have to
believe Buchanan fabricated a delusion that the original plates was of brass
and facsimile was of copper, were his brass plate story is a clear trickery.
With that he created an obscurity in everybody’s mind and he have taken
the original copper plate with him and left the duplicate copper plate with the
Paradesis as narrated by Ruby Daniel. This might be the reason why Adler says “The title-deed is
quaint in many ways”.
But we will not come to
a conclusion unless and until the copper plates in possession of Paradesi
synagogue and one in Cambridge university is subjected to studies. I would like
to repeat what Ruby told “If there is anymore who really cares to know the
truth, I suggest they go and check”
Reference.
Castes and tribes of
Southern India by Edgar Thurston, Volume 2, 1909.
The Jew being a defense
of Judaism again, Volume 2.
Ruby of cochin, An indian jewish women remembers, 2001
