Indian Prime Minister Modi in The Hague, Dutch university returns 'Chola Plates' to India
Leiden University is returning two historic copper plates, known as the Chola Plates, to India. The university’s executive board took the decision following advice from the Dutch Committee on Colonial Collections, which concluded that the objects had been removed from India without consent during the colonial period.
The plates have been in the university’s possession since 1862 and were symbolically presented on Saturday during a ceremony in The Hague attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Jetten. The formal transfer will take place at a later date.
Colonial past
India submitted an official restitution request in the summer of 2023. In response, the university commissioned independent provenance research and sought advice from the national Committee on Colonial Collections.
That research indicates the plates were likely unearthed in the late 17th century in the South Indian city of Nagapattinam, then part of the trading network of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
The committee concluded that the objects left the country without the consent of their original owners, describing the case as one of “involuntary loss of possession”. It therefore recommended their unconditional return to India.
Significant historical value
The Chola Plates consist of two sets of copper plates inscribed with texts dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. They include royal decrees concerning the revenue rights of Buddhist institutions in South India and provide insight into historical relations between the Chola and Srivijaya empires.
According to the university, the plates are important historical sources that have long been made available for academic research and public exhibitions.
‘Logical step’
Luc Sels, chair of Leiden University’s executive board, described the decision as a logical outcome of the advisory process.
“We respect the findings of the research and are fully cooperating with the restitution. These objects are of great historical importance to India and belong there,” Sels said.
Transfer to India
After the handover, the Chola Plates will be transferred to the Archaeological Survey of India, the country’s leading authority on archaeological research and heritage management. The agency will decide where the objects will be displayed.
Alongside the physical artefacts, Leiden University will also provide documentation and metadata. Digital versions will remain available for research and educational purposes in the Netherlands.
The return of the Chola Plates is one of the latest examples of Dutch institutions repatriating cultural artefacts acquired in a colonial context to their countries of origin.
