VIRUDHUNAGAR:While many historical artifacts are left unpreserved, the people of Paavali village near here have taken steps to preserve an 18th Century copper plate bearing a warning message from the then British government after Kattabomman was hanged.
After the Kattabomman was exected in 1799, a rectangular copper plate inscribed with a warning message in Tamil was put up at several fiefs (palayam) including Paavali, based on the order of Major Bannerman. The copper plate says that people working against the government and those who are in possession of weapons will be punished. If the government finds any such weapons in people’s houses, they will be executed, reads the warning.
The people from the village have preserved the plate considering its historical importance. Panchayat president K Nagaraj said that the copper plate was placed in the village in the year 1799 and shows the historical importance of the village. The people of the village feel proud about the artifact though it bears a warning message against their own people, he said.
He added that he planned to preserve the plate in the village with the help of Virudhunagar Union Chairman Kalanidhi and M Anburaj. “We chipped in money from our pockets and constructed a compound wall around the copper plate. As it has become old, we have inscribed the message it contains on a stone that is placed outside the compound wall,” Nagaraj said.
Veteran folklorist A Sivasubramanian said that the British government had placed warning messages in copper plates in several areas. “Even after the execution of Kattabomman, they had a fear that several others like him may rise in the fiefs. Due to this, they started destroying forts and seizing weapons from people,” he said.