More than 300 years after they were taken away from a remote site in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam, the 11th century Chola plates were handed over to India by the Netherlands on Saturday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, marking a significant milestone in New Delhi’s pitch for restitution of colonial pillage.

Behind the return of 30-kg Chola Plates is a foolproof provenance claim made by India and a national policy framed by the Dutch government for the return of colonial plunder. Even as they were handed over by Dutch PM Rob Jetten, the plates — in the possession of Leiden University since 1862 — will be returned to India in a few weeks, according to sources.

The restitution comes on the advice of the national Colonial Collections Committee of the Netherlands, they add, in response to a request by the Ministry of Culture in 2023, stating that the Copper Chola Plates originate from India and record important agreements about the right of a Buddhist shrine and a number of monasteries in Nagapattinam in India to the revenue of villages.

Calling it a joyous moment for every Indian, the PM said in a post on X, “… The Chola Copper Plates are a set of 21 large plates and 3 small plates and largely contain texts in Tamil, one of the most beautiful languages of the world. They relate to the great Rajendra Chola I formalising an oral commitment made by his father, King Rajaraja I. They also showcase the greatness of the Cholas. We in India are immensely proud of the Cholas, their culture and their maritime prowess.” He also thanked the Netherlands government and the Leiden University.

Thanking the PM, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on X, “This is a precious record of the great Chola kings Rajaraja and his successor Rajendra Chola, called Anaimangalam copper plates. You have relentlessly taken efforts to bring back valuable antiques.”

One object (origin: 1687) comprises 21 copper plates held together by a bronze ring bearing the seal of King Rājendra Chola I during his reign in the 11th century. Five plates contain Sanskrit inscriptions, and the remaining are in Tamil. The other object (origin: 1688) comprises three copper plates with Tamil inscriptions also held together by a bronze ring bearing the seal of King Kulōttunga Chola I (who ruled from 1070 to 1120).

According to a statement by Leiden University on Saturday, a Provenance investigation was launched. It also sought advice from the Colonial Collections Committee, which conducted another investigation, while taking the results of earlier research into account. In its advisory report, issued to Leiden University in 2025-end, the committee concluded that the Chola Plates should be returned to India.

As per the university statement, the provenance investigation demonstrated that the plates were most likely excavated during the construction of Fort Vijf Sinnen and the redevelopment of the site at the ‘Chinese’ Pagoda in Nagapattinam by the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) between 1687 and 1700. At the time, Nagapattinam had been captured by the VOC.

The committee determined that the Chola Plates were taken out of the area without the consent of the rights holders at the time, which constitutes an involuntary loss of possession and advised the university to unconditionally return both sets of plates to India.

The committee said it was likely that the objects were subsequently brought to the Netherlands in 1712 by the Camper-Kettinghs — Florentius Camper was a pastor in Batavia. But how the couple acquired them is unclear. Their descendants donated the objects to Leiden University in 1862, where a relative, Hendrik Arent Hamaker, had been Professor of Eastern Languages until 1835. As per officials, the plates will come to the ASI in New Delhi and it will decide whether, and if so, where the objects will be exhibited to the public, they add.