India's first epigraphical reference to Halley's comet found in Vijaynagara's 15th-century copper plate; key details inside

Time of India

6 hours ago

Credit: X
The discovery of a June 28, 1456 CE, inscription at the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Srisailam, now in Andhra Pradesh, has revealed India's first known mention of Halley's comet on a 15th-century Vijayanagara copper plate inscription.
This fascinating discovery has offered a glimpse into the rich astronomical knowledge of Indians even back then.
The plate documents a land grant made by the Vijayanagara king Mallikarjuna to a scholar of the Vedas. The interesting part here is that the inscription contains a reference to a brilliant celestial object that is visible in the sky now identified by historians and astronomers as Halley's comet, which was indeed visible at that time.
Astronomical alignment with Halley's comet
The inscription date in the Indian calendar is śaka 1378, dhātr̥ āṣāḍha ba. 11, which reads exactly to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE. According to astronomical data, Halley's comet was seen visibly and spectacularly during the summer of 1456. It was one of its historically significant apparitions, recorded in various parts of the world, including Europe and Asia.
The 1456 sighting of a comet was especially dramatic, and in some places, it was considered a sign.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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This is in line with the timing and the unusual celestial reference within the copper plate, making the connection.
Context and significance
This inscription is now considered the earliest attested epigraphic reference to Halley's comet in India, since previous references to comets in early Indian texts, e.g., in the ṛigveda, atharvaveda, and bṛhat saṃhitā, are generic and metaphorical and do not point to actual astronomical occurrences.
The inscription is written in the classical Telugu language script, with an inscription in Sanskrit, in the traditional copper plate grant form, which was quite prevalent back then.
Mention of the astronomical phenomenon is made along with details of the grant of land, indicating that the phenomena were deemed important enough to be noted within formal, legal, and religious documents.
This find is a cornerstone achievement in India's scientific and historical record-keeping.
The 1456 copper plate of the Vijaynagar empire is not only the first known epigraphic mention of Halley's comet in India but also presents a window of insight into the cosmos, the history of India, and the social and political life of the era.
Apart from suggesting the rich knowledge Indians had, it also suggests that medieval scholars likely tracked cometary cycles more closely than we ever would, hinting at an advanced system of record keeping. Back in those days, observation-based understanding of astronomy in the Vijayanagara era of India is also visible.