Renowned epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, who passed away early Monday, was instrumental in reviving interest in Sangam literature, said R. Nagaswamy, veteran archaeologist.
Recalling Mahadevan’s contributions, Dr. Nagaswamy said the epigraphist’s readings of Tamil Brahmi inscriptions in Pugalur near Karur had shown that there were three successive generations of Chera kings of the Sangam era, and this had re-kindled interest in the Sangam literature.
His study of Tamil Brahmi inscriptions in Tamil Nadu was “thorough and systematic” and his work came to be recognised nationally and internationally. Mr. Mahadevan’s ‘Indus Script – Texts, Concordance and Tables’ had generated enormous scope for further research, said Dr. Nagaswamy, who headed the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department between 1966 and 1988.
Referring to Mr. Mahadevan’s work, ‘Early Tamil Epigraphy,’ Indira Parthsarathy, a leading Tamil literary figure and former Tamil professor, hailed it as the epigraphist's magnum opus and quoted from what he wrote about it in this paper 15 years ago: “Nothing has been written until now, on Tamil Epigraphy, so rewarding and communicating, as this book is. It is a comprehensive in-depth treatise, in which a multi-disciplinary learning of an awesome dimension is much in evidence.”
Describing Mr. Mahadevan as an outstanding person, Prof. Parthasarathy said it was his work on Tamil Brahmi script that had established yet again the greatness and antiquity of Tamil.
T. Satyamurthy, former Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India and founder-president of REACH (Rural Education and Conservation of Heritage) Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, said Mr. Mahadevan's work on numismatics was as significant as the other areas of archaeology he focused on. His knowledge of Indology and palaeography was “remarkable.” He was a “perfectionist” as he relied essentially on primary sources of knowledge.
R. Kannan, former Additional Chief Secretary who had headed Archaeology and Musuem Departments, commended Mr. Mahadevan for his contributions in the area of deciphering the Indus script.