A hoard of three copper plates was recently discovered in the Chota Nagpur plateau of Jharkhand, dating back to the 8th century CE. Inscribed in late Brahmi script, the plates describe a philosophy known as 'Dhara-Tattva,' or the 'Truth of the Earth.' The text outlines an ancient ethical system for the extraction of minerals and the use of groundwater, treating the earth's depths as a sacred and finite body rather than an inexhaustible resource.
Scholars believe this find represents an early Sanatan Dharma-inspired environmental ethics that was local to the mineral-rich tribal regions. The philosophy emphasizes 'Ethical Debt,' stating that for every ounce of metal taken from the earth, a specific act of reforestation or water purification must be performed, offering a remarkably modern perspective on sustainable development from the early medieval period.